By Constance Garcia-Barrio
According to a true Halloween tale, a California dentist paid children in his town a dollar a pound for trick-or-treat candy brought to his office. He collected more than 700 pounds of sweets and tossed them in a dumpster. The dentist garnered great media coverage and spared children’s teeth from loads of sugar.
ARTrageous Brush & Flow
Photo Credit Masai Pines-Elliott
Families don’t have to go to such lengths to help children avoid the sugary deluge of typical Halloween candy. Activities other than trick-or-treating or wholesome treats can mean a healthier Halloween for children.
“I grew up in Mt. Airy, and my family and I would go ice skating at the Wissahickon Skating Rink on Halloween,” said Marcella Rice, a retired nutritionist who spent 20 years in child and adult dietary programs with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Though the rink, which still offers ice skating, is closed to the public this Halloween, Rice makes a point: It can be a matter of thinking beyond going door to door for goodies.
Rather than fright fests, the following events emphasize family participation, community and creativity.
Linvilla Orchards, a 300-acre family farm at 137 W. Knowlton Road in Media—30 minutes from Philly—is an attractive option. The farm offers hayrides, pony rides, barnyard animals, face painting and a straw-bale maze on Halloween. Visitors may also enter Pumpkin Land, blast apples at targets, check out the farm market with fresh produce and have lunch at the Linvilla Grill. The farm is open until 6 p.m. on October 31. See https://www.linvilla.com/ or call (610) 876-7116.
Closer to home, budding painters may revel in the Halloween celebration at ARTrageous Brush and Flow, a Black-owned art salon at 6345 Germantown Avenue, which hosts children’s and adults’ events. “The Halloween party is designed to encourage children’s creativity in a safe space,” said Moneek Pines, CEO and lead artist. “They’ll take home their painting and a treat bag—we don’t want them to feel they’ve missed out—a mini-paint kit and goodies that won’t send them to the dentist’s office.” For details about this event, which will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., call (267) 592-7116 or see https://www.artrageousbrushandflow.com/
The Harvest Party at the Logan Library, 1333 Wagner Avenue, near Old York Rd., takes place at 4 p.m. on Halloween. It will include snacks, music, games and a movie. To learn more, call 215-685-9156.
Families can also create their own Halloween fun, Rice said. Parents with craft skills can guide children in making and hanging decorations for the day or help them get a head start on holiday ornaments. It could also be an opportunity to introduce children to another culture by making images and costumes for the Day of the Dead (El Dia de los Muertos), celebrated on November 1 to 2. During this holiday, which originated with Mexica Indians in pre-Hispanic times, many Mexican families pay their respects to family members who have died.
Several families could get together and show a movie, Rice said. “They could serve popcorn, a good source of fiber,” she added.
Take things to a grander scale with a block party centered on colorful costumes and wholesome food, Rice suggests. “Neighbors near me closed off the street and served food,” she says. “You could also award kids prizes for the most original costumes.”
Neighbors who would like to give or get wholesome treats also have choices. Some nutritionists suggest organic lollipops colored with fruit and vegetable as a possibility. Available online and at some food co-ops and health food stores, these lollipops have no chemical additives and cost about $16.25 for 60.
Fruit leather, also sold at food co-ops and stores like Whole Foods, present another possibility.
Some health-conscious neighbors give out individually wrapped honey sticks, available at Walmart, health food stores, and on Amazon. Honey has antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties and doesn’t raise blood sugar level as fast as white sugar.
Food allergies may still be a concern at Halloween, Rice says. About 8% of children in the U.S. have such food sensitivities, according to the Center for Disease Control. Many popular candies contain peanuts, an allergen for many people, dieticians point out. To identify candy less likely to cause allergic reactions, see the Spokin candy guide—https://www.spokin.com/halloween-candy-guide.
Food Allergy and Research Education (FARE), a nonprofit that seeks to improve the lives of people with food allergies through education and advocacy, has developed the Teal Pumpkin Project so that children with food allergies can take part in trick or treating. Participating neighbors buy a plastic teal pumpkin at stores like CVS or paint a pumpkin light blue. Placed near the door, the pumpkin signals that the household is giving out non-edible treats.
“Toys and other small items can please children at Halloween,” Rice says. Stores that sell teal pumpkins as well as online businesses like the Oriental Trading Company, have items like spooky spider rings, which cost about $8 for 140, and inexpensive Halloween or autumn-themed bookmarks. Low-priced offerings include glow sticks and buttons with different themes. The aim is to include every child, regardless of allergies and other conditions, in Halloween fun.
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