Candy-Coated Fun

Recycling Leftover Halloween Treats

By Gina Roberts-Grey, LCSW

After all the monsters, princesses and goblins have knocked at your door, Halloween leaves behind a mountain of sweet treats for your children to consume. As the day draws to an end you're left with a haunting bowl of candy that would make any parent – and dentist – cringe. You're not alone if you're tired of throwing away stale candy from the back of the cabinet several months after Halloween is over. Many parents wonder what else they can do with all their children's hard-earned treats.

As you ponder how to secretly dispose of his gooey treasure of sweets, why not consider some innovative alternatives? Instead of wrestling with your will power to resist the lure of mini candy bars or resorting to sending bags of candy into the office, try some creative ways to display and decorate with the leftover candy that are sure to be a hit with the kids.

These ideas will make not only the dentist smile – they give children an amusing opportunity to express themselves:

• When he comes home from all the tricking and treats, sort out 25 of his favorite pieces of candy and put them aside. Save these for a blustery fall weekend day when he's restless or bored. Tape or glue either holiday wrapping paper or hand-drawn scenes to poster board to create an advent calendar that can hang on a bedroom door or the refrigerator. After you've cut out and numbered 25 doors, windows or geometrical openings, use another piece of paper or poster board to tape the candy to. Attaching this to the back of the box or decorated poster makes a festive way to count down to Christmas.
  
  
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