What is the Switch Witch?

Have you heard of the Switch Witch?

The Switch Witch is a fun Halloween tradition that your kids (and you) will love. She is a friendly witch that comes the night of Halloween after trick or treating. She replaces your kid’s leftover candy with a fun toy. Your kids will love her! You will especially love her…no more dealing with sugar rushes for the entire month of November and worrying about cavities.

But no candy, really?

I hear your objection. No candy? Isn’t that the point of Halloween? A sacred part of childhood? I’m not saying to not give your kids candy. After all, they did just work so hard for it! But figure out how many candies you are okay with and set that aside. For my family, we currently do one piece of candy for how old they are. For example, my four-year-old picks out four pieces of candy to have that night. This might change as she gets older, but for now, it works for us.

Make sure to introduce the concept before the night of Halloween

The key is to introduce the concept before that night. About a week before is when you will want to start telling them of the Switch Witch. Make a mental note of any toys they mention too and don’t forget to pick that up before.

I introduced the Switch Witch by taping this Switch Witch Letter on her door about a week before Halloween. The letter explains why she needs the candy and that she wants to trade it for a toy with a cute poem. She couldn’t yet read so I read the letter to her. She loved the idea and was so excited to trade her candy for a toy.

The Night of Halloween

On the night of Halloween have your child leave the basket of leftover candy outside their room. That night the Switch Witch (a.k.a. you) will replace the leftover candy with a fun toy.

My experience with the Switch Witch

The first year we did this my daughter was 2.5. I knew I wanted to give this Halloween tradition a try I wasn’t sure how it would go over. She didn’t miss the candy and talked about the Switch Witch for a good month after. I would say the Switch Witch is right up with the Easter bunny now. She even does make-believe and pretends to be the Switch Witch. The anticipation and surprise of what the friendly witch will bring are also so exciting for her. Other than the costume, it’s probably her favorite part of Halloween.

What do with the leftover candy?

Of course, save a few favorites for yourself, you deserve it! Then donate the rest. Here are some organizations that accept candy donations:

Switch Witch Tradition

So are you ready to start this Halloween tradition? Don’t forget to grab the Switch Witch Printable.