Do you have a ton of left over candy? Are you looking for a creative way to learn with pieces of candy?

You’ve come to the right place. We want to share with you fun candy activities for kids of all ages.

Even though we end up with so much candy after each holiday, I also can never resist buying the super marked down bags of candy like jelly beans or conversation hearts afterwards. So go ahead and buy them and then use them in a candy activity below. 

Candy Math 

Halloween candy or Valentine’s Day candy isn’t just for eating. You can be learning with candy too! Sorting is one of the most important Math skills for young children. Sorting is an important cognitive skill. It teaches them to look for similarities and differences and group them in that way. Kids don’t even realize they are learning as they practice this important skill with their candy.

Sorting Candy

You can sort candy by color, shape, or type. 

Sort the candy by brand. This might require a little research into which brands make which types of candies. Have your kids make a chart. Which did you get the most of? 

Put chocolate candy into a pile and non chocolate candy into a pile. Which pile is bigger? 

Sort candy by texture – hard and soft. 

Put candy you like into a pile and candy you don’t like into a pile. Then trade other people for candy they don’t like and you do. 

Sort candy by size – small, medium, and large or into two piles of long and short. 

Measuring with Candy

How many pieces of candy long are you? You can measure using all of the same type of candy or line up different candy. It doesn’t matter, because your child is trying the important skill of measuring. Measure everyone in your family and make a chart with how many pieces long each family member is. 

If you have a kitchen scale, get it out and measure different pieces of candy. First, make a prediction of how many grams or ounces you think it will be. Then, write down the actual weight. Did the weight of some candy surprise you? Making a prediction and gathering information is one of the most beneficial Science concepts your child can practice. And it’s so easy to do with candy. 

 

Candy Alphabet Activities

Candy can be used for Language Arts too. Group the candy by the letter that it starts with. Which letter has the most? 

​Pick your three most favorite pieces of candy. Turn them into characters. Write or dictate a story about your candy. What will the problem be? How will it get solved?

 

Candy Science

Here’s a simple Science experiment that kids of all ages will love to try. It is a great way to make predictions, observations, and draw conclusion. 

 

Materials

• bowls (2)
• water
• salt
• candy (gummy candy such as Gummy Bears, Sour Patch Kids, Fruit Snacks, or Life Savers Gummies)
• kitchen scale (optional)

 

Directions

1. Put a cup of water in each of the two bowls. 
2. Add a tablespoon of salt to the second bowl. 
3. Put a few pieces of the same candy in each of the bowls. 
4. Let the bowls sit overnight and observe what changes you see in the morning. What happened to the candy that had the salt in it? I wonder why?
5. Optional: Using a kitchen scale, weigh a piece of candy from the regular water bowl and then a piece from the salt water bowl. Which weighed more? 

 

 

What happened next made our Science experiment last for weeks! We wondered what would happen if we used different types of candy like hard candy (candy canes or jolly ranchers or jelly beans). We tried the experiment again with different candy. 

We wondered what would happen to the candy if we used different liquids. What about soda, sparkling water, juice, or milk? So we tried new liquids. 

Sometimes we the experiment showed results and sometimes it didn’t. Either way they were inspired to experiment with different materials in different ways. I also appreciated that this experiment required some waiting. They had to wait overnight and there weren’t immediate results which is a lesson in patience. What a fun way to learn about the scientific process! 

 

Do you have an extra bag of candy hearts? Use them for these awesome candy heart activities for toddlers and preschoolers. From counting and sorting to pouring and fine motor skills, there are so many learning opportunities with a bag of conversation hearts. 

 

More Candy Experiments 

Ready for more candy Science experiments? Check out some of our other favorites from a few of our favorite bloggers. 

Coffee Cups and Crayons shows you how to do an experiment with dissolving the letter M from the M&M. 

Gift of Curiosity uses M&Ms to grow a candy apple. 

Lemon Lime Adventures uses gumdrops and toothpicks for a STEM challenge of building a structure. 

This Reading Mama uses candy corn for different preschool learning activities and printables.