What are some ideas for halloween handouts?   

Stickers, temp tattoos, pencils, plastic rings or other small trinkets would work.

I usually go to Sam's club and get a big box of individually packaged pretzels or crackers. They are not as healthy as carrot sticks but I can't afford to hand the little packages of those out. Besides, obesity epidemic or not, I think if I handed out carrots someone would egg my house! lol I have also handed out the mini bags of microwave popcorn and some cool Halloween stickers, or got an assortment of little toys from the Oriental Trading Company catalog. The kids really get excited when it is not the same old candy they get at everyone else's house.

I work in a store where they have a bag with boxes of kids tattoos in them and special 6 packs of soda that are decorated for Halloween. You can also go to a dollar store and pick up lots of different things that would probably end up costing you the same amount that you would have paid on expensive candy.

If you go to your local Dollar Store, they have a section with kids party favors. You get a whole bunch in a bag for a buck. Depending on how many is in the bag, and what they are, in some instances it's cheaper than the bag of candy. I don't think kids care so much what they're getting, just that they're 'getting' lol. Once I got a big bag of plastic spider rings, boy, they LOVED those, even the girls hahaha. I agree, there's too much obesity and diabetes in the younger set now-a-days. It's always nice to continue the halloween tradition, but with giving out different 'treats.'

I agree with the others...pencils, stickers, Halloween trinkets all sound much beter than candy. The only thing I would suggest is to have a few larger items on hand for the smaller (under 3 or so) trick or treaters. You don't want to be handing out choking hazards to them! Maybe some of those bean bag type balls...or if you're the crafty type you could make them yourself to look like little pumpkins.

Hi Crazynurse!
You could try www.orientaltrading.com. They have all kinds of cool little toys to pass out. Like you, I hate passing out candy (we only get about 1/2 dozen kids anyway!) I have passed out little packages of bubbles (like the wedding kind), whistles, little stampers, slinkies (the plastic kind), and mini kalidescopes. This year is pretty much the same--vampire teeth, rubber stamps, and bubbles again.

I do this for when my kids bring treats for their birthdays. I don't think the kids need all that extra sugar that cupcakes and candy delivers, so I buy little toys or color books for the kids to pass out. Never had a complaint yet. (Maybe the kids are too polite to complain. LOL!)

Have fun deciding what to do. That's the most fun.

I concur with another respondent here -- get to the Dollar Tree or some other dollar store. They have whole bags of toy like items that kids love.

To tell you the truth, although I loved candy as a kid I would have gone mad for those toys! They have little charms, and I saw some miniature doughboys that were so cute.

we usually make up little plastic bags filled with little toys, stickers, pencils etc. The kids always seem to be really excited about getting something different. If you don't like that then go the coneheads route and hand out fried eggs and beer.

My sister and I were always over-joyed to get change! I actually passed out change one year. I got a big bag of pennies and also some nickels and dimes. I put them in a big bucket and mixed it. Then I let the kids take one handful. They seemed to love it.

mini stuff animals. Plastic toys. Party favors. candy. coupons.