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A Halloween That Isn't All Candy: Play-Doh Handouts at the Door and Flip 7 After Trick-or-Treating

By Best Items Staff
Halloween evening on a suburban front porch lit by jack-o'-lanterns and string lights: a smiling parent in a cozy sweater crouches to hand small colorful modeling-dough tubs to two trick-or-treaters dressed as a witch and a dinosaur, a bowl of dough tubs on the porch step, and through the open front door a family laughs around a coffee table playing a card game, candid editorial

Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means a long night: a classroom party on Friday, an afternoon of costume adjustments, a couple of hours on the sidewalk, and then a living room full of kids who have just eaten more candy than they'll eat the rest of the month. Two small changes make the whole thing easier. Put something other than candy in the bowl by the door, and have a game ready for when everybody gets home and nobody's ready for bed yet.

The two picks

Play-Doh 30 Pack Spooky Colors, Individually Wrapped 1 oz Sticks for Halloween is the handout; check its product page for the current price. Per the product page, it's 30 individually wrapped one-ounce Play-Doh sticks in seasonal spooky colors, pitched as trick-or-treat handouts, classroom party favors, and fall craft time for kids ages 2 and up, and the compound is non-toxic. Catalog rating: 4.8 / 5.0.

USAOPOLY Flip 7 Card Game is the after-party (see its product page for the current price). The listing describes a press-your-luck game: you flip cards one at a time to build your score, and if you flip a number you already have, you bust. Action cards like Freeze, Flip Three, and Second Chance shake up each round, and the first player to 200 points wins. It's listed for 3 or more players, ages 8 and up, and as easy to learn in minutes. Catalog rating: 4.9 / 5.0.

Why a non-candy handout is worth it

Some kids at your door can't have what's in a typical candy bowl, whether that's because of a food allergy, a medical diet, or just a parent who would rather the haul be a little smaller. A wrapped stick of modeling dough is something every kid can take home, it doesn't get mixed into the candy pile, and it gets played with the next morning instead of eaten in one sitting. Plenty of houses now keep a separate non-food bowl for exactly this reason, and some families mark it with a teal pumpkin so trick-or-treaters know to look for it.

Two bowls work better than one. Keep the candy in one and the Play-Doh in the other, and let kids pick. You'll be surprised how many go for the dough.

Thirty goes further than you think. One pack covers a modest neighborhood, a classroom party, or a stack of goodie bags for a costume party. If your street gets busy, alternate: one stick per kid in the non-candy bowl, and save the rest for the class party the day before.

Mind the littlest visitors. The listing says ages 2 and up. For toddlers who still put everything in their mouths, hand it to the grown-up instead of the kid.

The hour after trick-or-treating

Everyone gets home wired. The candy is sorted, the costumes are half off, and bedtime is clearly not happening for a while. That's the window a quick card game fills. Flip 7 suits it because there's almost nothing to teach: flip a card, decide whether to stop or keep going, and groan when a duplicate wipes out your round. The press-your-luck moment is what makes it fun for a mixed table, since a lucky eight-year-old can beat the grown-up who's been playing cautious.

A few things that help on a sugar-fueled night:

Play to a lower score if you need to. The listing says the first to 200 wins. If it's getting late, agree on a shorter target before you start; nobody needs a rules debate at 9:30.

Pair up the youngest. The listed age is 8 and up. A younger sibling can play on a team with a parent and be the one who flips the cards.

Bring it to the next stop. A small card game is easy to toss in a bag for Thanksgiving at the relatives' or a holiday trip. Our Catan family game night guide covers the longer, sit-down kind of game night when you've got a whole evening.

A simple plan for Halloween weekend

Friday: send a handful of Play-Doh sticks for the class party if the school allows non-food favors.

Saturday evening: set out two bowls on the porch, one with candy and one with Play-Doh, and keep the porch light on.

After the walk: trade the candy pile for a round or two of Flip 7 at the coffee table, then call it a night.

Sunday morning: the leftover Play-Doh makes a pretty good rainy-day craft for whoever's up first.

Who this is for

Neighbors who want an allergy-friendly option at the door, room parents shopping for party favors, and families with kids old enough to stay up a little and play. Skip the Play-Doh if your street is mostly older kids who'd rather have chocolate, and skip Flip 7 if you've only got two players; the listing says it's for three or more.

What we're not claiming

We didn't hand these out on a real Halloween or play Flip 7 at our own table. The Play-Doh pack's 30 individually wrapped one-ounce sticks, spooky colors, ages 2 and up guidance, and non-toxic compound, Flip 7's flip-and-bust gameplay, Freeze, Flip Three, and Second Chance action cards, 200-point win, and 3-plus players ages 8 and up, and the ratings above come from the product pages and catalog. Check the current prices on the product pages, fill a second bowl, and keep a deck on the coffee table for when everyone gets home.