10 Unique Halloween Party Favors for Kids That Aren’t Candy
Halloween usually means one thing for kids:
Candy. Lots and lots of candy.
But if you're planning a Halloween party, classroom celebration, birthday party, or spooky get-together, you may be looking for Halloween party favors for kids that aren't just another handful of sweets.
What if one of those favors could actually grow?
Even better—what if it could PLAY DEAD?
That's exactly what makes the Zombie Plant® such a fun Halloween surprise.
The Zombie Plant is a real living plant known scientifically as Mimosa pudica. Touch its leaves and they quickly fold together. After a while, they open again.
For Halloween, we like to say:
It plays DEAD...then comes BACK TO LIFE!
Here are 10 fun ideas for making your Halloween giveaways more memorable.
1. Grow Your Own Zombie Plant®
This is our favorite because the fun continues long after Halloween night.
Give children Zombie Plant® seeds and let them grow their own living "zombie."
Once the plant develops its sensitive leaves, gently touching them causes the leaves to fold.
The plant hasn't actually died, of course. It's a fascinating natural response to touch.
But to a child seeing it for the first time?
It looks like their plant just played dead!
Then they get another surprise when the leaves reopen.
It's a Halloween favor that combines gardening, science, and a little spooky fun.
2. Zombie Plant® Seeds & Stickers
Instead of another handful of candy, give kids something they can grow and decorate with.
Combine Zombie Plant® seeds with fun Zombie Plant stickers for a Halloween favor children can continue enjoying after the party.
They can decorate notebooks, flower pots, water bottles, or other belongings with the stickers—and then plant their seeds and wait for their very own Zombie Plant to grow.
3. Decorate Your Own Halloween Flower Pot
Give each child a small flower pot to decorate during the Halloween party.
Provide markers, stickers, or other craft supplies and let kids create their own spooky planter.
Then add Zombie Plant® seeds.
You've now combined a:
Halloween craft + gardening project + science activity
into one memorable party favor.
4. Grow a Zombie Plant® in a Mini Skull Flower Pot 💀🌱
Want to make your Halloween favor even spookier?
Grow a Zombie Plant® in our Mini Skull Flower Pot!
The little skull makes the perfect home for a plant that "plays dead" when you touch it—and then comes back to life.
Kids can plant the seeds, watch their Zombie Plant grow, and eventually touch the leaves to see them fold closed right before their eyes.
It's a fun combination of Halloween, gardening, and science that kids can continue enjoying long after the candy is gone.
A skull with a plant that plays dead? That's Halloween fun you can GROW!
5. Halloween Science Experiment Cards
Turn your party favor into a science experiment.
Ask children questions such as:
What happens when you touch the Zombie Plant?
How long does it take the leaves to reopen?
Does every leaf respond the same way?
What happens to the leaves at night?
Children aren't simply growing something—they're observing how a living plant responds to its environment.
You can even have children write down their predictions before touching the plant and then record what actually happens.
6. Create a Zombie Plant® Growing Contest
Give each child some Zombie Plant® seeds and see whose plant sprouts first.
Children can keep a simple growing journal and record:
- The day they planted their seeds
- When the first seed sprouted
- When the first leaves appeared
- When the plant first responded to touch
- How tall their plant grows
It's an easy way to turn a Halloween favor into a longer-lasting activity.
7. Zombie Plant® Activity & Coloring Fun
For younger children, coloring pages, puzzles, and plant activities can be a fun alternative to candy.
Pair a Zombie Plant® growing activity with coloring and science activities and children get something entertaining to do while they wait for their seeds to grow.
Best of all, there's a real plant waiting at the end of the experience.
8. Make a Mini Zombie Garden
Let children create their own miniature Zombie Garden.
Decorate pots and give each Zombie Plant a funny name.
How about:
Zombob
Leaf Frankenstein
The Walking Plant
Dead Fred
Then plant the seeds and see whose "zombie" wakes up first.
Kids can continue caring for their Zombie Garden long after Halloween is over.
9. Give a Zombie Plant® Greenhouse Grow Kit
For an extra-special Halloween gift, go beyond a seed packet and give children a Zombie Plant® Greenhouse Grow Kit.
They can plant the seeds themselves and experience the excitement of watching their first sprouts emerge.
As their plants grow, they'll eventually develop the special leaves that respond when touched.
A Zombie Plant grow kit is especially fun for:
- Kids who love science
- Young gardeners
- Halloween birthdays
- Classroom activities
- Zombie fans
- Kids who simply love unusual things
It's certainly different from another bag of candy!
10. Give Them Something They'll Still Have After Halloween
This may be the biggest advantage of giving a growing Halloween favor.
Candy gets eaten.
Disposable toys get lost.
But children can continue caring for their Zombie Plant® well after October 31.
They can watch it grow, touch it, show it to friends, and observe its unusual behavior.
And every demonstration starts with an irresistible Halloween question:
"Want to see my plant play DEAD?"
Touch.
The leaves close.
Wait.
And then...
THE ZOMBIE PLANT COMES BACK TO LIFE! 🧟🌱
That's Halloween science you can grow.
Grow Your Own Zombie Plant® This Halloween
Whether you're planning a classroom celebration, Halloween birthday party, trick-or-treat giveaway, or simply looking for something unusual for a child who loves creepy things, the Zombie Plant® turns an ordinary seed into an unforgettable experience.
Plant it.
Grow it.
Touch it.
Watch it PLAY DEAD! 🧟🌱
