How am I going to keep 5 pounds of Tootsie Rolls, Laffy Taffy and other assorted candy from boring holes into my children’s teeth? To prevent sugar overload, I’ve found a few creative uses for all that candy that makes its way into our home during this season of harvest parties:
Count down with it. Let your kids pick out 24 small pieces of candy and one bigger piece. Build an Advent chain with 25 strips of red and green construction paper. Tape one piece of candy to each link, saving the biggest piece for last. Let your kids take turns ripping off one piece each day from Dec. 1 until Christmas.
Freeze it. Chocolate stays fresh in your freezer for up to one year. Just put it in an airtight freezer bag. Pull it out throughout the year as a small treat for your kids or to use in dessert recipes.
Re-gift it. Use hot glue to attach individual pieces of candy to wooden dowels. Put floral foam into a festive mug or vase. Poke the sticks into the foam. Embellish with a little ribbon. Now you have a candy bouquet perfect for appreciated teachers, coaches, and so on.
Decorate with it. During the holidays, build a gingerbread house and use the candy for embellishment. (No one eats those anyway.) This festive decoration is a fun way for your child to be creative.
Donate it. Start a post-holiday candy drive in your neighborhood or school. Operation Gratitude sends candy to American troops serving overseas. Check out opgratitude.com for more information.
This article first appeared in the October/November 2011 issue of Thriving Family magazine. Copyright © 2011 by Carey Haivala. Used by permission. ThrivingFamily.com.
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