15+ Creative Candy Monster Ideas (Plus How to Make a One)

In case you were wondering if your PTO ought to make a candy monster to collect candy for Trunk or Treat (or some other fun Halloween event that requires LOTS AND LOTS of candy), yes, you do! A collection bin that's decorated with crafts and supplies to look like a colorful, friendly monster, a candy monster is a great way to collect donated candy from families ahead of Trunk or Treat, Fall Festive, a school haunted house, or any other Halloween event, simply because they get so much attention! They're easy (and fun) to make, and are a surefire way to get students and families pumped to attend your PTO's Halloween event. Get inspired with these creative candy monster ideas and learn how to make one for your school!

Tip: take something that's trending, like a popular movie or character. We're loving this fun Beetlejuice themed candy monster from Royal Palm Beach PTO below!

To promote your school's Trunk or Treat or Halloween event, take videos of your candy monster doing silly things all over the school grounds and post on social media. This is a great way to keep families engaged on social media, generate awareness (and FOMO) about your Halloween event, and ultimately increase attendance. You can find video templates on Canva to create a promotional video for your school's candy monster. 

The room parents at Sharon Elementary really outdid themselves with their "sweet beasts"! The PTO upped the ante and posted photos of each hall's candy monster on their school's social media page. The photo with the most "likes" wins a five pound candy advantage for their beast!

Encourage your school community to "name" your candy monster(s) for a chance to win free entry or tickets to your Fall Festival, Trunk or Treat or other Halloween event.

Alma Primary PTO lets their school's families know their candy monster is allergic to nuts:

Ask each classroom, grade or floor to bring a certain type of candy to ensure a variety of options (don't forget to include allergy-friendly options!). Some schools will also hold a contest that rewards the class that collects the most candy with something fun, like a pizza or popsicle party.

Remember to keep in mind your school's nut policy when soliciting candy donations. In addition to bags of candy, consider asking for donations of non-candy items, too, like bouncy balls, fidget toys, bracelets, Croc charms, etc.

Get inspired with these creative candy monster ideas below!

MVES PTO

Carpenter PTO

Anna E Barry School

Ridgeview Elementary PTO

Citrus Cove PTO

Mabel Padgett PTO

Alma Primary

Navarro Elementary PTO

Ballman Elementary School

Desert Springs PTO

Spirit Elementary

Longleaf Elementary School

How to make a candy monster

Solicit volunteers for this fun candy monster making job by providing the supplies needed to create a monster out of a box or trash bin. Some PTOs will create a candy monster for each grade to fill, so first consider the size of your school and the anticipated attendance at your event to determine how many candy monsters you'll need to make.

The good news is, it's easy (and fun) to make a candy monster - and a great activity that kids can help with, too. All you need are a variety of arts and craft supplies, along with a bin for the base and a lot of creativity! Anything can be used to make a candy monster, from pool noodles (for arms and monster tentacles), Styrofoam shapes, party hats, colored tape (for stripes) and feather boas to white felt cut into triangles for teeth and fuzzy green fabric for monster fur (apply with hot glue).

For the body of the candy monster, you can use a large cardboard box with a hole cut out for the mouth (this is where the candy donations go) or a new recycling or trash bin. Many PTOs will use a bin that has wheels so that they can easily roll their candy monster around, from seeking out candy donations at morning drop off to roaming the school grounds for promotional videos.

For the candy monster eyes, we recommend using giant oversized googly eyes. Check out these 7 inch googly eyes for candy monsters on Amazon! And, don't forget to hang a "FEED ME" sign on the front of your candy monster!

@ptotoday DIY Candy Monster 🍭 - a great way to collect candy donations from parents! Nice work, @LanieAbigail! #ptomom #ptamom #candymonster #trunkortreat #schoolvolunteerlife #ptolife #ptalife ♬ original sound - PTO Today ✨School Family Media

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