Fun, Creative Ways To Use Leftover Halloween Candy
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Halloween's over, but many parents -- and their sweet-toothed kids -- are left with an abundance of leftover candy.
To ease up on the candy consumption, some parents are finding creative ways to skim the Halloween stash.
Dentists and schools across the nation are taking part in programs such as "Operation Gratitude," where donated candy is sent to U.S. soldiers overseas, CBS2's Cindy Hsu reported.
Dr. Robert Perracchia, a pediatric dentist, receives hundreds of pounds of leftover candy every year.
"There's been churches that run soup kitchens and pantries and there's been three different places in the neighborhood that were all extremely happy to take it," Perracchia said.
Parents can also get rid of all that sugar by trading little toys or books for the candy, according to Kimberly Davis, of the Vanderbilt YMCA.
For mother Jasmine King, it's all about setting limits and teaching kids the consequences of going crazy on candy.
Here are some more creative candy ideas from Parenting Magazine:
-- Use candy to decorate gifts by using the wrappers and tissue paper to stuff bags or wrap presents.
-- Turn the candy into a learning tool by using the candy as counter for math equations.
-- Leftover Wint-O-Green Lifesavers can be used as a fun science experiment. Go into a dark room, have your child crush the candies up in their mouths, and you'll see a mini-light show.