15 Creative Ways to Donate Candy or Use Your Leftover Halloween Treats
Halloween is a time of fun, costumes, and, of course, candy! But what happens when the trick-or-treating is over, and you find yourself with a mountain of leftover sweets? Rather than letting that candy languish in your pantry or get devoured in a sugar frenzy, why not find some creative and meaningful ways to put it to good use? While Operation Gratitude has recently transitioned away from accepting candy donations, there are still plenty of fantastic options available. In this post, we’ll explore 15 innovative ways to donate or repurpose your Halloween treats, ensuring they bring joy to others rather than going to waste.
Operation Gratitude and Their Transition
As we embrace the spirit of giving this Halloween season, it’s important to recognize the incredible work being done by Operation Gratitude. They have announced a strategic transition in their operations to enhance support for troops and first responders. As they share, “We are excited to announce we are rebalancing the Operation Gratitude Care Package ‘machine’ (our incredible volunteer workforce, warehousing infrastructure, shipping methods, etc.) as we transition away from the Halloween Candy Give-Back program to improve support to our troops and first responders. Although we love the massive donations of candy that were sent over the years, we’ve learned that the bulk shipments we needed to use to disperse tons of sweets can create serious logistics bottlenecks for our units of service members and first responders.” Read more.
While they may no longer be accepting candy donations through the Candy Give-Back Program, there are still numerous ways to spread joy with your leftover treats. Don’t let all that leftover Halloween candy go to waste, or worse, get eaten! There are many creative ways to use your leftover Halloween candy. Keep reading to discover the best ways to put that leftover candy to good use.
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- 25 Best Halloween Movies for Kids of All Ages
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Check Out These 15 Fun Ways to Donate or Make Use of Your Leftover Halloween Candy!
1. Donate it to a local non-profit organization such as a food bank or homeless shelter
Check with your local food bank or homeless shelter to see if they are accepting candy.
2. Donate it to the troops
Despite Operation Gratitude suspending its collection program, there are many organizations that collect candy to send to the troops overseas. This is a great way to get rid of your candy, and you’ll be supporting our troops at the same time!
Soldiers’ Angels
Their mission is to provide aid, comfort, and resources to the military and veteran community— no matter what that individual’s political or religious affiliations might be.
Note – They are based in Texas and you are responsible for any shipping fees. Read more here.
Halloween Buy Back
Dental clinics generally host buybacks, but other local businesses also participate. The Buyback’s objective is to get rid of extra Halloween candy from youngsters while also supporting our military. It’s a fantastic way to benefit several charities and advertise your business at the same time! This program supports Move America Forward and Operation Shoebox.
Any Soldier
This program lets you choose which military branch you want to donate candy to. Their program also explains the dos and don’ts of care packages and how to send them.
3. Donate it to a local dentist office for their candy buy-back program
Many dentist offices offer candy buy-back programs where they will pay you for your candy! Kids can earn some extra money, and it helps keep their teeth healthy.
If your dentist isn’t offering a buyback program, you can also entice your kids with a visit from the Switch Witch. Have them leave their candy out and “she” will collect it and leave them a gift in its place. After that you can simply donate the candy.
4. Donate it to your child’s school
One fantastic way to repurpose leftover Halloween candy is to donate it to your child’s school. Many schools have programs that collect candy for various purposes, such as classroom parties, rewards for good behavior, or special events. However, not all schools collect candy, so it’s important to check with your school first to see if they have such a program in place. By donating your candy, you not only clear out your pantry but also contribute to fun activities and incentives for students. It’s a win-win situation that supports both your child’s school and your desire to find a good home for all that sugary goodness!
5. Make a care package for a friend or family member
If you have a friend or family member who is away at college, in the military, or lives far away, you can send them a care package full of their favorite candy! You can let them know you’re thinking of them, and they’ll appreciate the sweet treat. It could be a fun kindness project to complete, sending cards and treats. Just be careful mailing anything that includes chocolate.
6. Make a dessert
There are many different desserts that you can make with Halloween candy, such as candy bar pies, candy bark, or candy-coated pretzels. You can even just add some to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Get creative and see what you can come up with!
7. Add it to hot chocolate
This is a great way to use up those chocolate candies that you may have left over. Add a few Hershey Kisses to your favorite hot chocolate recipe, and enjoy!
8. Make candy bark
Candy bark is a delicious and easy treat that you can make with your leftover Halloween candy. Melt some chocolate, stir in the candy, and spread it out on a sheet of wax paper. Once it’s cooled, break it into pieces and enjoy or pack it up in a decorative container as a homemade gift.
9. Use it to decorate gingerbread houses
This is a great way to use up those small candies that you may have left over. Glue them onto the gingerbread houses with a little bit of icing, and voila!
10. Make a DIY advent calendar
With the holiday season right around the corner, you can save some of that candy to use as a countdown to Christmas. You can make your own DIY advent calendar, like this one, and fill each day with a small treat.
11. Make Edible Slime
Slime you can eat! Who knew? Gather up all that leftover Starburst candy and get ready for a fun DIY project your kids will love. With this easy recipe, you only need some water, oil, and powdered sugar to make edible slime.
12. Try Some STEM Projects
Marshmallows, Halloween Peeps, or anything soft and squishy makes excellent building blocks to pair with toothpicks or pretzel sticks. Have your kids see how tall they can build a structure that can stay standing using nothing but toothpicks and candy. You can also try this fun Skittles in milk experiment.
13. Make Trail Mix
Use the candy corn or M&Ms to add a little bit of sweetness to a salty trail mix for a healthier way to enjoy that Halloween candy.
14. Fill a Pinata
Save the candy to fill a pinata for a fun birthday party activity.
15. Paint With Candy
Not only can you taste the rainbow with Skittles, but you can also paint with them. Melt Skittles in water to create scented watercolors or place them in a cup with corn syrup to create a thicker, glossy paint.
Incorporating these creative ideas into your post-Halloween plans can benefit both you and your community. By donating and repurposing candy, you’re not only minimizing waste but also spreading joy in the process. Ready to make a difference? Gather your leftover treats and start sharing the sweetness today!
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