5 Things to Do With all That Candy: Candy Buyback Programs & More

On the search for “candy buyback near me”? Did your kids bring home too much Halloween candy? On the search for “candy buyback near me”? Don’t worry! We have a couple of dental offices in Greenville to take that candy and exchange it for something that won’t result in a sugar overload or rot on their teeth. And we have a few more creative ideas for using or giving away that candy.

What to Do With All That Candy!

Trade It for Money “Candy Buyback Near Me” at Greenville, SC Dentists

This is a good way to teach kids about ways that money works. There are a few local dentists where kids can bring in their candy by the pound and get a few dollars. This can work at home also where kids exchange their candy for money. 

Palmetto Family Orthodontics

Palmetto Family Orthodontics will buy leftover candy for $1 a pound and then donate it to local charities and to help by supporting our troops overseas.
Times: Verdae Office: November 6, 8 & 9, 2023 during business hours⁠
East Faris Office location: November 7th, 2023
Location: 501 Verdae Boulevard, Greenville

Julian Thomas DMD Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Bring in your wrapped Halloween candy to be shipped to troops overseas through the Operation Gratitude program! In previous years, the practice has exchanged candy for cash or prizes.
Times: Candy can be dropped off in early November 2023, but contact the dentistry directly for exact dates and times.
Location: 1141 East Butler Road Greenville | 864.676.0046

Greenville Dental Studio

Bring Halloween candy in for a donation.
Times: Information TBD for 2023.
Location:  644 North Main Street Suite 111, Greenville

Greer Pediatric Dental

They will buy your Halloween candy for $1 per pound, up to five pounds.
Times: Information TBD for 2023.
Location: 3115 Brushy Creek Road, Greer

Feed the Switch Witch

I had zero idea what this was until several readers suggested it. The Switch Witch is basically giving your kid(s) a small gift in exchange for the majority of the candy they get. This can be especially helpful if your child has an allergy – they can still collect candy but get a cool gift instead of a boatload of stuff that makes them sick (side note: look for homes with teal pumpkins when trick or treating with a child who has allergies – these homes will have non-candy items. This is what my family does and it’s always a hit)

These are a few ideas of how to make the Switch Witch work for your family:

“I tell my kiddo that the switch a witch eats up the candy and in exchange will use her magic to make him a gift. In our house, he gets to pick five pieces of candy and the rest he can give to the switch a witch with the idea that the more candy she gets the bigger gifts she can make him. I typically do a costume, art supplies, or legos. About the same size or a bit smaller than a birthday present you buy for a kid’s birthday.”

Let Them Eat It

This is an option I know a lot of parents do which I had never even considered: let the kids eat as much candy as they want. Just go ahead and jump in the deep end. Our readers say this option essentially gives kids too much of a good thing and they are so sick of candy after Halloween. 

These are a few suggestions from our readers on how to handle this option:

“I let my daughter eat whatever she wants. It’s her candy and she won’t eat to the point of making herself sick, so I let her learn what her body wants and stop when she’s done (which is usually pretty quickly because she’s really good about that).”

“My son eats what he wants, but the novelty wears off within a day. Then we have old candy come Valentine’s Day.”

“If you’re not letting your kids go into a diabetic coma just one night of the year, are you really letting them enjoy childhood? Lol!! Mine usually get sick of it before long and I hide it in a bag and pass some out here and there and take a bunch myself lol.”

Halloween Candy Donations

Some families will let their kids choose a handful of their favorite candy and then donate the rest to send overseas to the military or use it in care packages. Candy donations can be easily shipped, and your kids can help decorate the box. You can contact your local Ronald McDonald House to see if they are taking Halloween candy donations for the families who are staying there. Or, try donating through Treats for Troops.

Use the Candy for Christmas or Gingerbread Houses

Other parents will sneakily steal some of the candy and reuse it for Christmas stockings. And not-so-sneaky parents will use leftover candy for candy houses or for use when they construct Gingerbread houses during Christmastime. 

“Let them have a little the night of and maybe the next day, and save the rest to divvy up into the Christmas stockings.”

“Let them eat it and then whatever is left in December is used on our gingerbread houses.”

What do you do with the tons of Halloween candy your kids bring home?

If you hear of any more candy buy-back programs in the Greenville area, please let us know in the comments!