I have some wonderful memories of Halloween growing up. My favorite part was organizing and sorting my Halloween candy with my sisters and friends As a parent, I want to give my kids a fun Halloween experience, but it’s tricky because I know the harm that all that processed sugar can have on tiny bodies, especially over the next month or two that the candy is in the house.
The BEST solution I’ve found is the Switch Witch.
The Switch Witch was invented and developed by a team of moms. The Switch Witch is a magical friendly witch who needs candy to fuel her broomstick so she can fly home. And when she does, the Switch Witch makes a toy appear for her special helper!
Most parents try to devise ways to avoid Halloween candy disasters every year. Remember that Halloween candy isn’t just an overabundance of sugar. It’s also ultra processed food filled with artificial ingredients, artificial colors, natural flavors, and more. The Switch Witch is just a fun way to prevent stomach aches, hyperactivity, and other health issues caused by too much candy on Halloween while allowing our kids to enjoy the experience.
How Switch Witch Works
A Switch Witch toy, jar, and storybook are available online from their official store. Or set up your own Switch Witch with a plush witch from any store. You can make a chart with a witch print-out if you’re creative or crafty. Our favorite is “The Switch Witch” book, which we read multiple times in the weeks leading up to Halloween. There’s no shortage of ways to do this. We love the Switch Witch because it’s versatile and innovative, allowing parents to figure out their own way, and doesn’t have to cost anything.
At least a few days before Halloween, gather your kids and tell them about the friendly witch, and continue to build excitement about this story until Halloween. Explain that she can’t get to her home on the hill because her broomstick requires candy to move. How much candy she needs is up to you! You can either set a goal number of sweets to get her to her house or find a jar or bucket to fill up.
She progresses up the hill to her house as the jar fills up. This can be done in one day or over the course of several days. Check up on her progress daily with the children to keep them excited!
You will need some prizes or toys for the kids. Most of these can be plushes, books, stickers, or anything else your child likes. When the bucket fills up and the witch makes it home, they get a prize. Or you can have them hit different tiers and give out small prizes to keep the kids interested.
Tips for Making the Switch Witch Game Successful
This is a simple concept for children and adults. However, your kids must want to “help” the witch and give up some of their candy. Here are a few tips to make it successful:
- Let your children name the Switch Witch, and put her somewhere they see her every day.
- On Halloween night, I let the kids have fun enjoying all their new candy. They sort it just like I used to do. They make trades and sample all the different brands. I don’t limit the amount of candy that they can eat. It’s a lesson they’ve learned for themselves. We give the rest of it to the Switch Witch that night when they’re full of eating sweets. It disappears from the house after that. But you can choose to moderate however you’d like.
- You can give children time to pick out which candy they want to give to the Switch Witch and which they want to keep. Children love making those decisions for themselves.
- Have the younger children write notes to the Switch Witch to make it more fun.
- This game is about teaching moderation, not an attempt to teach them to “restrict.” It has to be fun, and the kids have to be willing. Really build up enthusiasm and excitement.
- Switch Witch is a great way to reward children with food allergies that may not want to give up the candy (even if it makes them sick).
- DO allow your kids some time to enjoy the labor of their trick-or-treating.
The Switch Witch works best for children 2-6, although some older kids may also enjoy it. If you’ve got older children in the group, you may up the prizes or replace the Halloween candy they don’t want with rationed snack-time candy they do want. You can even have them write letters to the Switch Witch, like Santa, and ask for the toys they want. Get Creative!
