Halloween Candy This or That: Which Treat Wins? (Time Well Played, Episode 7)

Reese's or Skittles? Twix or Sour Patch Kids? If your house is about to be buried under a mountain of trick-or-treat loot, you already know these are the questions that matter most. In Episode 7 of Time Well Played, the weekly Plus-Plus USA show about the moments worth making, we put our favorite Halloween treats head to head in a lightning-fast game of Halloween Candy This or That. One candy goes in, one candy comes out, and only one sweet survives to the very end. Spoiler: it gets sour. If you are looking for an easy, screen-smart Halloween game for kids that needs zero prep, pull up a chair. This one is a treat.

How to Play Halloween Candy This or That

The rules could not be simpler. Name two candies and the player picks their favorite. The winner stays in the game and takes on the next challenger. Keep going until every candy has had its shot, and whatever is still standing at the end is officially crowned your favorite Halloween candy.

It works like a mini tournament bracket, which means one early pick can go on a serious winning streak, and one surprise upset can change everything.

The Quickfire Round: Max Takes On the Candy Bowl

This week, Max, Operations Administrator on the Plus-Plus USA team, stepped up to the Quickfire Round, and Max was ready. Here is how the candy showdown went down.

• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups got off to a hot start. They knocked out M&M's, a Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, and Snickers in a row.
• Then Skittles pulled off the upset. Reese's fell to Skittles, and Skittles followed it up by beating Nerds.
• Enter Sour Patch Kids. Sour Patch Kids took down Skittles and never looked back, beating Twix, Kit Kat (Max admitted that one was a hard one), and Airheads.
• The final rematch. For the championship round, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups came back for one more shot against Sour Patch Kids. Max had one very important follow-up question: are the Reese's frozen? They were not. Sour Patch Kids for the win.

The official Time Well Played verdict: Sour Patch Kids is Max's favorite Halloween candy. And we are now taking notes on the frozen Reese's loophole for next year.

Why This or That Is a Great Halloween Game for Kids

This or That games look silly on the surface, but they are packed with little wins for kids and grown-ups alike.

• It builds decision-making skills. Kids have to weigh two options quickly and commit to a choice.
• It sparks conversation. Every pick comes with a reason, and those reasons are often hilarious.
• It needs zero supplies. No board, no batteries, no setup. Just a list of candy and a little imagination.
• It works anywhere. Play it in the car on the way to trick-or-treating, at the dinner table, or while waiting in line at the pumpkin patch.
• It is a screen-smart boredom buster. Quick, playful, and easy to restart with a brand new category whenever the energy dips.

Try It at Home: The Post Trick-or-Treat Candy Bracket

Here is our favorite way to play this Halloween. After trick-or-treating, before the candy sorting turns into candy trading, run your own family bracket.

• Pull one of each candy out of everyone's haul and line them up on the table.
• Take turns holding up two candies and letting each player pick a winner.
• Keep the winners moving forward until one candy is left standing.
• Compare results. Does everyone in the family have the same champion? (Probably not.)
• Bonus round: grab your Plus-Plus pieces and build the winning candy. A giant Sour Patch Kid, a Reese's cup, a rainbow of Skittles. One shape, endless creativity, even on candy night.

Quick Break: If Your Personality Was a Plus-Plus Build

Every episode of Time Well Played includes a Quick Break, a short, unscripted question for the Plus-Plus crew. This week's question: if your personality was a Plus-Plus build, what would it look like?

Kate Brady, our Product Development Manager and one of your Time Well Played hosts, says hers would be a map of the United States, because a personality that is all across the map deserves lots of different colors, and can be one thing one day and something completely different the next. But at heart, Kate is also the gnome build. That calm, steady gnome brings it all home, even on the days she is not so calm on the outside.

We love this question as a family conversation starter, too. Ask your kids what their personality would look like as a build, then hand them the pieces and let them show you.

This Episode Is Brought to You by Time Timer

Parents, be honest. How many times today have you said "five more minutes"? And how many times did your kids actually believe you? That is why we are so excited to have Time Timer as the sponsor of this episode.

Time Timer is the original visual timer. Its colorful disk shrinks as time passes, so kids can see exactly how much time is left without reading numbers or guessing what "five more minutes" really means. Time Timer has been helping families and classrooms make every moment count for over 30 years, with more than 7 million timers sold.

Time Timer and Plus-Plus believe the same thing: time spent playing is time well spent. Or should we say, time well played. Set a timer for a build session, watch the disk disappear, and see what your family can create before time runs out. Learn more at timetimer.com and follow along on Instagram (@thetimetimer), Facebook and YouTube (@timetimer), and TikTok (@timetimerllc).

The Plus-Plus Promise: One Shape, Endless Creativity

Every Plus-Plus product starts with an idea on a page and a few hundred tries to get the build just right. We design with your time in mind, because when that box of pieces lands in your hands, we want whatever gets built next to be worth every minute. That is a promise we make as a team. One shape, endless creativity. That is our guarantee.

Show Us Your Candy Champion

What is your family's favorite Halloween candy? Play This or That at home, build your winner out of Plus-Plus, and tag us at @plusplususa on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Your creation could be featured on a future episode of Time Well Played.

Watch Time Well Played Every Sunday

Time Well Played is a weekly show from Plus-Plus USA about time to build, time to imagine, and time to just play. Watch the full Episode 7 on YouTube to see every Quickfire pick in Halloween Candy This or That, and subscribe so you never miss a new episode. Then grab your candy bag, line up your favorites, and find out which treat wins at your house.