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Halloween treats to keep, not eat With childhood obesity and food allergies on the rise, many families are trying to find non-edible items to hand out on Halloween night. Unfortunately, candy is often the cheapest option. But by shopping around, and buying in bulk you can find fun, inexpensive treats without the sugar rush. n Glow sticks usually can be found at craft, party and discount stores with 12-15 per box. Glow-sticks can be activated, and then connected to make bracelets or necklaces. Assortments of "glow jewelry" can be found online (resources below.) Kids can wear these immediately for fun and visibility. n Halloween jewelry: spider rings, plastic bead necklaces, bangle bracelets etc. n Small notebooks or fancy pens n Novelty pencil toppers or erasers (hint: look for fall themes, to be used through November) n Halloween or fall-themed tattoos or stickers n Party favor-sized Play-Dough n Small boxes of crayons n Bouncy balls and use a glue gun to embellish with glittery trim to make a king or queen. Put a sweat suit underneath and they'll be warm, too. Felt isn't your only "no-sew" option. Check out the fabric store for other ideas. Armed with a glue gun and iron-on seam tape, there is no limit to what you can do with fabric and trim. Go online Search the Internet for homemade costume ideas. Familyfun. com has over 100 costume ideas that range from easy to difficult. A Google search will yield more web sites and articles for ideas. Involve your kids Last but not least, don't forget that the most important ingredient for a great Halloween costume is imagination. Get older kids involved in the process; they will be more pleased with their costume if they helped to create it. If you have little ones, remember for whom the costume is intended. Is it for other parents to admire or for the kids? Don't get caught up in the madness and think you need to spend a lot of money or kill yourself sewing the perfect costume for your kids to have fun on Halloween night. Tiffany Doerr Guerzon is a freelance writer and mother of three. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Every year my husband and I go out trick or treating with our grandkids, who are now 8 and 11 years old, and they have the greatest costumes. This has been going on since they were babies. My daughter-in-law sells the old ones on E-bay, and you guessed it, she buys new ones there as well. It works for our family and it could work for you, too. Reminder: Keep a few larger objects (crayons, Play-Dough) on hand to pass out to the under three crowd, as small objects can present a choking hazard. Resources: www.Coolglow.com, www.orientaltrading.com, www.partycity.com hvparent.com Hudson Valley Parent 27 n classic tent rentals wedding parties events family holidays special occasions