Candy: The Ultimate Camp Snack

The Complete Cheat Sheet for Taking Candy to Camp

KIds enjoying themselves at camp

Your kid will win the most popular camper award with these tips for taking candy to camp.

Most sleepaway camps and day camps are good at providing healthy meals and snacks to growing kids. But they tend to skimp on the sugary sweets. That’s why the most popular kid in camp is usually the one who brings candy to share.

Enter bulk candy to the rescue!

With carefully chosen bulk candy, kids can share, trade and snack with their friends. Whether you’re sending a care package to sleepaway camp or packing a backpack for day camp, we’ve got the best candy options for you.

Kids burning energy at camp

Things to consider when choosing candy to take to camp:

It’s hot – Summer camps don’t usually have air conditioning. That means whatever candy you send needs to stand up to warm temperatures. So choose wisely.

Your kids may love Hershey Bars, Reese’s Cups and York Peppermint Patties, but chocolate and heat don’t mix. Especially at sleep-away camp, these treats sometimes spoil before kids can eat them. So keep those snacks at home for the weekend and send heat resistant treats instead.\

We recommend traditional hard candies like Brach Root Beer Barrels, Choc-O-Mints or Life Savers.

For kids who can’t stand to miss out on their chocolate fix, try Tootsie Rolls, Jelly Belly Chocolate Pudding Jelly Beans, or Sixlets. They have great chocolate taste with less risk of melting.

Hard candy is great for camp

 

Candy should be shareable – Half the fun of having candy at camp is sharing it (or trading) it with friends and fellow campers. Individually packaged treats like Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, Smarties and Laffy Taffy are all great choices.

Or go for treat packs that offer serving size portions. Our favorites are Sour Patch Treat Packs, Swedish Fish, and Haribo Mini Gummy Bears,

Some camps are anti-candy – It’s a sad truth that some camps discourage or prohibit candy. Their reasons are usually because candy and other snacks in bunks can attract pests, or because they want to encourage healthy eating for active kids. Of course, many parents circumvent these rules by helping their kids smuggle in sweet treats.

Gum in air-tight container

We’ve heard of people packing candy into empty soap or toothpaste boxes, stuffing it in the toes of shoes, or even hiding it inside hollowed out books.

If you’re going to get sneaky with your sweet treats, try to keep them safe by providing air tight containers. That will help keep out bugs and seal in delicious smells to avoid attracting animals. Plus, they’ll help keep your candy fresh.

If you’re a follower of rules, you might still be able to send some candy. many camps will allow mints and chewing gum even if they prohibit other snacks. Most also relax snack rules during family day or visitors day, so you can bring along your kid’s favorite treats then.

If we haven’t already given you enough great ideas for candy to bring to camp, here are ten more sweet treats your campers will love.

And while the kids are gone, why not treat yourself to something sweet that you don’t have to share. We recommend Dove Dark Chocolate Promises.

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