Like all good parents, we check our kids' Halloween candy after a fun night of trick-or-treating and separate them into appropriate piles: for mom and dad only (you know you do it too!), throw away (if there's something suspicious) and safe to eat. 

We LOVE candy! But at some point, even us candy lovers are looking for other fun things to do with all the leftover Halloween candy. So, we're sharing some of the sweetest ideas with you!

Candy Buyback Locations

The following dentist's offices across Northeast Ohio are participating in Candy Buy Back this year. The candy they collect will be donated to our troops or first responders through either Operation Gratitude or Halloween Candy Buy Back. Operation Gratitude includes a handful of candy in every Care Package we send.

Rockside Family Dental Care
6132 West Creek Rd. Independence, OH, 44131
(216) 524-8481
November 5, 6 & 7, 2018 from 6pm-8pm. Recieve $1/pound OR ($2/pound if you wear your costume when you turn in your candy). Up to a maximum of 5 pounds. The candy collected will be donated to two worthy causes – Operation Gratitude & Locally: Arrupe Neighborhood Partnership. You must be 12 years old or YOUNGER to be eligible. {Find Out More}

Terhune Dental
4088 Holiday St NW Canton, Oh, 44718
(330) 499-1926
Monday, October 29 – Thursday November 13, 2017. Recieve $1 per pound. (10 lb. limit please) Bring a non-patient friend with their candy and receive $2 per pound. Each child will also receive a children's Toothbrush and will be entered into a drawing for an Sky Zone Gift Card. Double your chances to win the Sky Zone Gift Card by writing a letter to the military and bring it with you. This is part of the Operation Gratitude: Halloween Candy Buy Back. {Find Out More}

Dr. Minadeo-Fox
6151 Wilson Mills Road, Suite 300 Highland Hts. OH, 44143
(440) 446-9417
November 6-8; 8am-5pm; $1.00 per pound! (5 lb maximum) All candy is donated to our troops over seas so they can enjoy a little taste of home while they are serving our country (Don't worry we will send them toothbrushes too!). {Find Out More}

Dr. Jason Schermer and Dr. Noor Almudallal
5825 Landerbrook Drive Suite 124 Mayfield Heights, OH, 44124
(440) 565-4990 Recieve $1 per pound up to 5lbs. They will also donate a matched monetary amount to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. {Find Out More}

Dr. Brad Welsh
231 Parkview Drive Millersburg, OH, 44654
(330) 674-4876
Accepting candy from October 22, 2018 through November 5, 2018. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8-5 pm 

Greg DeVor DDS.
13616 Madison Ave. Lakewood, Oh, 44107
(216) 221-1438
Thursday, November 1, 2018; 3pm-5:30pm; $1.00 per pound (5 lb maximum)

John T. Webster DDS, Inc
36701 American Way, Suite 1 Avon, Oh, 44011
(440) 937-8550

Dental Care of Westlake
30588 Center Ridge Rd Westlake, OH, 44145
(440) 835-0012

Brunswickkidds
1824 Pearl Rd Brunswick, Oh, 44212
(330) 220-6363

Pediatric Dental Specialist
3801 Whipple Avenue NW Canton, Ohio 44718
(330) 491-7777

Sutton Family Dental
325 S. Market St. Wooster, OH, 44691
(330) 264-5994

York Dental
6390 York Rd Parma Heights, OH, 44130
(440) 884-2424

5 More Ideas for Leftover Halloween Candy

Bake it in, Mix it in or use it to Garnish Desserts and Baked Goods

Store your leftover Halloween candy in the freezer for Kit-Kat Smore's bars, Milky Way caramel apple dip, Twix caramel popcorn or Butterfinger cake down the road. Recipes for these tasty treats and more can be found here. 

Or, you could create your own, new recipe to try now or later! Crush candy to make a candy apple topping, create a chocolate candy bark concoction, add it to a milkshake or smoothie, create a fun trail mix, bake it into cookies, add a piece to your coffee or hot chocolate, use it as an ice cream topping, fill a pinata with it and so much more!

Use the Leftover Candy for Science Experiments or Crafts

All that leftover Halloween candy gives the perfect opportunity to experiment and get crafty.

• Ever try painting with candy?
• What about doing some candy math?
• See what candy sinks or floats with this fun experiment. Or learn about science using candy: Balloon Experiments with Candy | Balancing with M&M's | Candy Corn Catapults | Exploding Peep Geysers

Explore the Switchcraft Story or Introduce the Candy Fairy

In Switchcrafted: The Story of the Switch Witches of Halloween, families can explore the made up story of why witches get out so often on Halloween. Then, make the story come alive by playing with your very own witch doll. She moves around the house (like Elf on a Shelf) to keep an eye on all of your pre-Halloween activities. Legend has it in order for the witches to whip up a potion, they need lots of candy. In exchange, when the time is right, your kids get a game, get to do an activity, are awarded a small gift or healthy treat for giving up their candy for the magic potion!

If you don't love the Switchcraft idea, you could create a sense of magic for your kids by having them leave sweet treats out at night – in a secret spot only you, your child and the Candy Fairy know about – so the Candy Fairy can swap out the sweet treats for a small toy or gift!

Use the Candy During Christmas for an Advent Calendar or to Decorate a Gingerbread House

Since I was a little girl, my grandparents bought me an Advent calendar to countdown to Christmas. They still buy one every year for each grandchild in our family. If you're new to the Advent calendar, pick your favorite Halloween candy to save for December and create your own Christmas countdown.

You can also save your leftover Halloween candy, like Runts, SweetTarts, Skittles, Nerds, Bottle Caps and others – for Christmas time to create and decorate a gingerbread house.

Select Your Favorites and Give the Rest to Others

Let your kids divvy up their candy into two piles: one of candy they love and one of candy they don't. This will teach them the importance of only indulging in the things that are worth it to them.

After you've chosen the worthy pieces, give the other pile to someone else. Someone in your neighborhood, at an assisted living facility, your area police and EMS station or a perfect stranger could maybe use the treats to brighten their day!