HealthWorks! Kids' Museum to Host "The Great Candy Exchange"

If children consumed all the candy collected on Halloween night, smiles could turn into a real fright fest. HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis is therefore hosting its annual Great Candy Exchange event on Sunday, Nov. 4, from noon to 4 p.m., allowing children to exchange portions of unopened Halloween candy for chances to win a variety of prize packages that encourage healthy habits and active play. Admission to HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis is free throughout the duration of the event. All collected candy will be sent to active military personnel, along with toothbrushes, with the help of the USO.

This free community event will feature music, face painting, healthy snacks, “Healthy Horrors” activities and live shows. Attendees will also have access to all the museum’s interactive exhibits, including a 55-foot-long, 25-foot-wide, 8-foot-tall human skeletal structure that serves as a universally accessible indoor playground. Each exchanged pound of candy will be worth one raffle ticket for the prize drawings. The more candy exchanged, the more chances kids will have to win prize packages, including a Nintendo SwitchTM with a LABO Variety Kit. Classrooms, clubs, organizations and teams can also get involved. The school or group with the most candy collected will win a free, all-school assembly.

“Halloween is synonymous with the over-consumption of candy,” said Shannon Woodcock, president and CEO of HealthWorks! Kids' Museum St. Louis. “Fun-sized packages of candy can be packed with as many as 15 grams of sugar, so kids can potentially down their daily sugar allowance in a matter of minutes. In turn, we are encouraging kids to pick a few of their most favorites to eat in moderation and exchange the rest. To further sweeten the deal, they can win awesome prizes and showcase their appreciation for our military.”

“The Great Candy Exchange” is made possible thanks to Delta Dental, Children's Hospital St. Louis, St. Louis Kids Expo and Fun Photo Events.

HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis is located at 1100 Macklind Ave., near the Saint Louis Science Center. To learn more about “The Great Candy Exchange” or for general information about the museum, visit www.hwstl.org, like the organization on Facebook or follow them on Twitter using the handle @youcantoucan.

HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis came into existence as a result of efforts to expand The Delta Dental Health Theatre to address broader, overall health issues after Delta Dental of Missouri became a major corporate sponsor in 2004. Those plans evolved and grew more ambitious over the next several years, ultimately leading to the closure of the original theatre on Laclede’s Landing in downtown St. Louis after 38 years so it could be housed in the new, dramatically expanded museum. The Delta Dental Health Theatre was originally organized as a program under the Foundation of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society in 1977. In 2002, it was incorporated as an independent 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis opened in May of this year.