Halloween is the beginning of Q4 holiday celebrations, often marking a time when sugar consumption increases due to parties and holiday treats. As a parent, are you worried about your child’s sugar consumption during this time of year? Not only does sugar increase the risk of hyperactivity, but too much sugar can also increase the risk of dental decay and other oral health problems.
Even though sugary treats are a common part of the holiday celebrations, there are incremental changes you can make to decrease overall consumption. Start by implementing family traditions that don’t involve sugar. Here are a few ideas to consider:
Small Toys Instead of Sweets
Instead of having a bowl of Halloween candy for trick-or-treating, look for party stores or online retailers that sell cheap, fun holiday-themed toys. For example, Oriental Trading is a great place to get small games and toys to give your kids and other trick-or-treaters that are coming to the door.
Cheese Sticks and Tangerine Cups
Give your kids healthy snacks that are themed with Halloween characters. For example, you can use a Sharpie marker to draw a ghost on the string cheese wrapper. Or, small tangerine cups make the perfect small pumpkin faces.
Play Dough
Inspire your kids to be creative by making small Halloween figurines with colored play dough. Green is the perfect color for a Frankenstein face, use white for a ghost, and orange for a jack-o-lantern.
Vampire Fangs
Plastic costume fangs are great for selfies, and give the kids sugar-free entertainment. Talk to your little vampires about how they need to brush their fangs twice a day throughout the year.
Glow Sticks
Not only are glow sticks fun for people of all ages, but they are a perfect way to improve safety when kids are outside trick-or-treating. Choose glow sticks that can be worn as bracelets or necklaces, making the trick-or-treaters more visible for any cars driving by.
School Supplies
It’s always fun to have new pencils and erasers to take to school. Look for Halloween-themed school supplies with ghosts, pumpkins, witches, and themed colors. These special school supplies can be fun for classroom costume parties. Or, you can also hand out small bundles to trick-or-treaters.
Carving the Jack-O-Lanterns
Do you dislike the mess of stringy pumpkins that get thrown away right after Halloween? Consider carving watermelons instead! Everyone will enjoy snacking on the fruit during the carving party. Plus, the carved faces light up in a spooky red color when you place the candles inside.
Movie Marathon
Break out the popcorn maker and plan a fun family evening at home watching Halloween-themed movies. There are many shows that are suitable for children, such as Monster’s Inc or Hocus Pocus.
Homemade Monster Pizzas
Want a fun activity and enjoyable dinner at the same time? Instead of baking cookies or cupcakes, pull out the dough mixer and make homemade pizzas for dinner. Chop up healthy ingredients with lots of vegetables that the family can use to make monster faces. Shape the dough into smaller pizza crusts so everyone has their own pizza to decorate.
Regular Dental Care
You can’t avoid sugar altogether this holiday season, which is why it’s more important than ever to stay current with regular dental exams and cleanings. If it’s time for an appointment, then reach out to us at myDental to learn more about available services. We offer multiple locations in the area for your convenience.