Have a safe & selfless Halloween

Remember the good ole days, when Hallowe’en had an apostrophe in it and you could take random Ziplocks of popcorn home from the neighbours you didn’t know?

With Halloween nearly upon us, I wanted to introduce you to one great new product that will help keep your child safe; one candy alternative with which your toddler’s teeth will be much happier; and one way to make a difference this October.

Miss Q's Girl Robot.

Kid safety.

Let’s start with something new and whimsical from MGA Entertainment that Paradigm PR sent over: the Little Tikes Action Robot Flashlight. OK, seriously…these are super-cute. They’re about the size of a 500 mL water bottle, and all awkward arms and legs. There are about a dozen different robots to choose from – girl robots, boy robots, totally asexual robots. It comes with batteries – bonus. (All kids’ products requiring batteries should come with batteries.)

The Action Robot’s little tummies act as a flashlight. Just one push, which even your two year old can manage, and you’ve got instant strobe-light action. Not to worry, the auto shut-off will ensure those “free” batteries aren’t all used up on day one.

See those crazy limbs? They’re bendy. That means you can wrap your Little Tikes Action Robot around your kid’s loot bag, or perch it on your kid’s shoulder using a loop in her costume. You might even consider using a string or ribbon and carefully creating an Action Robot flashlight backpack. Either way, it’ll ensure your little one isn’t swallowed up into the night when he’s trick or treating.

After Halloween, your child will love hiding under blankets and inside homemade forts with this flashlight; mine have had a blast with this two-in-one toy.

Little Tikes Action Robots are priced around $10 to $15, depending where you buy them. Check out your local Toys ‘R Us sooner rather than later, as it looks like they’re out of stock online.

On to treats.

Look, I know you don’t want to be “that house.” The one that gives out toothbrushes or something so-not-fun this Halloween. But as the mother of a toddler who really doesn’t need to be exposed to full-on candy yet (save for that bit of cotton candy I let her have at the CNE this year…shhh…), I love the idea of offering a healthier treat when the kids come a-knockin’.

Squoosh Beetberry

I’m not talking about the four and seven and nine year olds who will probably give you a death stare if you dare offer them anything resembling a school snack. I’m talking about the wee babies and toddlers who are just excited to be out well past bedtime to show off their costumes. For them, it’s not yet about the candy.

When Baby Gourmet sent over some of its new Squoosh organic snacks suggesting they’d be great for Halloween, I was game. My kids love this kind of snack (we call them “squishers” no matter which brand it is), and I love the idea of giving these out to the wee ones next week. We’ve tried Squoosh’s Banango and Beetberry flavours – and they’re delish! Sweet as candy, in fact. And with nothing in them except organic fruit and veggies, everyone wins. Check out the company’s store locator to find them in time for Halloween.

Make your change count.

When Bloorview Kids Rehab asked me to participate in its Change for Kids event at the Eaton Centre in Toronto this week, I was bummed that I couldn’t attend. After all, anyone who knows me knows I love dressing up.

The K Man and I spent many wonderful days at Bloorview Kids Rehab; it was one of the only pools that let babies less than six months old take swimming lessons and it’s one of very few Toronto pools that’s actually warm for the right reasons – not the pee reasons. We had kids of all abilities in our lessons, and I always drove away from the building feeling very, very fortunate. My girlfriend’s sister had a terrible car accident that left her in a coma for weeks, and she rehabilitated at Bloorview. It’s an amazing facility. But therapeutic facilities come with hefty price tags.

Your kids are never too young to learn that helping others feels great. And the new Change for Kids program for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation will help kids who face otherwise seemingly insurmountable odds get life-enriching treatment and therapies that are simply world-class.

Here’s how it works: you buy a “coin card” for as little as $5, activate it online, pop out the coins and give them to trick or treaters. The kids, in turn, collect the coins and register them online. Not only does each coin represent a donation from Scotiabank directly to Holland Bloorview, but every coin your kid registers is also an entry into a grand-prize draw for a stay at Great Wolf Lodge. How awesome is that?

Happy Halloweening!

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