Although trick OR treating is extremely fun for the munchkins, as a parent you just might not be comfortable sending your child knocking on folk's door asking for candy. That's perfectly fine! Besides, not everyone wants candy from someone they don't know, right? The good news is there are lots of other FUN activities that'll still make for a fun Halloween. Yay!!
Here are 5 ideas to get you going:
Trunk or Treating — Trunk or treating is a new Halloween trend invented to solve a number of problems with traditional trick or treating. Some people live in communities where the homes are just too far apart for trick or treating to work, where others don’t like the idea of their kids knocking on strangers’ doors. Trunk or treating involves a group of people getting together – which could be organized by friends or a group like a school or church – and offering out candy to kids from their trunks. Much easier for the kids to walk between, and much safer for any worried parents!
Host a Halloween Party — A Halloween party is always great fun, and you can invite a number of other children to hold your own trick or treat right inside the home. Younger children can definitely have fun visiting the adults in every separate room of the house, knocking on the door to receive their candy. If your kids are likely to get bored with this, simply plan a fun party with plenty of their friends, and hand out treat bags to everyone. Plan some other Halloween games to make up for the fact that they aren’t going out trick or treating.
Family Night — Some families forgo the parties and candy altogether and make other plans for Halloween. Depending on the age of your kids, you could plan a scary movie night. Another idea is to plan a Halloween feast – put together a fun menu full of spooky-sounding foods.
Local Halloween Events — You’ll often find that parks and other family-friendly businesses plan events around Halloween. These could be haunted theme parks, malls or safe, planned Halloween events. They may or may not include trick or treating, but there will usually be enough other activities to keep kids more than happy on Halloween night!
Candy Alternatives — If it’s the candy specifically that concerns you on Halloween, have a think about alternatives that’ll still make your kids happy. These include giving money instead of food, providing fun novelty items, or creating more healthy snacks by cooking candy and sweets yourself.
I like to get the inexpensive Frosty coupons from Wendy's to give out. It costs 10 cents a coupon (1.00 for a book of 10) and I think the proceeds benefit Dave Thomas' charity.
ReplyDeleteWe do a neighbor party the weekend before. But there is always a group of families that go walking around together.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to take my kids trick or treating, so I appreciate this!
ReplyDeleteQuite a few of the local churches in our hometown host Trunk or Treats. We will be visiting them this year.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbors do a trunk or treat, it's pretty fun!
ReplyDeleteTruck or treating is such a fun alternative to walking the neighborhoods plus kids usually get WAY more candy.
ReplyDeleteThese are great alternatives! I think we are doing a Halloween party this year.
ReplyDeleteWe have trunk or treat at my kids school.
ReplyDeleteI know lots of friends who do trunk or treat. sounds fun.
ReplyDeleteno one trickor treats in our neighborhood so we go to my parents neighborhood where its safer
We do trunk or treat at our church
ReplyDeleteI have to say the 'thrill' of trick or treating is wearing off on me after so many years. It is just not what it use to be. I have one that now stays home and the second one is almost there which just leaves my daughter who doesn't enjoy it so much without her brother.
ReplyDeleteTrunk or treating has become really popular.
ReplyDeleteMy small community has a big party in the town center every year, as an alternative. Since everyone is so spread out, it's a great option. Everyone sets up a table with food and candy to share. It's a ton of fun!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid our family friends always had the best Halloween parties. For part of the party the adults would go to all of the different rooms in the house and we would trick or treating from room to room. We had a blast!
ReplyDeleteWe have started doing the Halloween party idea the last few years, and the boys actually prefer it.
ReplyDeleteWe do trunk or treat with our church and the girls love it!
ReplyDeleteMy girls have a great time at trunk or treat at our church!
ReplyDeleteMy parents used to do a massive halloween display, so we always went there for the night, but last year I didn't really know what to do with my daughter. Thanks for the ideas.
ReplyDeleteI love these ideas.
ReplyDeleteI love going to Halloween Parties. It's funny as a kid I didn't like being dragged to them but they're so much fun as an adult.
ReplyDeleteWe do trunk or treating every year at my daughters school, so much fun.
ReplyDeleteGood tips. I am not sure what we will do this year. We just moved and have zero neighbors within walking distance. So we will have to figure out something for the kids.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of hosting a Halloween party for some friends who follow my diet. So much easier for the kids to deal with no trick or treating.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely plan on trick or treating, but we may do one or two of these in addition!
ReplyDeleteThese are super alternatives... great ideas!!!
ReplyDeleteI have such great memories of Halloween parties my family hosted every year when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI actually have a couple friends who don't celebrate Halloween so these are great options that I can share with them
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! We're going but tossing all the candy baby gets since she has so many allergies. We'll buy her dum dums in the end since they're allergen free!
ReplyDeleteWe hosted a Halloween party one year, and it was fun. My kids love to trick or treat though.
ReplyDeleteWe'll be going T-o-T'ing this year, but next year will be looking at alternatives.
ReplyDeleteWe like to go to a local event that hosts a fun Halloween bash!
ReplyDeleteWe will probably attend a few fall festivals. I really want to go to a costume party though.
ReplyDeleteThose are great alternatives!
ReplyDeleteWe always have a big turnout for Trick or Treat in our neighborhood, thankfully!
ReplyDeleteWe're doing trunk or treating this year at our church! It'll be the first year they've had enough cars to participate!
ReplyDeletegreat ideas we've been to Halloween parties before but LOVE TO trick or Treat
ReplyDeleteI think this is such a great idea. I really worry and this seems much safer.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list. There are lots of Costume dances we like going to!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Candy Alternatives - we just recently moved so I don't know how many kids will come by our new place, but I was thinking of getting those shelf safe chocolate milk single serves to give out instead of candy.
ReplyDeleteI've done all of these except host a party myself. I would like to, but my son's birthday is in November and then Christmas, I just always feel like I got too much going on during those 3 months already.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate all of these ideas, especially since I truly wanted to nix trick or treating, but was immediately trumped by my husband.
ReplyDeleteWe've done trunk or treating and we've also gone to the mall a couple of times.
ReplyDeleteWe do a trunk or treat at church - my kids LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteSome churchs do fall festivals on halloween, that is another great alternative.
ReplyDeleteMy kids ages are 1 & 4 so trick or treating is difficult, but the family party is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteA Halloween party is always so much fun.
ReplyDeleteThese are some clever ideas to replace the standard trick or treating for children. I have never heard of Trunk or Treating, but it's a great idea!
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