Did you know that June is National Candy Month? We’re almost halfway through June (how did that happen?), but don’t worry! It’s not too late to celebrate with some fun candy-related ideas.
How did June become National Candy Month? I’m pretty sure is had something to do with the National Confectioners Association . That’s the group that promotes candy and candy makers in the United States. With the average American eating about 150 pounds of sugar a year, it doesn’t seem like we really need to have a special month to celebrate candy, but it sure sounds like fun!
10 Fun Candy Ideas and Activities
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1. Take a Tour
Look for a candy maker near you and take a tour. Usually there will be free samples of their product and a fun gift shop too. I live in the Bay Area of California and my family has enjoyed touring the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. There are also several chocolate factory tours in our area. I googled “candy tour near me” and came up with more than a dozen options. Try it in your region. I’d love to hear what you find. Don’t forget to share what you discover in the comment section below.
2. Create Your Own Tasting Party
There are so many ways to host a candy tasting party. When my middle daughter got her braces off, we had a sticky/crunchy party to celebrate. There was a buffet of all the sticky and crunchy things she didn’t get to eat when her braces were on. Or you can do a blind taste test party where your guests sample candy (different kinds of chocolate work well for this one) and rate them.
3. Sit Around the Campfire
I love s’mores. Chocolate, melted marshmallow, and graham crackers are a perfect combination. You can get really creative with s’more recipes and it doesn’t have to cost much. I’m hosting a gathering later this summer where I am providing the fire pit, roasting sticks, marshmallows and graham crackers. The guests are bringing their favorite chocolates to share. I’ve done this before. We made chocolate peanut butter cup s’mores, dark chocolate mint s’mores, and chocolate almond s’mores. One tip I have, Ghirardelli squares are the perfect size for making s’mores and they come in lots of great flavor combinations.
4. Take a Bite Out of History
Try going retro with your candy month celebration. What kind of candy was your favorite when you were a kid? The internet has a virtual smorgasbord of retro candy options. My brother and I used to go to the corner store and but Chick-O-Sticks. You don’t see them very often these days, but I found them on Amazon. You can also order a package of candy from different decades. It might be fun to share your old favorites with new friends or family members. My kids love Pop Rocks more than I ever did!
5. DIY
Another great way to celebrate candy month is to make some yourself. Some recipes are simpler than others. If you’re candy making experience is limited, start with something easy. Making homemade rock candy with kids is lots of fun. If you’re more of a chocolate person, try making buckeyes. I like this recipe from chocolatewithgrace.com. Or maybe your family has an old recipe of its own? Find grandma’s fudge recipe and try it out.
6. Try an Experiment or Two
Just because it’s summer vacation doesn’t mean you can’t do a science experiment or two. Summer learning combined with something sweet may be just what you need.
The simplest science activity is engineering with candy and toothpicks. Use gum drops or jelly beans. Have your candy scientists build different three-dimensional shapes. See if they can build a bridge. Test how much weight it can hold. We did this in third grade this year and the class loved it.
Family Maven has a great recipe for edible play dough. All you need is powdered sugar, coconut oil, and Peeps. If you don’t have a problem with playing with your food, check it out here.
You can also make paint with candy. Skittles work well for this project. Soak the candy (separated by color) in small jars of corn syrup. It will take a few hours, but the colors will bleed into the syrup and then you can paint with the liquid. The resulting paint is shiny and smells delicious!
7. Travel the World
Have you ever tried chocolate from Iceland? How about gummy candy from Japan or hard candy from Korea? Candy is made in pretty much every country on earth. National Candy Month is a great reason to try something new. Our best local source for international candy and chocolate is Cost Plus Market. They carry chocolate, hard candy, gummy candy, marzipan, and other sweets. Another great resource is Amazon. That’s where I order my Cadbury treats and my German chocolates.
8. Add Some Ice Cream
Summer means it’s time for some ice cream. It’s simple to make your own candy mix-in shakes. If the candy is larger than bite-size, crush it in a bag before adding it to your homemade milkshake. Or if you’ve got a strong enough blender, just throw it in with the ice cream and milk. Simple, sweet, and delicious.
9. Turn It Into a Game
Have you ever broken open a pinata (Mexico) or a pignatta (Italy)? I remember my brother’s 6th birthday. My mom tried to make a Mickey Mouse pinata, but it turned into an owl instead. Those darn ears! But we didn’t really care as long as we could break it open and get to the candy inside.
Speaking of candy games, my husband’s family has one that is also lots of fun. You take a large chocolate bar and wrap it in multiple layers of wrapping or newspaper. The more layers, the longer the game will last. You play at a table with as many players as you want. Each player gets a knife and fork. You’ll also need a hat, a scarf, and one die. Take turns rolling the die and when someone rolls a six, they put on the hat and scarf and try to unwrap the chocolate bar with their knife and fork. All the other players are taking turns rolling the die. When the next person gets a six, they take the hat and scarf, put them on, and try to unwrap the bar. The game continues in this way until the bar is unwrapped and eaten. One word of warning, if you play with excitable people, the scarf can be a bit dangerous. Don’t wrap it around your neck, just put it over your shoulders.
10. Make a Gift
It’s always nice to give candy as a gift. My daughter works in a local chocolate shop and our friends and family very much appreciate the gifts she brings them. All you need to do is find out what kind of candy your recipient likes and you’re set. Unless you’d rather get a little creative.
You could try making a graduation lei or a candy wreath. The lei is incredibly simple and a wreath is fairly easy to make too. I’ve made several graduation leis filled with candy. The process is pretty simple. You’ll need clear cellophane, mini size candy, and ribbon. Look at this Pinterest pin for a clearer picture. You can choose ribbons in your graduate’s school colors to customize the lei.
I did a quick search on Pinterest for candy wreath and found several good styles to choose from. I love this idea from Skip to My Lou. She provides scissors o a ribbon to cut off the candy.
So what do you think of my ideas for celebrating National Candy Month? Do you have some ideas of your own you can share? Do you have a favorite candy from your youth or from your travels in far away places? Let’s talk candy in the comment section below.
Check out some of my favorite international candy on Amazon here:
