Halloween is upon us, and that undoubtedly means lots of candy! We’ve all heard many tricks for avoiding (or at least minimizing) the treats, but here are a few to help keep you on track this year.
Get Crafty
Use the surplus of candy to a create a fun and colorful craft in the form of lollipop wreaths, tootsie roll napkin rings, or a gumball vase. Check out websites such as tasteofhome.com, parenting.com, and pinterest for more ideas and step-by-step instructions.
Rule of Thumb
Commit to a rule for the candy… only one piece per day!
Mix it Up
Use up that candy by making your own personalized trail mix. Rally up your favorite unsalted nuts and seeds, then mix in some of your favorite sweet treats to jazz it up. M&Ms, Raisinets, Whoppers, or Skittles might be good picks for the mix.
Freezer Pleaser
Freeze the candy to save it for a later day. Or make Halloween Blizzards! Choose two or three small pieces of candy and throw them in the blender with some vanilla ice cream. YUM!
3-2-1-GONE!
Use the pieces of candy as counters for math homework. Or create fun counting, sorting or grouping games for smaller children. At the end of the counting session, the child can choose one piece of candy to enjoy!
Happy Haunted House
Get creative with the candy and make a gingerbread haunted house. And if there’s still candy left after the haunted house is complete, save it for the gingerbread houses at Christmas time.
The Science of Candy
We’ve all heard that if you put Mentos candy in a soda bottle, it will explode. There are many other science experiments and projects out there that involve candy. Check out science20.com and candyexperiments.com for more ideas!
Pass It Along!
And if you just can’t keep your hands out of the candy stash, then get rid of it! Donate it to the troops, offer it to your local senior center, or take it into your office. Don’t let it ruin your healthy lifestyle!