September 19, 2024: Candy, Dice, And . . . Potatoes?

My local stores are stocking Halloween candy, which means that we're careening into autumn already. (Wasn't it just March?) While my husband and I don't do anything elaborate for the holiday, we do look forward to handing out candy for Trick or Treat every year. It's great fun to see creative costumes and to watch kids get excited about free candy. I often get ideas for additional stuff to hand out, but unfortunately this usually happens a week or two before the big day. I'm prepared this year, though. You see, I have a plan.

 

While I'm not at all opposed to giving out candy, I want to try to have a selection of items that kids can choose if they have food allergies or other dietary restrictions. While most people go with pencils or small toys, I think I want to try something a bit different this year – namely, dice. Hear me out. Dice are shiny. Kids love collecting things, and dice are useful for games and fun to acquire. (Ask me how I know.) Dice also last longer than candy; it's a little way of ensuring that a little spark of Halloween fun is there long after the chocolate, gummies, and other sweets are gone. I'll be curious to see how kids react to seeing dice alongside candy in our big bowl, especially in light of a little experiment my husband and I did last year involving potatoes.

 

Yes, potatoes. My husband and I read several reports last year about people placing potatoes in their candy bowls to see what kids would take first. We decided to try it ourselves – in the name of science, of course – and added some potatoes to our candy collection. It turns out that tubers are universally beloved and worthy of excitement. (Hearing a kid joyfully call out, "I got a potato!" to their friends is a surprisingly heartwarming experience.) This year, we'll get to see if our neighborhood gets more excited for math rocks, root vegetables, or sugar bombs. I can't wait!

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