How to Get Rid of the Switch Witch's Halloween Candy
I’m a lucky parent. The act of getting the candy at Halloween is more important to my kids than the actual eating of said Halloween candy.
Yes, my boys will run from house to house to house screaming “TRICK OR TREAT!” and giggling at the bountiful booty in their bags, but when they get home, they will only eat the chocolate. My kids are very picky eaters, and 364 days a year it’s a pain — on Halloween it’s awesome.
My oldest has actually been heard saying “No thank you, I don’t like candy” when people offer him a lollipop at stores.
Despite my boys’ distaste for candy, they’ll plow through chocolate until midnight if we allowed it. Earlier this week, Kacy asked What Is Your Candy Policy? In our home this year we’re introducing the notion of The Halloween Candy Fairy / Switch Witch / Candy Monster to get rid of the stuff. After the jump, 12 ways you can get rid of the Halloween haul so your kids (or you!) don’t eat it for the next month.
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Switch Witch
Before you can get rid of the candy, you need to get it away from the kids. The idea of a Switch Witch, or Candy Fairy is the kids pick a few items they would like to save, and the rest is dumped in a bowl and left next to a pumpkin / in the kitchen / by their bed for a trade. The next morning, the candy is gone and a small toy / book / bit of money is left by the mysterious creature. Candy problem solved, but now what are you going to do with it?
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Dentist Buyback
Many entrepreneurial dentists in my community will offer to buy back the candy from kids for $1 a pound. The kids can drop it off and get a few bucks to go and buy themselves a toy etc. Check out Halloween Candy Buyback to see if there is an office in your area.
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Operation Gratitude
Many of the dentists who buy back the candy from kids via Halloween Candy Buyback will then donate the sweets to Operation Gratitude. The sweets are boxed up as a part of care packages for soldiers overseas. You can also just donate the candy to Operation Gratitude directly.
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Candy Experiments
Make giant gummi worms, turn M&Ms into dazzling comets, grow candy crystals, and turn cotton candy into slime! You'll find all these experiments and more, plus simple scientific explanations, in the book Candy Experiments!
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Halloween Brownies
The Slacker Mom has a way for you to gather up all the chocolate in the bag and turn them into delicious Halloween chocolate brownies. Oh yeah.
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Unwrap For Crafts
Green-Talk suggests peeling off the paper of the treats and saving them for your craft supplies box. the only temptation will be tossing the treat in the garbage instead of your mouth as you peel back all those black cat toffee pieces.
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Pinata Stuffing
If you can keep it in the house and not sneak a handful every now and again, keep the hard stuff on hand to stuff in the pinatas at birthdays. via Green Talk
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Freezer
Halloween starts 4 months of feasting, so Mom Always Finds Out recommends freezing your candy to save it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the way through Valentine's Day
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Gingerbread Houses
You always need bits and pieces of sweets for holiday baking. Mom Always Finds Out suggests you save the candy corn, and hard stuff to use when doing your gingerbread houses or other holiday baking come Christmas. See previous note about freezing it to make it last.
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Charity
Children's Hospitals, homeless shelters, etc. may be appreciative of your giving in the spirit of the season.
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Take It to Work
Everyone in an office has "candy guy" or "candy lady". When you go in to accounting, or sales, or HR, there's a stock of treats waiting for visitors. So why not be that person with your extra loot? The only key is will power. This stuff will be staring you in the face for at least 8 hours a day.
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Throw It Out
Candy, meet garbage. Simple as that.
Image Credit iStockPhoto
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