Halloween Candy Overload

What To Do With Leftover Treats

Now is your chance. Stop the cycle! Take the candy and RUN!

But only to give it away or put it to good use. Don’t be like some people I know who may or may not hide it in the pantry, sneaking the kids’ candy and then stuffing the empty wrapper in a pocket to throw away in a room other than the kitchen because their kids will see it. It’s me; I’m “some people.”

We are officially approaching the two-week mark after we all walked around our neighborhoods at night and sent our children to a stranger’s doorstep to ask for candy. While I’m a huge fan of decorating the whole house and covering my lawn in cute pumpkin, dino, and kittie inflatables for Halloween, I arrive at the same place every year. I end up covered in all the candy wrappers while enjoying my quiet time at the end of a long day (or, you know, sneaking pieces every time I go into the pantry) and mentally preparing for the rest of the holiday season. I also know that my kids quietly slip a couple of pieces of candy into their lunch every morning. Then, they ask for more after school and bat their eyes after dinner claiming that they haven’t had that much.

black bowls filled with leftover halloween candy

With all of my best efforts and everything I know about moderation and providing my kiddos with a well-balanced and nutrient-filled diet, I often lack the ability to Just Say No. To make matters worse, I bought all my favorite candies this year. Thankfully, some brilliant people have devised fantastic ways to repurpose, sell, or donate all that delicious leftover Halloween candy to get it out of your house ASAP!

PAY IT FORWARD

What a great way to start getting in the spirit of the giving season! I’ve listed a few of my favorite ways to donate candy below. Just remember that if you take me up on donating it to your kiddo’s teacher, it would probably be best to ask them first!

  • Soldiers’ Angels—Support our troops during the holiday season when they are away from their families! The map on their site shows four locations in San Antonio that are accepting candy through next week. But, if there are no collection sites near you, you can ship your candy directly to Soldiers’ Angels Headquarters.

Soldiers’ Angels Treats for Troops
2895 NE Loop 410
Suite 107
San Antonio, TX  78218

  • Operation Shoebox—Another great way to support our troops! They take “any and all kinds of candy, and it can be sent at any time,” per their site. They include candy bags in every care package, and you can send your donation to the address below.

Operation Shoebox
8360 East Highway 25
Belleview, FL  34420

  • Operation Gratitude—Now is an excellent time to partner with organizations like Operation Gratitude, pack your donations with all that leftover Halloween candy, and add in a few other seasonal treats! Check out their website for more information and ways you can donate.

12 Days of Gratitude

  • You can also call local organizations like The Ronald Mcdonald House Charities and The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio to see if they need candy donations, as well as places like local senior centers, shelters, and assisted living homes.
  • Lastly, my kiddos’ preference (if your school allows it), you can donate the extra candy to their class. My son was 100% for me donating his Skittles because that meant he would get to eat some during class. Math Geek Mama has some great activities if you
    want to continue the fun at home.

2022 HALLOWEEN CANDY BUYBACK, GIVE BACK, SWEET SWAP

Now, for the buyback event info. There are only a couple of places here in San Antonio that I have found so far. You can enter your zip code on the Halloween Candy Buy Back website for a list of locations closest to you. They also partner with Move America Forward, and there are more details about many other ways to give your candy a good home.

Finally, 25+ Ways to Reuse That Leftover Halloween Candy

For all my crafty people, I have started a Pinterest Board just for you! I’ve saved everything from Laffy Taffy Slime to the Perfect Gingerbread House. There is even a candy freezing guide you must check out because I think it will make all our lives 100x easier if we can get some of our holiday baking out of the way early this year.

Are you ready to brave a world without your daily candy fix? If so, I’d love to know what you tried on my list or if you found other great ways to get that leftover candy out of your house. You can share your ideas in the comments below, on our Instagram, or check out our Facebook Group: Alamo City Moms Community & Conversation!

Portions of this article were originally published in October 2013.

Tiffeny
A native Texan, Tiffeny returned to her home state in 2021 after living on the Northeast coast for many years. As a work-from-home mom with three children (12 y/o, 10 y/o, and 1.5 y/o), she is always on the go, whether to school, church, or last-minute errands; she usually has her laptop in tow. With a background in visual design, she works as a UX/UI Designer for No Spoon Solutions. She is also pursuing a B.A.S in Learning Technologies remotely from the University of North Texas. Tiffeny admits she is a true cat lady with the best of both worlds; her furbabies and family. If you ever meet her in person, you will quickly learn she bleeds coffee and doesn't take herself too seriously!

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