20 Non-Candy Halloween Treats and Gifts for Kids

Halloween and candy tend to go hand in hand.

And while we would never dream of getting between a child and their favourite Halloween treat, sometimes it’s nice to have a little magic in the mix that isn’t made of sugar. 🎃✨

Whether you’re filling a Boo Basket, looking for Halloween gifts for kids, planning a party or simply trying to balance out the trick-or-treat haul, there are plenty of non-candy Halloween treats that feel every bit as exciting.

From tiny surprises to Halloween toys they can bring out year after year, here are 20 of our favourites.

1. A Halloween Doll

A special Halloween doll is one treat that won’t disappear by bedtime.

Choose a character they can play with throughout October, take trick-or-treating and tuck into bed once the excitement is over.

Our Holiday Hollow Boo Bunch is filled with not-so-spooky witches, werewolves and magical friends, each with their own story and special details to discover.

2. A Little Halloween Plush

For younger children, a soft Halloween plush toy makes a lovely alternative to candy.

Think friendly monsters, little black cats, pumpkins and magical creatures that are much more cuddle than creepy.

Pop one into a Boo Basket or leave it waiting on their bed as an October surprise.

3. Halloween Stickers

Small, inexpensive and always exciting.

Halloween stickers make brilliant non-candy trick-or-treat treats too. Look for pumpkins, moons, stars, cats and friendly ghosts, then hand them out instead of sweets or add them to a Halloween gift bag.

4. A Halloween Book

A Halloween story is one of those little gifts that can quietly turn into a tradition.

Choose a new book each October or bring the same favourites out with the Halloween decorations every year.

For younger children, look for magical, funny and not-too-spooky stories that make Halloween feel exciting rather than frightening.

5. Glow-in-the-Dark Surprises

Turn out the lights and suddenly an ordinary little gift becomes magic.

Glow-in-the-dark stars, stickers or toys make particularly fun Halloween surprises for kids.

Some residents of Holiday Hollow have a little glow-in-the-dark magic of their own, too. Wesley Werewolf’s eyes and tiny fangs glow after dark, while Willa Witch has a witchy outfit that reveals its magic when the lights go out. 🌙

6. Halloween Pyjamas

A fresh pair of Halloween PJs is a treat you can enjoy all October long.

Give them at the beginning of the month, then wear them for Halloween stories, cosy movie nights and the very important business of inspecting the trick-or-treat haul.

7. Temporary Tattoos

Tiny pumpkins on hands. Stars on cheeks. A little bat on each knee.

Temporary Halloween tattoos are inexpensive, easy to pop into a Boo Basket and very likely to be applied immediately.

8. A Dress-Up Accessory

You don’t need an entire costume to transform into someone new.

A witch’s hat, cat ears, fairy wings, cape or mask can inspire hours of imaginative play and still be useful long after Halloween night.

Add one to a Boo Basket or give it a few days before Halloween so they can start planning their character.

9. A Halloween Craft Kit

A little bag of craft supplies can become an entire afternoon of Halloween fun.

Add coloured paper, stickers, crayons, googly eyes, pom-poms and glue, then let them decide what to make.

Perfectly wonky pumpkins encouraged.

10. A Mini Collectible Friend

Not every Halloween gift needs to be big.

A tiny doll, plush character or bag charm is just the right size for a Boo Basket and gives children something they can collect each Halloween.

Start with one this year and add another next October.

Also Read: 25 Best Halloween Gift Ideas for Kids

11. A Trick-or-Treat Bag

A special Halloween basket or bag is both a gift and part of the adventure.

Choose one they can use year after year, then pack it away with the Halloween decorations until October rolls around again.

There’s something magical about seeing familiar things reappear each season.

12. Halloween Hair Clips

Tiny pumpkins, black cats, moons, bows and stars make easy Halloween gifts for kids who love dressing up.

They’re also perfect for children who want to join in with Halloween without wearing a full costume.

