1. Freeze it. In the freezer, candy can stay fresh for months, allowing future access whenever it’s convenient: an after school pick-me up, a road trip snack, a cup of hot chocolate in the dead of winter, or a celebratory milkshake in the spring.

2. Bake with it. Even if not frozen, wrapped candy has a pretty long shelf life, so search recipes for goodies that can be shared with family and friends. Kit Kat cookie bars? Peanut Butter Cup mini cheesecakes? M&M cupcakes? Almond Joy crescent rolls? Put on an apron, grab a little chef, and make memories together in the kitchen.

3. Trail mix. Add pretzels, favorite nuts, dried fruit, or granola, and provide a customized play date snack or party favor.

4. Got chocolate? Melt Mini Hershey bars into decadent fruit dips, cupcake frosting, or donut glazes.

5. Use it for learning. Hands-on learning is best and candy makes a great tool for teaching colors, numbers, fractions, and shapes. Checking to see which candy bar melts faster or what color Skittles dissolve quicker make for fun science experiments.

6. Decorate! Save for gingerbread house accents or other edible art projects, craft candy necklaces, or create your family’s own version of Candyland.

7. Sell it. Make some profit for the piggy bank. The Connecticut State Dental Association sponsors an annual candy buyback, awarding children $1 or $2 per pound of candy, up to 10 pounds that they donate. Participating dentists include Farmington Valley Orthodontics in Avon, on November 1, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Check with your family dentist to see if he or she is taking part in this program. 

8. Ronald McDonald House helps keep severely ill children and their parents together during medical treatment received at nearby hospitals and healthcare facilities. Most locations accept donations of unopened candy, but check with your local chapter.

9. Share it. Dropping a bag of unopened candy at a local food pantry, homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or nursing home will make givers and recipients smile. Whether you leave a bowl in the office lunch room or send it overseas via Operation Shoebox or Operation Gratitude (there are nine drop-off locations in the Hartford area), one thing is for sure: most adults also have a sweet tooth and they will appreciate your generosity.