Switch Witch: A New Healthy Halloween Alternative

Have you heard of Switch Witch yet? If not, read on! I think you’ll appreciate what this little tradition is doing for many families; and you might want to incorporate her into yours as well! If you have heard of Switch Witch, scroll down to check out some of our ideas on how to make this tradition unique to your family, and some tips below.

Who is Switch Witch?

Switch Witch is a new(ish) family tradition à la Elf on a Shelf.  The gist of Switch Witch is she’s a magic witch who loves (or in some cases needs) candy. She’s willing to trade your child’s Halloween candy for non-sugary gifts and prizes.

There are several reasons to incorporate the benefits of this tradition for many families. From the life-threatening—like families with children who have diabetes or food allergies, to the common sense—like parents trying to instill healthy eating habits or encourage moderation. There’s also the less-than-obvious benefit of teaching about currency and trade. Switch Witch can help in all these ways without taking the fun out of the Holiday.

Switch Witch doesn’t necessarily require you to purchase anything special, although there are books and characters intended to help you jump-start this tradition for your family. (More on those below.) You really have a lot of freedom to make her story your own, and we have some ideas to help out if you don’t want to spend the money on a book and doll.

How to Make Switch Witch Your Own

First we need motivation. Maybe your Switch Witch needs sugar to power her magic broom. Maybe she lives on the dark side of the moon and needs high-fructose corn syrup to burn special coal to keep herself warm throughout the year. Or maybe she just has an insatiable sweet tooth (and cavities to match). Her motivation is the driving-force of the tradition, so make sure you give it a little thought.

Next you need a Switch Witch. You can certainly buy a witch doll—that’s easy. There’s plenty of options from Target to Wayfair to Amazon, to supporting artists on sites like Etsy. There’s also sites that sell the Switch Witch dolls with their own books that do it all for you. Or you can make a witch from craft paper and cast a spell on her to come to life! This could be a lot of fun with a little, non-scary, séance. And you can either save the craft doll, or make a new (and improved) one every year.

However you get your Switch Witch, it’s a good idea to name her and adopt her. You can even make an adoption certificate with some rules. If this all sounds overwhelming, remember—you can make this as simple as you have time for. I know your busy! And you can improve or elaborate the process every year.  Naturally, as time goes on, and the questions keep coming, I’m sure the story will elaborate itself. One question that comes up (because of Elf on a Shelf) is can my Switch Witch be touched? And that’s up to you! But be prepared for this common question—especially if you already have the Elf on a Shelf tradition established in your family.

Lasty, you’ll need to make the switch! There are a few ways to handle this. You can take the tooth fairy approach where the kids leave their sacrifice in their rooms or at an alter, and the candy is replaced overnight. Or you can do a Chuck E Cheese system, where the kids can “buy” prizes with their candy. So the more they give up, the better the prize.

If you’re a busy parent with $30-$40 to spare, I found these two sites that sell the witch and book, and spare you of having to establish the details mentioned above: Original Switch Witch and Switch Witches.

Prize Ideas

Of course you know what motivates your child! But here’s some ideas that might get everyone excited.

Basket filled with goodies like stickers and books and toys. Think of a Halloween Easter-style basket.

Healthier sweet treat like their favorite cake or donut. This trades an abundance of sweets to just one-serving of sweets, and they’re less likely to feel like they missed out on the sugar rush.

An activity they LOVE or new experience. I’ll often turn to Trip Advisor for ideas of unique family activities nearby.

A time-saving pre-packed box of goodies from sites like Kiwi Co., Little Passports, and MEL Science, all of which offer no-commitment, single-box (non-subscription) purchases.

Tips

Make the prizes different from Christmas-style wrapped presents, which is right around the corner so it might feel a little less special or original.

Have your kids decide they’re going to participate before trick or treating.

Some sites suggest writing a letter to your Switch Witch about toys they want. This feels way too Christmassy to me. Although it’s not a bad idea to decide on a form of communication between your Witch and your children.

Don’t forget to destroy the evidence--and resist temptation! Nothing would ruin this illusion more than your kids finding their candy stashed away or at the top of the trash bin.

Consider donating the candy! Today.com has a great article on this!