We end up with *way* too much candy in our house after Halloween. We've done a variety of things in the past -- toll booth ticket takers absolutely beam at us when we hand them chocolate! -- but looking for other ideas.
Also should mention we live in a rural area, so there's no children's ward at a nearby hospital (for example), but I'd love to hear any and all suggestions.
Thanks in advance!
We usually just take candy to work or send it to teachers/school staff or maybe you can drop it off at the police or fire station as a thank you.
I keep just a small amount of candy for my daughter, then I donate the rest to the last kid of the evening. LOL
to the barren abdominal cavity foundation....otherwise known as my stomach=)
good luck on your noble search. i like my candy too much to share=)
H., Check with your dentist as many dentists offer a "buy back" program on Halloween candy. You could also check into donating it to a shelter.
to our orthodontist who then sends it to our troops in Afghanistan.
Teacher's workroom. :)
Take it to church or your child's secretary. Or send it in with your son to school for snack time or a treat. You can also google different ways to make arts/crafts out of old halloween candy. Or use it for treats, dessert, a bowl of candy at Thanksgiving. As long as it's not Halloween themed, why don't you save it for your son's stocking (or other Christmas gifts - or to go WITH the gifts)?
Our dentist does a "buy back"...
Just M - Thank you for the laugh. That was pretty funny. That is usually where my kids' candy ends up also! LOL.
As for where to donate your candy - try calling the United Way in your area. They usually have a pretty good idea of who needs what. :)
Our dentist and our orthodontist will both buy Halloween candy from our kids. They sell the stuff they don't like, and the rest lasts all year.
Is there a nursing home near-by. Also schools, fire departments, women's shelter, or kids shelter. Ask your church if they have a place to donate the goodies, or a food bank.
Our local dentists do a program where they give $1 for each pound of candy donated to their office. They then send that candy to the troops overseas. Call around to see if any of your docs or dentists offer a similar program!
in our house we had the sugar witch. the kids ate out of their bags for a couple days and then the sugar witch would take most of the rest and leave in its place a coupon for something fun to do. I then hid it and doled it out to the teachers who used it in their treat baskets at school. this year one of the dentists office is having a collection for the soldiers. kids can turn it in for a dollar a pound at her office. she then sends it to the troops.
Any excess we have goes with my husband to the office - where bowls of it get put out on the vulture table (there are ALWAYS office scavengers which eat everything up).
Try your local fire stations.
switch witch takes most of it, and she takes it to work with her in the emergency department :)
My sons elementary school collects candy and sends it to the troops. Check with your school, maybe they can start a new tradition.
LOL, put a bowl in the dentist's office. Its good for his business. LOL
Take the candy you don't really want down to the local soup kitchens or the Salvation Army. Then there are the offices of various businesses you like. I was in one country feed store where they had a very large bowl of halloween candy next to the rabbit feed and chicken feed. The sign on the bowl said, "People feed, help yourself".
FYI, when I buy candy for halloween, I always buy a bag ot two that I will give out first because I really don't want candy around that I don't like. Then I buy a bag or two of candy that I really like and give that out last. If we have fewer than expected trick or treaters, I get rid of the candy I don't want. If we have more trick or treaters than we expected, I have the candy, that I like, to give out so no trick or treaters go without.
Good luck to you and yours.
