This Halloween I packed the trick or treat bags that I will give out Halloween night. Every year I buy little decorated paper trick or treat bags and put candy and some novelties inside so I can hand them out to the little ones on Halloween night. I have fun doing that. I've been passing out the treats that way for years, I think even before Jane was born. The trick or treat goodies that the kids in those bags makes them think they are getting something special or perhaps that they are just more candy (they are on both counts) since their treats are in special decorated Halloween bags.
I am too old to trick or treat, but if I did I would want one of those bags too. This year inside them is candy, little activity books, Halloween rubber bands and tattoos and Halloween decorated pencils. I also purchased a few of the larger Halloween treat bags and put extra stuff in those to give to the kids I think have the best costumes. Halloween trick or treating is wonderful for kids. I haven't forgotten my own days of doing it, my dad taking me around the neighborhood (he as excited as me) with my friends. He told me later when I was gown that he enjoyed it as much as we did, but I knew that even as a child. The Halloween gene my dad had was passed on to me, and that's why I overdo all Halloween activities. Nothing is more important to me than children, so why not make their holidays as fun as possible?
As to Trick or Treating and the "loot" that people give to the kids who come to their doors, there are several kinds of givers...and one class of non givers. First, there are the Scrooges of Halloween who turn off their porch lights to let kids know they are either not home to give them treats or just not willing too. I think most of the ones who have their front door porch lights off are home because often the people who really are out for the night have their houses decorated for Halloween, their porch lights on and also leave candy or other treats in big bowls with a sign that says - "Please take a few- Happy Halloween". I wish the world had more of those kinds of people and fewer of the type that turn off their lights and pretend not to be home Halloween night.
When trick or treating it's easy to see that the type and volume of candy given varies. From year to year, the kids actually remember which houses were stingy and which were generous. They will always make sure to return to the generous givers....sometimes more than one time Halloween night. I did the same when a child with one family in our neighborhood that used to pop popcorn and hand out hot bags of it to anyone who showed up to yell "trick or treat". It amazed me that they never ran out of popcorn because the whole world seemed to be at their door Halloween night.
Kids favor houses that have the best candy, best being defined at what small children most like. Full sized candy bars are always a hit, non candy or non sweet food (popcorn excluded) are not. Those fun sized bars make great handouts because you can give several different kinds of candy to each child. In this age of fear, no one would give out unwrapped, sealed treats because we all suspect that our kids would be poisoned if the candy was not wrapped and sealed. So I guess few people still pop popcorn, make cakes and cookies and other homemade treats as they did when I was a boy. It is a pity that the world is so cold and mistrusting, and that it has to be that way now. It's not a good lesson small children should learn on a fun holiday like Halloween.
Here are some trick or treat do's and don'ts I have learned over the years to make Halloween trick or treating more fun...just in case you ever give out Halloween candy on Halloween night
- Always give more than one or two pieces of candy to each kid. the more given, the more enthusiastic the children will be and the more good memories they will carry about Halloween into adulthood (when they will make it special for their own kids too).
- Compliment the kids on their costumes when they arrive, and engage them in conversation - spooky or not. Laugh and joke with them allot! And always tell them "Happy Halloween".
- Heap extra loads of candy on the nice, the polite, or the kids in the best costumes.
- It's good to dress like Dracula, a Mummy or whatever will be in the spirit of the holiday, and slowly open the door to give the little trick or treaters heart attacks with their treats. It's your reward for giving them all those treats.
- When the little one show up in their scary outfits pretend to be scared...gasp a little. If Cinderella arrives tell her she is Cinderella. Whatever the costume, pretend the wearing is who he or she is dressed to be.
- Decorate your door, porch and other trick or treat areas and always have a few pumpkins at the door, both the natural uncarved ones and the carved, and lighted ones.
- Anddddddddddddddddd, pray for no rain, or do a scare the rain away dance Halloween night. The real monster on trick or treat night is rain.
Happy trick or treating!
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