Halloween is here, so let’s just cut to the chase: Getting a “Fun Size” Snickers bar isn’t fun for anyone involved. The old lady on the corner handing out bananas and apples instead of chocolate is ruining everything. Oh, and if you’re the one, sad person on your block that gives kids coins instead of something for their sweet tooth, I personally don’t want to ever meet you. That’s why I love what hyperlocal social network Nextdoor is doing for Halloween.
Nextdoor has launched a “Treat Map” for its popular smartphone app that lets you find the best free candy hotspots in your neighborhood. Nextdoor users can highlight homes with a candy icon to show that they are handing out delicious, tooth-destroying sugary treats, helping adults unload their candy stash—and aiding kids in filling their bags—as rapidly as possible.
It’s a devilishly awesome idea and Nextdoor takes user security seriously as well. To prevent any random user from populating the map with false promises, Nextdoor’s policies require locals to prove they reside where they claim to via phone call, postcard, or credit card address verification. That’s an important feature that should give worrisome parents some peace of mind.
While we’re at it—and just in case any moms or dads were about to accuse me of boosting their kids caloric intake to obscene levels without offering anything to offset the destruction—here are a couple of apps to help set things right after the Halloween insanity has died down a bit:
Once the sugar rush has subsided, kids can learn how to read nutrition labels and interpret ingredients lists. Seeing how many cubes of sugar are really in a soda or how many spoonfuls of oil are in a deep fried dinner can put things in perspective and help form healthy life-long eating habits.
Monster Mouth DDS
Once a young ghoul or goblin is done chomping through their candy stash they can fend off dental dangers in this easy to play kids game. Just don’t make them brush right after eating a Butterfinger, because that tastes gross. I know from experience.
Scared that the 10-pound candy bag disappeared in just 48 hours? FitnessKids presents 25 different kid-friend exercises in a way that is both fun and healthy. It turns exercise into a game, where kids can beat different levels of each activity and move on to more difficult challenges.
There, see? Apps can be used for good or evil, but as far as Halloween is concerned, it’s a good idea to have a healthy mix of both.
