Play With Your Food

These bowling pins aren't regulation, but snack lovers will agree they should be. Using a serrated knife, cut a set of 10 hollow plastic pins ($15, Stats Bowling Set; toysrus.com) in half lengthwise. Fill each side with warm Rice Krispies Treats (you'll need to make about seven batches), press together and secure with rubber bands. Allow the pins to set overnight. Add official "stripes" with red licorice.

Foil-covered Chocolate Poker Chips ($14 for 36; candywarehouse.com) are a lot cheaper than the real thing, and the winnings are just as sweet.

Raid your junk drawer for a rubber ball and search the kitchen cabinets for some chocolate candies, and you'll have an instant game of jacks. Spread out 10 candies, toss the ball in the air and, with the same hand, pick up one piece of candy, then catch the ball after only one bounce. Repeat until you pick up all 10 candies. For the next round, "twosies," you must pick up two candies at once, and so on, until you get to "tensies." Winner keeps the chocolate!

Chocolate making and chess both require good strategy. Combine the two skills by making a set of white-and dark-chocolate chess pieces with two chess candy mold sets ($3 each; confectioneryhouse.com).