How old is too old for trick or treating?

[Scotishscotus292]

I think once you're in secondary school you're too old.

No age limit but a person might need to borrow some under 10s to act as chaperone.

@IsadoraQuagmire

I don't think it's appropriate for anyone over 11 or 12, but fine for an older teenager escorting small children.

So a 13 year old with a neurological condition? That would be "inappropriate"?

I have an autistic child but I wouldn’t let her go past a certain age unless with younger siblings, or if she really wanted to go I would arrange to go to families/friends doors only.

They are too old if they don't want to.

I would also find a 19 year old man knocking on the door in the dark intimidating.
However I'm not big on Halloween so don't decorate or put or a pumpkin. I live in a very rural area at the end of a dead end track, so I'm not expecting trick or treaters.

My older teens dress up and escort my younger ones around. They're 'too old' when they decide it, and then I'll dress up and take the younger ones like I did when the older ones were small.

Good Lord there is some right miseries on here. My 17 year old will get dressed up to keep his 13 yo sister, her friends and my nephews 5 and 9 company. It's great that he still wants to join in. My daughter is Halloween CRAZY and loves trick or treating. Am I seriously supposed to tell her that she's now too old to partake in trick or treating (but still young enough to be classed as a child and do Christmas) and to young to go clubs/parties? No chance 😂.

It's a totally inclusive day of the year. You can even go as yourself. Why put an age on it? Asking add trick or treaters are polite, respectful and enjoying themselves in absolutely fine with handing out sweets all day/night long

I think 12 or 13 is still ok. 14+ is a bit I mean it’s essentially dressing up and begging for sweets, it a little kids activity.

Best tell my 18yo DS to hang back when he's out chaperoning his younger sisters (in full Halloween outfit), in case some people feel intimidated

Having an older teenager accompany younger siblings isn't a problem. I wouldn't appreciate groups of older teenagers though - they'd surely want cash rather than sweets, wouldn't they? The collecting for food banks is lovely but I doubt it's the norm.

Anyway, it's my birthday. All sweets are mine!

Please let kids hold on to this little piece of childhood as long as possible. If a kid makes even the tiniest bit of effort for a costume, even if it’s just a clever name tag, and shows up at my door and politely says trick or treat, I will happily give them candy. If they don’t have a costume but came out with their friends at the last minute because they realized they are missing out, I will still give them candy. Why do we need to push kids away from away from something so innocent?

So it's only appropriate for small children can beg for sweets

I only let mine knock on houses that have clearly got a pumpkin and they are a mixed group age 3-14

It's fine!

Secondary age is too old in my opinion unless they're with younger children, certainly by the time they stop seeming to make an effort and think a group of 14 year olds in masks should go door to door.

My DD is going with a couple of friends. They're all 14 and enjoy the atmosphere, it's gets very busy where we live. They're not really that bothered by the sweets, it's just a fun thing to be part of here.

I think it very much depends on where you live. If you live in a naice middle-class village where everyone decorates and knows each other, knock yourselves out.

If you live on a council estate where you may not know your neighbours as well, older teens in groups with no little ones who have made no effort other than to perhaps wear a face mask can be very intimidating, particularly when they knock on every house whether there is a pumpkin outside or not.

I hope you see what I'm saying. I have lived in both sorts of area and this absolutely isn't intended to be class-bashing).

We used to go until about 14 (me & two friends), but we were shepherding our younger brothers (aged 6-10) so I think we got away with it for longer because of that

Fair play to the teenagers dressing up and bringing younger siblings around. I think that is cool. Over 14 and knocking at doors for sweets is taking the piss.

It depends where they go. Ds(15) is 6’5 and couldn’t just go knocking on random people’s doors, but if they have a pumpkin outside and it’s on our road it’s fine.

@WitchyNameChange

Best tell my 18yo DS to hang back when he's out chaperoning his younger sisters (in full Halloween outfit), in case some people feel intimidated

Almost everyone has said it's fine if they're chaperoning youngsters so I'm not sure why you're choosing to be offended.

Fine if chaperoning youngsters etc, I think 14+ has to be a limit, my SS is 13yo and is taller than me and all his mates all are tall and he’s planning to go trick of treating, a group of tall lads in ‘the purge’ masks I imagine will be quite frightening to some folk 🤷🏻‍♀️

If they're dressed up, I love seeing the teenagers. Not just a surly teen asking for sweets, you'd better be in costume!

@MrsTerryPratchett

If they're dressed up, I love seeing the teenagers. Not just a surly teen asking for sweets, you'd better be in costume!

Oh and only to very obviously decorated houses early in the evening.

Secondary school age unless accompanying small children otherwise it seems a bit like demanding money/sweets with menaces. But there again Halloween round here mainly consists of the police rounding up teenagers who spend the evening egging houses and cars so I may have a tainted view.

My 12yo and her friend, and my 10yo and her friend are going this year. Tbh I'll go with them because I enjoy seeing the kids dressed up.

Covid cancelled the year before. And we only really started trick or treating when my eldest was 9 so it's not like they've done it for years.

The kids are coming here, getting dressed up, carving a pumpkin, eating a doughnut off a rope, apple bobbing, face paints on, then we'll put the pumpkins outside, leave a full sweets bowl on the doorstep and take a wander around. They will mostly T or T their friends parents.

When they get to being proper teens I imagine it'll just be having some mates over, watching a scary movie and answering the door!

@Just10moreminutesplease

Surely it’s whenever they feel too old? Why put an arbitrary age limit on it?

As long as they visit houses with pumpkins and are polite then I can’t see any harm.

Totally agree with this. My 14 year old is taller than me but he’s going out with his 8 year old sister and is willing to be dressed as a pumpkin (at his sister’s request!) so I think he deserves his sweets! We do have a strict rule of only going to houses that have a pumpkin or have decorations out though. Next door are elderly and they love to see my two at their door on Halloween 🎃