Do you have more Halloween candy than you know what to do with? If your season was anything like mine, then you started collecting candy long before Halloween even took place. From festivals to parades to trunk or treats to parties, there were so may opportunities to collect piles of candy.
This year turn those sweets into learning experiences! As your kids sift through their bags of candy, there are some fun ways to create teachable moments. Before ripping off the wrappers and going into sugar overload, try some of these fun brain boosting activities using all that yummy candy!
Mommy University Presents
10 Educational Activities Using Candy
Labeling
As your little ones go through their candy, have them label the colors of the wrappers. You can also have them identify the letters as well as any pictures on the packaging. This helps enhance language skills.
Sorting
Have your kids sort their candy by size, shape, type and color. This helps enhance so many skills like visual discrimination, conceptual thinking and attention to detail.
My son did a great job sorting his candy by color!
Read the Labels
For those learning to read, have them read the candy wrappers. You can also have them read the ingredients. This helps with decoding skills.
Alphabetize
Add to the letter and reading fun by having your kids put the candy in alphabetical order. This is a fun activity that can be done as a family or you can even turn it into a competition between siblings to see who can do it the fastest.
Counting
Of course we have to work our math skills too! For little ones, have them count how many pieces they have all together. Then have them count how many they have in each group after they are sorted. Talk about which groups have more and which have less.
Math Calculations
Using manipulatives for math is a well-known strategy to help kids learn math facts and solve calculations. For homework, let your kids use their candy to solve math problems. Candy such as Skittles and Smartees are great for this activity.
Science Experiments
We love science experiments at Mommy University. Not only are they fun but they are great learning experiences as well. See what happens when you put an M&M in water, vinegar and milk then talk about the different reactions. You can do the same thing with Skittles. Ever see what happens when you put Peeps in the microwave? It’s awesome and the kids will love it. You can also see what candy floats and what sinks.
Weigh In
A fun way to gain math knowledge is to weigh the candy to see which is heaviest and which is the lightest. You can also figure out problems such as how many M&Ms do you need to equal the weight of a Kit Kat.
Measuring Up
Another fun math lesson is to measure the candy bars to see which ones are longer. You can also see how many small candy bars lined up are needed to be the same length of a longer piece of candy. Another fun activity is to stretch out Laffy Taffy and see how long you can make it!
We learned that 4 mini candy bars is the same length as one Twizzler!
Build a Tower or Candy House
Learn some basic design and architecture skills by using the candy to build a tower or house. Your kids can also use their imaginations and creativity to decorate a house with candy such as a gingerbread house!