Please talk me through Halloween

[Nahgiem]

I know this sounds silly, but where else can you ask silly questions if not an anonymous forum?!

Please can you walk me through what I need to do, to participate in Halloween?

For having children to the door:

• one sweet per child or is that not enough?
• do they pick themselves?

For taking my child out:

• any etiquette to know about?
• what to do about child with dairy allergy? Ask for non-chocolate sweets politely, or just take anything given and deal with later?

Anything else I should know? I believe my DC will need to say a joke or something (in Scotland - "guising"). Thank you!

I have a selection of things to give out, chocs, sweets, and mini packets of crisps plus I give out packets of raisins.

I let them take 2 items each.

Only knock on decorated houses.

@Nahgiem

I didn't think you did ,sorry if that sounded brusk, I was more trying to convey that here at least it's a fast moving thing with children running up , knocking, screaming.... running, grabbing, thank yous.....

Rather than a slower calmer activity with a buffet of different sweet on offer... frantic...

Not answering the questions as they've already been answers. But just wanted to give you an idea of something you could do.

Last year I took my nephew trick or treating, he has alot of allergies. I had gone out before and bought a bunch of sweets I know he loves and can eat. When we got home I snuck them in his bag while he was taking his shoes off etc. They've been to that many doors and taken so much in they won't even remember what they've specifically picked up so would be none the wiser. He had a great haul of sweets he loved from "halloween" 😉 Just an idea incase you wanted to do that.

The rules we followed are no pumpkin don't approach, always say thank you, if not able to eat the sweets on offer (I have a dd with allergies) simply take and thank (swop it at home and eat yourself )

If the sweets are tiny then 2 or 3, for anything larger like fun size bars take 1

6pm was peak t&t time when my dc were young

I put a small pumpkin in the window and offer a bowl of e.g. mini packs of Smarties, mini Mars bars etc., and tell them one each. (In the hope of there being plenty left for me. 😋)

Your DC needs a 'party piece' - a poem, a song, a joke, a dance to perform.

Put some sweeties in a bowl but not too many. You offer a sweetie in 'trade' for the 'party piece'.

Not too many 'neep' lanterns about these days but we tend to do one alongside a pumpkin.

Between 6pm-8pm is normal round here.

Only visit houses with some kind of decoration.

We’re not in Scotland but we do this…

dressuo & go round our estate 5-6ish - only going to the house with Halloween things up/outside

6-6.30 - cone back to our house & wait for the kids to come to ours then my DDholds the sweets/choctubs out & lets them take what they want!

our neighbourhood goes all out for Halloween - it’s my fave night of the year - 1 makes a soooky tunnel all the way from his drive down to his shed!

one thing that surprisingly goes down well here (was a big surprise to be and DH was rather snooty)is fruit!

I have a big bowl of sweets for kids to help themselves to - one year we'd over bought easy peelers so I got a sharpie and drew pumpkin faces on them and they went really quickly - next year I bought some specially and drew the faces again also shoved some apples in the bowl too - again, they all went! even heard things like 'look Mum I got an apple'...

When the kids were very little rather than take them out, we decorated cheap fairy cakes with green and orange icing and sprinkles and stuff - they were the first thing to go too..

Some good ideas - thank you

It's not really "overthinking" if you have no idea to begin with. I appreciate the posters who have helped me!

My DC would be one of those - loves fruit!

Aah I live in England now but really glad to read this thread and see that children in Scotland (where I grew up) still have to do a party piece for their sweeties. I can't cope with the rudeness of just shouting "Truck or treat" and expecting to be given something at the door! We used to spend ages practising our "wee turns".

*trick

The younger the child the earlier the start. But generally don’t knock till after it’s dark.
Child knocks only on doors with hallowe’en decorations.
Parent stands back on pavement or a suitable distance.
Homeowner answers door.
Child chants, ‘happy hallowe’en’.
Homeowner produces a bowl of chocolates/sweets.
Child grabs a handful.
Says thank you and leaves.
Rinse and repeat.

Here (London with two primaries within two blocks) they start out about 5.30, but really get going at 6pm. The clocks will have moved back by then so will be dark.
Parent/parents take them, usually in groups of three or four (more is too much of a scrum) and hover at the end of the path as the kids come to the door (only ones with pumpkins/decorations as stated). 'Trick or treat' and I usually hold out the bowl - treat size of haribo, Cadbury bars, twix etc. Last year I gave out two each but I must have had a hundred kids and ran out! Some really little kids grab a handful so you have to watch that.
It is pretty much over by 8pm, though you might get the odd couple of teenagers chancing their luck (I think you stop going out about ten or 11, 12 years old at a push). It's a school night this year so may die down earlier. I blew out my jack o lanterns and turned off the hall light when I ran out of sweets but a few kids still rang the bell. Will really stock up this year!
Decorations go up morning of and down the next morning, though I leave my pumpkins out for a few days.

Hey. If you're planning on handing out sweets at the door, you can add your address on trickortreatmap.com with comments about what you're offering. Equally, you can use the site to see all trick or treat locations nearby to plan a safe route for your children and make the most of your time on the night. There's not loads of addresses on there at the moment but it will pick up throughout October so feel free to sign up now and have a look around 👻

I get a couple of those big packs of fake haribo mini bags from lidl and they tend to take one. re the allergy, if your dc brings home anything with dairy, have stuff he can swap you for. You get the chocolate but give a replacement he can eat

Thanks, yes I'll make sure there's something to swap. Sadly I can't have dairy either so DH gets all the perks!!

Interesting - thank you!

I'd put a carved pumpking in the window so people know you are participating. Also for your child ...can you get in some dairy free treats so when you get home you can swap them out for your DC when they get treats with dairy.

Thanks for all the details so far- have bought lots of Swizzel sweets, planning to get more sweets plus (in a separate bowl) nuts, and maybe the pumpkin-face satsumas too!

Hopefully we don't miss all the children while out with our own!

Hand out the sweets. If it's a nice fine night with lots of kids out, go sparingly at first. Pick up the pace as the night goes on. Wet night, hardly anyone out, give out handfuls.

Child with allergies takes what she's given and sorts it out later.

Throw away home made items when you get home.

Only knock on doors with a light on / Hallowe'en decor outside.

Turn off your light when you run out of sweets.

I'm in Scotland, around us most younger kids are out just after 6, generally over by 8ish apart from occasional older teens (most don't bother after primary school tbh) If you have a lit pumpkin on doorstep you're considered open for guising. For younger kids a wee joke is fine or a spooky song/poem like witches of Halloween
Most people make up little bags with a mix of sweets/apples/cheap crisps. Others will just have tubs to pick it maybe make up slime/jelly/spaghetti with sweets/little plastic spiders etc in which the lids usually enjoy. Some still put nuts out, I don't bother as too many neighbours kids with allergies. Likewise I generally have a few bags made up for kids with dairy allergies or I'll have a tub of sweets for kids to pick themselves.
Some years we've had 50 kids+ but as they've got bigger nos have reduced.