How to Make Easy Candy Houses with Children

It is quick and easy top prepare and make candy houses with your children. These candy houses are not elegant adult creations, but fun renditions of candy houses that children as young as preschool can make.

Most important is to remember from the minute you start that is it supposed to be FUN for the kids. These are going to be famous artworks. They are meant to be each child's own creation.

Be prepared that there will be a lot of candy eating going on. In general, it is pretty exciting at first, then all they will care about is sticking it on their houses. They probably won't eat the frosting, since it doesn't really taste very good. The recipe for the frosting is below.

First, save up some half-gallon milk or juice cartons. You want at least one for each child, plus a "demo house" that you will decorate in order to show the children how it is done.

Collect some pieces of corrugated cardboard to set the houses on. Cover in aluminum foil to make the "yard" for the candy houses. They need to be sturdy, and about 3-4 inches wider than the milk cartons on each side.

Start by picking the right candy- choose light candies that are flat on one side. There are lots of inexpensive candies that are great for this. Also, no chocolate- it tends to melt. You should prepare the candies before gathering the children. Put out shallow, small bowls to hold the different types. Custard cups work well. Do be alert to choking hazards if you have very young children.

Licorice, all colors and all shapes, work well. Cut licorice ropes into manageable pieces in advance of making the houses. Gumdrops are good, but should be cut in half before the children are around to make them lighter. Tiny after dinner mints make nice roofs. Cut squares of thin fruit rolls to make windows.

Cinnamon red hots are great- light and nicely colored. Skittles work well too. Stay away from red and white Christmas mints the size of a quarter- they are heavy and tend to slide off the houses.

Advance prep should be done without any children nearby. When you are ready to begin, cut the bottoms off each milk carton to make a "house" about 6 inches high. Cut carefully and evenly with a razor cutter. If the cut is not even, the "house" will not stay stuck to the cardboard. Thoroughly wash -with soap- and let the carton tops dry. You can use pints, but this tends not to be enough area to decorate.

Gather up dull butter knives or child safe spreaders for the frosting. For very young children you need adults to put the frosting on the cartons. Gather up all the bowls of candy and the ingredients for the frosting/glue. Have a covered cardboard for each house.

Steps for preparing the houses:Spread a generous helping of frosting around the bottom of the carton and place it gently on the aluminum foil covered cardboard. If there is not enough frosting to hold it, you can pick up the house and add frosting to the board, then reseat the carton. Let dry if possible.

Next, frost a side section or two of the house- depending on the age of the children. Preschoolers generally decorate very slowly, so the frosting will dry too quickly while they try to get the hang of it. Older kids move faster, and can probably spread their own frosting if you show them how.

Now, on your demo house, demonstrate how to stick the candies on. Be patient. It is supposed to be fun, not a race or a contest. Wait while they eat some candy. Don't worry if their house isn't something that belongs on the cover of a women's magazine. Each of them is making their own candy house, and they will be happy and proud when they are done. The key is to just let it be fun. Don't decorate for them. If they really don't do much, one of the other kids will probably be glad to help out.

Show the kids how to make rows of mints on the roof for roof tiles. Stick a square of fruit roll on the side for a window. Make a licorice doorway. Then step back and let the children create. Sometimes they take a while to get the hang of it- that is what your demo house is for.

Word of advice- don't bother trying to glue on graham crackers first. It's hard to get them to stick, and the kids couldn't care less about that part.

After everyone is covered with frosting, move the candy houses and provide warm wet washcloths. Try to let the houses dry without moving them. Put the remaining candy away so the kids won't keep eating!

Enjoy the works of art. They are great to put next to the dish of Santa's cookies so he can admire the children's handiwork. And they make nice gifts for Grandma and Grandpa.

Frosting /Glue Recipe

Ingredients

3 egg whites

1 ½ tsp cream of tartar- don't skip this or the frosting won't harden!

3-31/2 cups confectioners sugar

Right before using- beat the egg whites until they foam. Add cream of tartar until still but not dry- like a meringue. Add the confectioner's sugar until a thick consistency is reached. This should be firm enough to hold onto the carton and not slide down. Keep a clean, camp towel over the frosting. Only uncover to remove frosting or it will harden in the bowl.