Crazy about Candy Corn - Books, Links, and Ideas for Children

We've been having quite a bit of fun with candy corn, this week (click here, to see some of our candy corn inspired projects).

Did you know that October 31st is National Candy Corn Day? I didn't, until the Fryman Four put us onto it. They actually had an entire day of candy corn fun, last year (click here, to read about that).

After researching all the great, kid-friendly, candy corn projects, links, and goodies out there, I'm really thinking the entire month of October, should be dedicated "National Candy Corn Month".

I had a hard time finding non-Halloween themed, books about candy corn, though. Keven Henkes' Julius's Candy Corn, that we read for our stART project, came close. The party the cupcakes are for is a Halloween party, but other than that one mention of the holiday, the book could be about any fall party. It's really about Julius, and the candy corn.

My children rejected Kelly Asbury's Candy Corn, because it is a board book, and because it contains (non-scary) witches, and vampires, but if you have a toddler, who doesn't mind Halloween imagery, then this is a cute book about finding triangles, on Halloween night.



The Candy Corn Contest, by Patricia Riley Giff centers around a pre-Thanksgiving contest, in a school classroom. I didn't read it myself, but my 9 year old, read it with ease during "nap time", and seemed to really enjoy it. In the book the children get to make a guess on the number of candy corn in a jar, for each page they read in a book. The child with the closest guess, is to win the entire jar of candy. Which is fine, until the main character sneaks three, only to discover his teacher has already counted the candy, and written the answer on the bottom of the jar..in pen.

This book begs for extension exercises, and in fact, Scholastic has a link to a teacher's website, with an entire unit built around the book.

After completing The Candy Corn Contest, A (age 9) has move on to Ben M. Baglio's Kitten in the Candy Corn. It's number #41 in the Animal ARK series, which centers around a young girl, and her best friend (a boy), who like to help the animals they encounter through her parents veterinarian clinic. In this particular story, they must find a little kitten a home, after it arrives at the clinic, with a box of candy corn.

The story takes place around Halloween, but is centered on the story of the kitten, more than on the holiday.



Finally, I checked out Candy Corn Poems by James Stevenson. Sadly, it only contains one short poem about candy corn, but after reading, and watching How to Train Your Dragon, the children enjoyed the Stevenson's comparison of candy corn to dragon's teeth.



I thought the comparison was fitting too, especially after a math post, at Little Page Turners, where candy corn became dinosaur teeth.

Teach-nology, also has a candy corn, poetry lesson plan suggestion, here.

If it's history, you want, you might check out one these short videos on the history of candy corn, and how it's made from:

The Louisiana Farm Bureau

The Food Network,

or The History Channel

And, for even more candy corn fun, there are all kinds of printables, and craft ideas available:


Kinder Printables has a wealth of candy corn theme pages, such as candy corn alphabets, math mats, counting, and matching sheets.

Mrs. Nelson's Class has similar, but different candy corn printouts too, as well as a cut, and glue template, good for groups of children, and a number of additional fall theme ideas.

Lee Hanson Graphics has candy corn, and bat bookmarks.


DLTK-holidays has a cut, and glue together candy corn man.

Layton Music has a candy corn, musical note, match up game.

Still need more candy corn inspired ideas? Then you might want to check out Candy Corn Wonderland! an entire website dedicated to all things candy corn.

Of course, if you really don't care for candy corn, you can print out the lyrics to Nick Jr's Moose and Zee "I Don't Like Candy Corn" song.

And, then click the links below, to find out what others have been reading, at this week's What My Child is Reading blog hop, hosted by Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns.



It's great to be a homeschooler.