Halloween is quickly approaching…are you ready?! Because you know your children are!
Tired of taking your kids door to door on Halloween for Trick or Treating?
Are you looking for something fun and safe to do that is an alternative to Trick or Treating? Read on to find some great ideas for Halloween instead of boring old Trick or Treating!!
All kids, young and old look forward to Halloween and going Trick or Treating. Parents on the other hand are not always excited and enthusiastic about dragging their Children around the neighborhood to go Trick or Treating. Most times, if you have smaller children, they don’t want to walk, they get tired after about three houses, or they literally don’t want to go up to anyone’s door. Interesting since the whole point of Trick or Treating is to go up to people’s doors, right?! Trust me, I’ve been there and done that. In the end, it can be more of a hassle than it’s actually worth.
Let me paint the picture…your children practically beg you to take them Trick or Treating. You try to convince them otherwise but to no avail. So you give in and prepare for your night out in the neighborhood. Once you finally get out there and start your journey, you start to remember why you did not want to do this. There is constant complaining, probably some crying, and if you’re lucky; all out temper tantrums. Sound familiar?
Once you have made it to the few houses your children have fought you to go to, you make it home. Then the dreaded task of combing through the candy for anything that looks suspicious, weird or half eaten begins. Even if you look through the stash of candy multiple times, you may still not be completely comfortable with letting your children eat any of the candy. Plus, you may not even like for your children to eat tons of sugar, so the torture you put yourself through for the night was all for nothing…
Why in the world would you put yourself and your children through this, I ask? So, do yourself a HUGE favor and find fun, safe alternatives to Trick or Treating.
5 FUN Alternatives to Traditional Trick or Treating
1. Get your kids dressed up in their costumes and head to a shopping mall.
It provides entertainment for the other shoppers while you do a little shopping!! Just kidding! The shopping mall actually provides a safe, fun and carefree way for your children to Trick or Treat. The stores in the shopping mall provide opportunities for children to dress up in their costumes and Trick or Treat to each store and receive goodies! You can even get some shopping in while you’re there. You’re happy, the kids are happy…it’s a win, win for everyone! Contact your local shopping mall to see if they are providing this fun event.
2. Participate in a Trunk or Treat event at a local school or church
What is Trunk or Treat, you ask? Well, Trunk or Treat is something that has gotten to be pretty popular over the last five or so years. Instead of going around door to door around the neighborhood, you take your kids to a school or church that has a Trunk or Treat event and visit the “trunks” of the other participants cars! Many times, the participants decorate their cars and trunks, and it is such a fun twist on Trick or Treating! Check with your local public school or church to inquire if they have such an event.
3. Let your kids dress up in their costumes and go to a Halloween festival or carnival.
Similar to Trunk or Treat, Halloween festivals or carnivals provide a fun variety for your Halloween night. Many schools or churches put on Halloween festivals or carnivals, equipped with games, rides, and contests! Festivals and carnivals can be a lot of fun for children of all ages! Check with your local schools (private or public) and churches to find out if there is a Halloween festival or carnival in your area.
4. Make some Halloween treats with your kids.
Skip Trick or Treating altogether. Yep, I said it. Staying in for the night is not always a bad idea. You can keep busy by making some fun and yummy Halloween treats with your kids. Make treats earlier on in the day so that you can pass them out to the children who come to Trick or Treat at your house! You can always choose to give out candy as well, rather than going out to Trick or Treat. Your children can pass out candy in their costumes to make it fun! The point is to make it a fun filled night, by staying in!
5. Start a new tradition by staying in and watching classic Halloween movies or cartoons.
If you choose to stay in for the night, start a new tradition! You can watch classic Halloween movies or cartoons with your children. When I was younger, one of my favorite Halloween cartoons to watch on Halloween night was “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. It is such a fun family classic, and definitely a must see for children of all ages! Pop some popcorn, get in your pajamas, and cuddle up as a family and enjoy your quiet Halloween night!
I am not a big fan of Halloween, even though my birthday is just six days before Halloween. I’m a big scaredy cat, and am easily scared. I personally never enjoyed going Trick or Treating as a child, and that carried over to when I had children of my own. I tried everything I could when my kids were younger to avoid Trick or Treating like the plague!!! I know that I can’t be the only person out there…I know there are others out there that can agree with me; who also don’t fancy Halloween!! Anyone?!
Do you have any alternatives to traditional Trick or Treating? Any Halloween night traditions that you’d like to share? Please share them in the comments, I would love to read about them!
Until next time,
