I almost died running down the stairs that year. The excitement of getting tons of free candy during our FAMILY HALLOWEEN CANDY HUNT was too much to contain. When the bedroom door opened, my siblings and I all ran and screamed our way downstairs. But in what felt like a split second was me rolling down the stairs and hitting a wall. Thankfully, I was okay. I know that my pain could have been much worse, and I learned my lesson the next year.
Something like this almost always happened to one of us during our yearly Halloween candy hunt, but it was still one of the highlights of my childhood. My folks weren’t too keen on us dressing up and taking candy from strangers back then. Thus they created something fun for us every year at home.
Once we got older, they changed their minds and let us go out trick-or-treating a few times. By then I think we were already in middle school, so it didn’t last very long because we soon lost interest.
But while we were young, they bought the big candy bars and penny candy and hid them all over the house. Impatiently we waited in someone’s bedroom until we heard them call “READY!”. When it came time to run downstairs, we grabbed our pillow cases and practically destroyed the house looking for goodies.
To this day, I still get excited just thinking about how much fun we used to have and how I would love for my littles to experience it as well.
So if you’re looking for an alternative to trick or treating or you want to add to the festivities you already enjoy, think about creating your own candy hide-and-seek in your home or backyard this year!
Creating A Halloween Candy Hunt:
- Make shopping for the candy a big deal. Take the whole family so everyone can choose their favorites.
- Decide if you want to use the whole house (great for older kids) or maybe just the main living area.
- Stash the candy around your chosen spot while the kids wait in someone’s bedroom or outside.The age differences in my house are pretty big, so I like to mix the candy up with a few easy and then some more difficult hiding places. Add glow in the dark sticks or toys to make it even more
- Give the kids a pillowcase or basket and turn them loose! Make sure they know that fighting, shoving, or stealing others’ candy will result in them forfeiting their treats for the night or for good.
P.S. Make sure you remember where you hide the candy. As kids, I remember us always finding little pieces of candy months later around the house, and yes we ate it! Candy hide-and-seek is perfect for Halloween night or even a day or two before. Let the kids dress up in their costumes as you hide the candy. When you’re done, watch them go!
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Mommy Homework:
If you celebrate Halloween, create one activity, field trip, or craft that your family can do together this month. If it’s a success, consider making it a yearly family tradition.
