The Switch Witch: A Favorite Family Tradition!

Who has heard of the Switch Witch before?!  Does she come to visit your house?!  For those unfamiliar, the Switch Witch is a good witch who comes to your house at night, while the kids are fast asleep, takes their Halloween candy, and switches it for a new toy or perhaps money for the older kids.

We love the Switch Witch in our home because due to allergies my girls can’t eat the candy they collect from Trick-or-Treating.  And if I’m honest, I don’t love the idea of them chowing down on what seems like pounds and pounds of high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, and more.

I always buy a small amount of allergy friendly candy to have at home so they can part take in the candy festivities.  I like Unreal almond butter cups and dark chocolates with crispy quinoa well as Yum Earth Organic pops.

We have been doing this tradition from the beginning and my girls (now 9 and 7) are always so excited for the Switch Witch!  They can’t wait to put their candy out at night and see what fun new toy will be outside their bedroom door in the morning! I find Trick-or-Treating with friends, enjoying a few pieces of candy, and swapping out the rest for a toy is the perfect scenario for us.  However, I know the Switch Witch is not going to work for every family.  If your kids don’t want to give away their candy, I wouldn’t force it.  You can always ask again next year.

If you are wanting to try this fun tradition, I recommend asking your kids first, reminding them that they can still pick out their favorite candies before putting the rest of the candy out for the Switch Witch.  Here is a cute poem to go along with the Switch Witch.  There are lots of great options out there!  

I often share this tradition with families, when asked how I handle the Halloween candy craze.  From our experience, the kids are often eager to take on this new tradition.  

What are your thoughts on the Switch Witch?  How do you handle the Halloween craziness?