A Healthier Option for Halloween Treats

10/21/09 - By Anna Fader

Last year I took the time to count how many calories were in my daughter's Halloween candy haul. It was eye opening and mind-blowing. So this year I'm looking for alternatives to candy that don't suck. That is something to give away for trick or treaters besides apples or pencils and other things that kids don't want and don't make them want to toilet paper your face.

Since I've been doing some Spring cleaning around the house (yeah I'm a little behind) I had a symbiotic dilemma of what to do with all the little plastic goodie bag toys we seem to collect all year long. Bingo.

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This year I'm killing two birds with one stone. I've collected all the little plastic toys my kids have accumulated from the last year. There's goodie bag loot, gumball machine toys, bouncy balls, pinata filler leftover from a party, and even a few Pokemon figures and other toys that need a new home. Voila, a healthy, fun, Halloween trick or treat alternative that' s as good for the earth as it is for your kids. Yeah, recycling!

About the Author

Anna Fader

Founder & CEO of Mommy Poppins
Anna was born in Park Slope, spent her early years in the West Village. By the time she graduated high school, she had lived in 4 of the 5 boroughs. Growing up in NYC in the '70s meant the streets were her playgrounds. Museums and avant garde music venues were the kid-friendly activities. And living downtown taught her the importance of creating community for families in NYC.

Now, raising her own two children in the city, she tries to create the same sense of magic and community she felt growing up, despite today's more commercialized version of kid-friendly New York.

She started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to share a more artsy, educational, uncommercial, community-oriented vision of raising kids in New York City. Today Mommy Poppins is relied on by millions of families as the authority on the best things to do with kids beyond New York City: from Boston to Philly, Los Angeles, Houston and travel guides for dozens more cities and destinations.