In the days after Halloween, parents often find themselves staring down a mountain of candy wondering- what now? How can you let your kids enjoy their Halloween haul without a week-long sugar rush? If you're looking for creative ways to enjoy the treats without going overboard, we have some tips & tricks that will help you manage the candy stash while keeping the Halloween magic alive.
Swap Sweets for Treats
Halloween is one of the biggest days of the year for kids, so getting them to part with any of their candy is no easy task. One way to motivate kids to cut back is to offer non-food alternatives for candy. Invite your kids to separate their candy into a “keep” pile and a “trade” pile. You could offer an activity in exchange for their trade pile, like taking them to the park or letting them choose a restaurant to go to for dinner. (A day of fun at the Y with their friends is a good option, too!) Alternatively, you can offer a small prize for each piece of candy they trade. Here are some budget-friendly prize options that kids will love:
1. Temporary tattoos
2. Stickers
3. Fake fangs or Spider rings
4. Themed pens or pencils
5. Glow sticks
6. Bouncy balls
Donate Candy for a Cause
Many shelters and food banks accept candy donations to brighten the day of those with need. Some local organizations that accept candy donations are:
The Oshkosh Area Food Pantry
The Salvation Army
Day by Day Warming Shelter
Father Carr’s Place 2B
Donating leftover candy is a great way to involve your kids in something that gives back to the community while supporting our local resources.
Create a Candy Craft Project
Candy doesn't always have to be for eating! There are tons of kid-friendly craft projects that turn leftover candy into unique creations. And kids have a blast making them! From collages to homemade holiday decorations, here are some of our favorites:
Building with candy pumpkins STEM challenge
Landscape candy collage (this one gives candy wrappers a second life, too!)
Freeze for Holiday Baking
Sugar doesn’t always have to be the bad guy. By setting aside candy for later use in holiday baking, you can help your child build a healthier relationship with sugar. Saving sweets for special occasions reinforces the idea that sugar should be enjoyed in moderation and eliminates the mindless snacking on candy that often happens in the days after Halloween. (Not to mention that freezing candy saves parents a little extra money around the holidays, too!)
When stored properly, frozen chocolate has quite a long shelf life. Chunks of frozen chocolate bars work great in cookies, chopped up health bars are a delicious topping for cakes, and gummies or colorful candy is perfect for decorating a gingerbread house.
Freezing sweets for later is a great opportunity to teach kids an important lesson about healthy living: That positive relationships with food go beyond nutrition facts, and enjoying things in moderation helps set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
A Balanced Approach to Halloween Treats
With a little creativity, you can help your kids enjoy their candy haul in a way that keeps the Halloween spirit alive while encouraging healthy habits. Whether you’re trading treats for fun activities, donating to local charities, getting crafty, or saving sweets for holiday baking, each approach helps teach kids that enjoying candy can go hand in hand with making thoughtful choices. By fostering a healthy relationship with food, you're setting them up to enjoy all the sweetness life has to offer—in moderation, of course!
Posted Nov 1, 2024.