Halloween may be almost over, but the candy and costumes hang around for awhile, don't they? Don't despair. There's no need to waste anything, or struggle to come up with your own ideas for the remains of the holiday. Here are some delicious and creative ways to put all things Halloween to good use when the trick-or-treating is long over.
Candy and Food
- We are way beyond cookies here, folks. From Miniature Peppermint Patties Brownies to Candy Corn and Pretzel Bark, Real Simple magazine has some of the best recipes for making delicious use of leftover treats. Check out these 10 scrumptious desserts: 10 Recipe Ideas for Halloween Candy.
- Put all those Skittles, M&M's and Starburst to good use with these ideas for a variety of Math activities: Using Halloween Candy in Math Projects. Your child can practice sorting, graphing, estimation, and measurement with leftover goodies.
- Do not let the healthy pumpkin go to waste! Get the scoop on how to Prepare and Freeze Fresh Pumpkin easily from Farmer's Almanac. It can be used in place of canned pumpkin for Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, or other fall recipes like pumpkin bread or pumpkin pancakes. The Farmer's Almanac site also includes instructions on roasting pumpkin seeds, and cooking fresh pumpkin, and making pumpkin soup.
Costumes
- Trade children's costumes with neighbors or family friends.
- Save the costumes for swapping next year.
- Put those clothes in a box or bin with other clothes for kids to play dress-up.
- Use them as gifts for another family to start their own dress-up collection.
- Donate the costumes to a community children's home or a local thrift shop that benefits charities in your area.
A few tips on keeping the Green in Halloween, even when the holiday is over: Tricks to Make Halloween a Treat for Mother Nature.
Other Ideas:
- Donate unopened candy or treats to a children's home or nursing home in your community.
- Store candy in the freezer, and set out at Thanksgiving for company.
