Five Safe Alternatives for Halloween Activities

by Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger

29 Sep 2006 02:05 PM

Halloween is coming soon. This means Halloween parties, trick or treating and lots of candy. You do need to exercise caution when going trick or treating. I remember the days when I would roam the neighborhood and return with a pillowcase full of candy. My parents and I did not worry about might be contained in the candy. It was a much simpler time. If you are concerned with Halloween, and trick or treating here are five safe and fun alternatives you can do instead of the traditional trick or treating.

1) Many malls and shopping centers offer candy for trick and treaters. This is a fairly safe way to have your children trick or treat in a safe environment. The candy is not likely to have been tampered with. You should accompany your children, and make sure that they watch for cars.

2) Many churches offer alternate activities on alternate nights. Usually the entire community is invited, since it is a community outreach night. The activities can vary from a Halloween party with costumes and games to a Fall Festival (no costumes) with booths, rides and games. There is usually plenty of candy handed out at these events.

3) You may consider organizing a trunk or treat in your neighborhood or community group. You can decorate the trunks of your cars, and the children go from trunk to trunk collecting candy. This makes the trick or treating experience take place in the open. You should make sure that the candy is individually wrapped, and that you are comfortable with everyone there.

4) Another activity you may want to organize is a floating Halloween party. This is a lot of fun. It should involve several families. You will set up different activities in each home, and divide the children into several groups. They will rotate through the activities throughout the night. You can have a haunted house (kid-friendly of course), donut eating contest, jack-o-lantern carving, cookie decorating, and design the scariest monster craft. You can also hand out candy at each house as well.

5) You can also begin your own family tradition on Halloween night. This would be a good idea if you do not believe in celebrating Halloween. Once you have a fun family tradition, it will make skipping Halloween easier for your own children.

You should begin planning and organizing these events now. It will help the events be successful, and fun. Your children can help, which will help them to get more excited about the alternatives to traditional trick or treating.

Learn more about Miriam Caldwell

Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children.

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Megan Bayliss (3586) 29 Sep 2006 04:58 PM

Good ideas Miriam. The thought of having children roam the street or neighborhood scares me. Yesterday was so much simplier. Today, we have many more real risks that our children are needlessly exposed to. Risk managing by offering safer alternatives to a traditional child-focused celebration is a FANTASTIC trade off.

Tristi Pinkston (10839) 29 Sep 2006 09:15 PM

Our ward (church group) does a trunk or treat every year. We park our cars in the church parking lot side by side, decorate our trunks, and the children go from car to car. There are prizes for the best decorated car, and we serve hot chocolate. It's so much safer than the whole neighborhood thing.

My parents never did let me go trick or treating as a child. I thought I was so deprived, but now I can see the wisdom. Thank goodness for the alternatives.

Miriam Caldwell (8030) 02 Oct 2006 06:02 PM

My church (ward) currently does a combined trunk or treat with another group. Before we moved here, we had a carnival and then a trunk or treat. The kids loved it. One year as a child, I participated in a floating Halloween party. It was a lot of fun, and I didn't miss the Trick or Treating.

My daughter loves Halloween, but doesn't know anything about Trick or Treating. It can still be a fun, harmless holiday, minus the danger that can come from trick or treating.

Thanks for your comments!