13. A Pumpkin Decorating Kit

Skip the carving tools and let little ones decorate pumpkins themselves.

Washable paint, stickers and markers make pumpkin decorating much easier for toddlers and preschoolers.

No perfectly carved jack-o’-lantern required.

14. Halloween Colouring Supplies

A Halloween colouring book and a fresh packet of crayons or pencils make a simple, screen-free Halloween treat.

Pop them into a Boo Basket or keep them ready for the afternoon when everyone starts asking, “Is it time to trick-or-treat yet?”

A plush fantasy doll with orange hair, blue eyes, and a purple fluffy outfit sits on a pink starry tablecloth. The scene is styled with a green velvet curtain backdrop, pink-and-white twisted candles, small potion bottles, a glowing orb, and a purple wine glass.

15. A Friendly Monster

If your little one isn’t interested in scary Halloween characters, find them a monster that’s decidedly un-scary.

Funny monsters, fuzzy monsters, sleepy monsters and slightly ridiculous monsters are all welcome here.

Halloween should be whatever kind of magical they want it to be.

16. A Make-Your-Own Potion Kit

Every little witch needs something to mix.

Create a simple potion kit using child-safe ingredients like water, petals, leaves and biodegradable glitter.

Give each ingredient a suitably magical name and let them create their own recipes.

The stranger the potion, the better.

17. A Halloween Puzzle

A small puzzle makes a lovely quiet-time addition to a Halloween gift basket.

For younger children, choose friendly pumpkins, animals or magical scenes rather than anything too spooky.

18. A Halloween Experience

Not every treat has to be something you unwrap.

Make a little homemade ticket for pumpkin picking, a Halloween movie night, baking together, a neighbourhood Halloween-light walk or an afternoon of pumpkin decorating.

Pop the ticket into their Boo Basket and let the anticipation begin.

19. A Surprise From the Switch Witch

If you’re looking for an alternative to the enormous pile of candy that comes home after trick-or-treating, you might need a little help from Willa the Switch Witch.

After Halloween, Willa tiptoes from doorstep to doorstep, swapping leftover candy for a little surprise.

Children can choose some of their sweets to leave out before bedtime and wake to discover what Willa has left in their place.

A toy, book, pyjamas or little collectible all make lovely Switch Witch gift ideas.

A perfectly sensible swap, according to Willa. 🍬✨

20. One Special Halloween Friend

Our favourite non-candy Halloween treat is one that becomes part of the season itself.

Choose a doll, plush friend or character that only comes out at Halloween.

Let them join the pumpkin carving. Bring them trick-or-treating. Sit them beside the bed for Halloween stories. Then, when October is over, pack them away with the decorations.

Next year, they magically return.

Because the best Halloween treats aren’t always the ones that disappear first.

Sometimes they’re the ones children wait all year to see again. 🌙✨

What Can You Give Kids Instead of Candy for Halloween?

If you’re looking for candy alternatives for Halloween, keep it simple.

Small toys, stickers, temporary tattoos, books, colouring supplies, dress-up accessories and craft activities all make easy alternatives to sweets.

For a more special Halloween gift, choose something that encourages imaginative play and can become part of your child’s Halloween traditions, like a doll or plush friend they can bring out every October.

And you don’t have to remove candy completely.

A little of both can be rather magical.

Non-Candy Halloween Treats for Toddlers

For toddlers and preschoolers, choose Halloween treats that are age-appropriate and easy to enjoy.

Soft dolls and plush toys, board books, chunky crayons, Halloween pyjamas, simple crafts and dress-up pieces are all lovely options.

And if your little one finds Halloween a bit scary, choose friendly witches, animals and magical characters instead of frightening ones.

Halloween can be exciting without being scary.

Start Your Own Halloween Tradition

You don’t need an enormous Boo Basket or twenty new things to make Halloween special.

Choose one.

One new book. One little friend. One activity you always do together. One surprise left mysteriously outside their bedroom door.

Do it again next October.