I take a kid into Five Below and the snack picks multiply fast — every aisle adds another ask. These eight are the ones that actually earned a yes.
1. Smarties® Squashies Raspberry And Cream 5oz – $3.00
Soft and foamy, these two-toned rectangles split down the middle — cream on one end, bright raspberry on the other — and the texture puts them in a completely different category from regular gummies. Kids who’ve seen them trending will head straight for the shelf; the 5oz size makes sharing on the ride home at least theoretically possible.
Taste: The raspberry side has a tangy, slightly punchy pop and the cream end is mellow and sweet — eaten together in one bite, they balance each other out in a way that keeps you going back. The texture is the real draw: cloud-light and foam-soft, closer to a marshmallow than anything you’d normally find in the gummy aisle, and it melts rather than chews down.
Make It Better: My trick is eating each end separately first before trying both together — the contrast is way more obvious when you approach them one side at a time.
Parting Thoughts: Worth every dollar for the texture novelty alone, especially if your kid is deep in the gummy phase.
2. Mr. Beast Feastables Milk Chocolate 1.24oz – $2.00
For the YouTube-obsessed kid in your life, spotting this in the candy section is a genuine trophy moment — a 1.24oz milk chocolate bar at $2.00, no shipping required. It works perfectly as a post-visit treat or a low-key reward, and the brand recognition alone does half the excitement work before anyone takes a bite.
Taste: Smooth and creamy milk chocolate with a clean, even melt and no gritty finish — it’s genuinely good chocolate, not just cool packaging. Simple and satisfying, exactly what a classic milk chocolate bar should be.
Make It Better: Save it for after the visit rather than opening it in the aisle — kids eat it way more slowly when they know they had to find it.
Parting Thoughts: For any kid who knows who Mr. Beast is, this lands as instant excitement — and the chocolate is actually worth eating too.
3. Nerds® Gummy Clusters Bag 3oz – Rainbow – $1.50
Crunchy Nerds candy packed tightly around a soft gummy center — it sounds like a gimmick, but the dual-texture payoff is real and kids reach back in almost immediately. Rainbow flavor, 3oz bag, and completely snackable from the parking lot onward.
Taste: Tangy, fruity Nerds crunch on the outside, then a soft and chewy gummy core pulls back as you bite through — the ratio shifts slightly cluster to cluster, which keeps each one interesting. The fruit flavor is bright and familiar without leaning too sweet.
Make It Better: A generous handful at a time gives you the best crunch-to-chew contrast; these also mix well into a bowl with other candy for an impromptu movie-night snack.
Parting Thoughts: At $1.50, this is the easiest yes on the whole candy wall.
4. Takis® Dragon Spicy Sweet Chili Rolled Tortilla Chips 9.9oz – $4.00
Skip the gas station chip rack on the way home — this 9.9oz bag of Dragon Sweet Chili Takis is the savory anchor the whole snack haul needs. The Dragon variety hits with spicy chili pepper heat and a sweet undertone that sets it apart from the classic, and the big bag means there’s plenty to spread around.
Taste: Bold chili heat with a sweet layer underneath that keeps it interesting well past the first few bites, and the rolled chip shape delivers a dense, satisfying crunch that holds up. The seasoning coats your fingers fast — it’s intense in the best way.
Make It Better: Route this to the older kids in the car and save everyone the drama — the spice level is real, and younger ones will tap out fast.
Parting Thoughts: Older kids and any adult sneaking snacks alongside them will have this demolished before the ride home ends.
5. Juicy Drop® Gummies & Sour Gel 2.01oz – $3.00
Every gummy in this pack has a little groove molded right in, and the kit comes with a sour gel pen to fill each one — so kids control exactly how much pucker they want per bite. It turns into a dare game almost immediately, and the who-can-handle-the-most-gel debate basically solves the bored-in-the-car problem on its own.
Taste: The gummies are fruity and chewy on their own, and the sour gel adds a sharp, intense kick that ramps up quickly depending on how generous you were with the pen. The sweet-tart combination has real staying power — you’re thinking about the next piece before the current one is done.
Make It Better: Double-dare someone to fill the groove all the way before eating — the reaction is free entertainment, and the pen holds enough for the whole bag.
Parting Thoughts: The gel pen is what makes this worth buying — it’s an experience, not just candy.
6. Hello Kitty® Strawberry Marshmallow 3.1oz – $3.00
There’s something about Sanrio packaging that makes a simple marshmallow feel like a proper event — and these do have a strawberry jelly center hiding inside, which makes the first bite a small, genuine surprise. Tuck them into a packed lunch, bring them to a birthday party, or let the youngest kid in your group pick the bag out herself.
Taste: Pillowy, soft marshmallow on the outside with a sweet strawberry jelly burst in the center — gentle and not too intense, the kind of sweet that’s just right for smaller kids who aren’t ready for sour or spice. Nothing challenging, just cozy and good.
Make It Better: They’re a natural lunchbox addition — the packaging keeps them from getting crushed, and the jelly center holds up well after a few hours in a bag.
Parting Thoughts: A reliable grab for the Hello Kitty fan in your group, or any younger kid who just wants something cute and sweet.
7. Kracie® Popin’ Cookin’ Tanoshii Hamburgers 1.1oz – $5.00
I’ve handed this kit to kids and watched them go quiet and completely focused — just add water, mix the powders, and the included guide walks you through building tiny edible mini hamburgers step by step. Adult supervision is on the packaging, and you’ll want to stay close anyway because this one is genuinely impressive to watch come together.
Taste: The candy result is sweet and playful — think of it as the edible reward at the end of a craft project, not something you’d grab for a standard sugar fix. The molded pieces taste sweeter than they look, which is a nice bonus for a kit that’s clearly more about the making than the eating.
Make It Better: Clear a small flat surface and have a cup of water ready before opening anything — following the steps in order makes the whole process go smoothly.
Parting Thoughts: Nothing else in the candy aisle gives you this much actual activity for the money — it’s part snack, part hands-on project.
8. Laser Pop™ Lollipop Projector 0.71oz (Styles May Vary) – $2.00
Point it toward a dark wall while you’re eating it and the lollipop projects a design on the surface — a light show built into a $2.00 candy. The style you get is a surprise at purchase, which turns picking one up into its own little reveal moment right in the aisle, and the collectible angle gives kids a reason to want more than one.
Taste: Sweet, classic hard candy that lasts a satisfying while — it’s a standard lollipop flavor, and honestly the candy is secondary to what the projector does. Not a complex flavor, but it doesn’t need to be.
Make It Better: Use it in a dark room or at bedtime for the full effect — in daylight it’s just a lollipop, but with the lights off kids think it’s actual magic.
Parting Thoughts: Best saved for an evening moment when you can actually see what it does — a $2.00 light show is a hard thing to argue with.
