These banana ghost popsicles — also known as Boonanas — from Lifestyle of a Foodie are extremely cute and a fun way to get visiting grandkids involved in Halloween preparations. Alternatively, prepare them in advance for a fun after-dinner surprise. Banana popsicles provide a healthier break from high-sugar Halloween treats and taste similar to real ice cream, making them popular with kids and adults alike.
Boonanas are easy to make with just three ingredients. Simply cut a large banana in half crossways, insert a popsicle stick into the cut end and dip the banana in vanilla yogurt. You can create a ghostly face by adding chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth. Freeze the popsicles for up to two months. Consider swapping the yogurt for melted white chocolate to make these treats more indulgent, or use soy-based yogurt and chocolate chips for a dairy-free version.
You don't need an oven to make delicious Halloween-themed cookies. These Spooky Spider Cookies from Betty Crocker use ready-made sandwich cookies and affordable ingredients to create a no-bake treat. They're ideal for sharing with friends and family in your assisted living apartment at Bethesda Gardens, and you can place them inside food-safe bags to add to Halloween treat bags.
Using filled cookies allows you to push string licorice into the filling for the legs. While the recipe calls for orange-creme sandwich cookies, any cream-filled cookies will work just as well. Use pre-made frosting to attach candy eyes for an appealing, easy-to-make treat.
Kids love slime, and making your own sensory slime gifts is surprisingly straightforward. Most slime recipes use cheap store cupboard ingredients, such as borax, baking soda or starch. You can make your homemade slime spookier by adding colorants, glitter and small Halloween-themed plastic ornaments.
Little Bins for Little Hands provides several Halloween slime recipes to get you started, including borax-free options. Younger family members will love joining you in the kitchen to mix your slime creations. You could also make the slime beforehand and decant it into gift-size pots to bulk out homemade goody bags.
Want to encourage your grandkids to eat some fruit alongside their Halloween candy hauls? This Spider Eggs printable from Meaningful Mama is a great way to make your Halloween treat bags healthier. The craft instructions suggest using fresh grapes as the spider eggs and placing each portion inside an airtight snack bag. Next, simply print the spooky labels and attach them to the top of the bag using double-sided tape or staples for a quick, no-candy Halloween goody bag stuffer.
These adorable Lego Pumpkin Treat Bags from Repeat Crafter Me can help keep little hands busy at a Halloween get-together in your assisted living suite. You don't need to spend hours picking through Legos to find enough orange bricks — online retailers often sell bricks by color. Alternatively, you could try an online marketplace such as eBay to find second-hand orange bricks and make this creative project more affordable.
Once you've gathered your bricks, place a handful inside a round, transparent treat bag and secure the opening with twine. Add a leaf-shaped gift label cut from green card with the recipient's name to make your treat bags more realistic.
Chocolate truffles infused with warming spices are an ideal, adult-friendly way to show appreciation to friends and staff in the Bethesda Gardens assisted living community. These Spiced Chocolate Truffles from Taste of Home start with a classic mixture of baking chocolate and heavy whipping cream. Adding flavorings such as canned pumpkin, nutmeg and ginger gives the chocolates a delicious, autumnal taste that's perfect for the season.
You can roll your no-bake Halloween truffles in cocoa powder for a sophisticated take on spooky candy. Alternatively, press candy eyeballs into your finished truffles for a fun finishing touch.
Peanut butter treats are a staple of any Halloween spread, and these Scary Eyeballs from Taste of Home are guaranteed to impress young and old alike. This no-bake recipe requires eight ingredients and starts with a paste made from peanut butter, vanilla, butter and confectioners sugar. Shape the paste into eyeball-sized balls and cover with a candy coating, candy "pupils" and red decorating gel veins.
Taste of Home recommends mixing premade candy coating with shortening to cover the eyeballs. You can speed up this step by using premade fondant such as Regal Ice.
