Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

how old is too old for trick or treating

159 replies

estellacruella · 31/10/2022 14:09

My 11 year old son wants to go trick or treating tonight he loves halloween and has his costume all ready. if he does go this would be his last year as i feel he is getting too old for it. my husband thinks he is too old since he started high school in august
Do you think 11 is too old to go out round the doors or should it be ok for him too go tonight
TIA

OP posts:
dottiedodah · 31/10/2022 14:40

I think anyone at School is fine .I would be happy for any teenager to rock up all themed .Sweets at the ready! One year when DD was small ,not so much of a "thing" as now .Unprepared with no sweets in ,gave some coins instead well pleased!

SleepingStandingUp · 31/10/2022 14:41

estellacruella · 31/10/2022 14:28

for context he is a small 11 year old and i would be accompanying him round the street he knows if he goes this year its his last year. he doesnt look his age and would be very respectful and we only go to doors in our street that are actively taking part.

It's fine if you're with him op, people won't id him anyways so size and mum means they lassume he's more 9 than 11

EndlessMagpies · 31/10/2022 14:42

Round here, the older teens (maybe 14+) still dress up and do it, but they are in charge of the younger ones. So they hang back while the little kids get the treats. Ideal really.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Events & celebrations
SleepingStandingUp · 31/10/2022 14:42

dottiedodah · 31/10/2022 14:40

I think anyone at School is fine .I would be happy for any teenager to rock up all themed .Sweets at the ready! One year when DD was small ,not so much of a "thing" as now .Unprepared with no sweets in ,gave some coins instead well pleased!

Your be happy with a group of 17/18year olds knocking in the door for sweets? OK it might not intimidate you but surely you can see it might intimidate lots of people expecting primary sized kids?

RachelSq · 31/10/2022 14:44

I’d say if they’re young enough to do it with family/a couple of friends with parents tagging along they’re young enough to go.

My “limit” would be when they want to do it without parents also being out with them and with friends. Even young teenagers can get very silly very quick in groups with no adults…

SleepingStandingUp · 31/10/2022 14:44

SallyWD · 31/10/2022 14:26

My daughter's 12 and looks about 17 as she's very tall. She's so excited to be going tonight. There's no way I'd stop her being a kid.

No ones suggesting you make her m ove out or pay her own way fgs. I never went trick or treating, was I denied a childhood??

Plumbear2 · 31/10/2022 14:44

If they are old enough to not need parental supervision they are to old.

ReformedWaywardTeen · 31/10/2022 14:46

I don't care what age they are as long as they are polite and don't grab handfuls. I also stop handing out sweets after 8pm

DD (15) is going in a group of younger kids, because they got quite upset when I suggested they were too old. They've really struggled with their age since lockdown, feeling they lost out on two years of fun because of it. And as they are going with some kids between 7 and 13 as the older one keeping an eye out, we've managed to please them and the kids.
They made their costume (Henry from Stranger Things). They know it's last chance year though.

I get dressed up too so can't say much

rwalker · 31/10/2022 14:47

0 months

PuttingDownRoots · 31/10/2022 14:48

My 11yo (secondary school) is taking her 9yo sister. I was planning on staying home to answer the door.

FourTeaFallOut · 31/10/2022 14:49

I'm happy to dish sweets out to anyone who knocks at the door on Halloween - including the teens, the parents being traipsed around the estate and occasionally, the Amazon man.

mondaytosunday · 31/10/2022 14:51

Agree with you 11 is about the top end. Most kids here are 10 and younger, with majority between 4-8. Teenagers going out - nope. That's when things can get a bit intimidating.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 31/10/2022 14:52

My 11 year old is going.
Her 14 year old brother is faaarr to grown up for it.

PeekAtYou · 31/10/2022 14:52

I think that secondary is too old but acceptable if they are supervising primary age kids. Nobody can really tell if a child is y6 or y7 so I wouldn't sweat it but my kids moved to eating sweets while watching a scary movie from year 7.

Theydoyaknow · 31/10/2022 14:56

I would think 12 is really the cut off point. I hate opening the door to a group of teenagers bigger than me in huge groups, completely different if they are just bringing the smaller ones around and hanging back but rocking up to your door with the start of a beard and holding out their bag for sweets is taking the piss.

Ellie1015 · 31/10/2022 14:57

For me 12 or 13 is the upper limit. My dd is 12 and i think this is last year. I will discourage her next year, more in case other people frown upon it than I think she is too old.

At 11 definitely, accompanied and houses that are decorated only is definitely ok in my opinion.

Dassams · 31/10/2022 14:58

End of Primary school imo

zighead · 31/10/2022 15:01

I think they are too old once they are in secondary school. My DS hasn’t been trick or treating since he was 10.

WimbyAce · 31/10/2022 15:04

We have teens come here prob up to 16. I'm guessing any older than that and they wouldn't want to anymore.

isthismylifenow · 31/10/2022 15:05

Things are very different here.

We have a few streets in our area so everyone joins in. Adults and kids of all ages. Kids get sweets and there is usually an option for adult treats (ie a shooter or jelly shot etc). I dress up, as does my 20 something DC...

So for us, no age limit.

Ihatethenewlook · 31/10/2022 15:07

Makesmilingyourbesthobby · 31/10/2022 14:17

My 14 year old and friends are going tonight.

Same. 14/15yo’s. There’s a couple 16yo’s but they’ll stand at the end of the path and not take any sweets. They’re far too mature to ask for sweeties but they still like dressing up to show off 😂

Ihatethenewlook · 31/10/2022 15:07

isthismylifenow · 31/10/2022 15:05

Things are very different here.

We have a few streets in our area so everyone joins in. Adults and kids of all ages. Kids get sweets and there is usually an option for adult treats (ie a shooter or jelly shot etc). I dress up, as does my 20 something DC...

So for us, no age limit.

Omg adult trick or treating for jelly shots sounds awesome!!

ODFOx · 31/10/2022 15:14

No age limit as long as some effort has been made.

I don't do shots (sounds amazing) but have done coffee or pumpkin soup for accompanying parents on cold nights before.

Caughtupinsomething · 31/10/2022 15:14

IMO too old is when they don't need to be accompanied by an adult. We usually get little ones knocking where I live. However last halloween three 16/17 year olds knocked dressed as Stranger Things/harry potter i forget exactly! Felt abit weird giving them each a premade halloween bag of a lolly, milky bar/way and freddo or such like! At that age they should have been in a cinema or watching a horror movie at someone's house! The exchange at the door was very awkward.

isthismylifenow · 31/10/2022 15:20

Ihatethenewlook · 31/10/2022 15:07

Omg adult trick or treating for jelly shots sounds awesome!!

Show quote history

Its usually an excellent night. I'll update next week as it's this coming weekend.

What is nice that families can walk together if they have really young dc, or teens/older hang together and then the adults usually team up too.

It's one of the highlights of my year tbh. Everyone makes quite an effort, so it's always a great atmosphere.