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Home » Play Ideas

Halloween Candy House

My 7 year old came up with the holiday play idea of creating a Halloween candy house using Pop Tarts. I'm sure ideas like this can be found on the pages of Family Fun or Martha Stewart, but I thought it was cool he came up with it himself. I'm a not-so-crafty mom. So he made me a supply list:

It reads:

  • Hershey's
  • M&M's*
  • food coloring
  • whip cream
  • pop tarts*
  • licorice
  • reeses*
  • toffee
  • candy corn*
  • kit kats
  • peeps marshmallow ghosts*

We ended up using Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme to paste together the houses and only bought the items with an *. 

I started by slathering a hunk of the creme in the middle of a paper plate. Then I smooshed a small orange juice (or milk) carton on the creme to make a frame. With the marshmallow creme, we glued the Pop Tarts to the carton in the shape of a house.

The cousins were over for this event. We played spooky music and got gooey. Each kid got their own individual bowl of candy decorations. 

Each item in the bowl was exactly the same as their neighbor in quantity and color -- to avoid argument.  They also got a scoop of marshmallow creme for "glue."

Best tip: The kids got to do what they wanted with their bowl of treats. They would not get refills.  If they decided to eat their treats, they'd have less candy to decorate their house.

Hint: Candy eyeballs were not on the list, but they were the most popular decoration.

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About Michele Whiteaker

Writer mom and nature guide promoting play and empowering families to prioritize outside time since 2008. Park information gathered through my personal experiences and provided as a FREE community resource to millions of Orange County families over the past 17 years via blog and social media. Subscribe to my FREE weekly email inspiring you with park tips and play ideas.

"The Park Lady"

My name is Michele Whiteaker and I'd love for you to think of me as your personal Play Concierge. When I used to search online for family-friendly activities, nothing quite fit my playful outdoor interests or tight budget.

More about me

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