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It’s that time of year, we finally get to prank our children for fun
Think about it, Trick-or-treat. Most of the time the children are expecting to walk, door to door asking for candy handouts. This is the best reward to get from the event. In my community, we have taken our brood to events such as “trunk or treat” where we gather with our community and see cars decorated. This provides a great opportunity for neighbors to chat, kids to get candy, and a safe environment for your kids to run around to gather their treats. Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey meant that I would walk about 2-3 miles on Halloween filling my bag. This was a great way to get out of my parents’ hair for a couple of hours while I went to gather the goods and hold over the candy until the Holidays.
Costumes are fun, and what will last?
We just had our installment to create your own Halloween costumes, because they last so much longer. The crochet patterns that are created for our kids have been invaluable throughout the year in case there is a party that requires a costume, who would have thought? If you do intend on purchasing a costume, consider that you will want to wear them several times in order to get your money’s worth. For example, in college I purchased myself a Santa costume from a big retailer for $50. It wasn’t the greatest purchase, but I wear it on occasion with a few modifications of my own.
Safe areas for trick or treating?
More communities are getting involved with something called a “trunk or treat” events. It is a way to dress up your vehicle for that family theme in an area where your kids can be free to gather a lot of candy. For younger kids, these community events are great because they will keep your children in a well-lit safe area that you can continue to monitor them.
For your older more independent kids, you can review your neighborhoods and determine where you can send them. Give them limits, and have them tell you where they are going, what time they need to get back, and they are to go to houses with lights on. Also, make sure they are going with other kids they know and will meet-up together for their trick-or-treating
When you get your family home, make sure you go through their candy. You might have your own “parent tax” on the candy, but make sure they get their favorite candy. Look through the candy, make sure that the candy looks safe to eat.
Hay, where did you get that corn?
Typical decoration of the witch-less house is to get a scarecrow, some corn shoots, and maybe a haybale. If you live in a rural area, you’ll find these sets plentiful to decorate your yard, with of course the fee to purchase the hay. In a more suburban location, call up your location nursery or garden center and ask if they keep shoots and haybales in stock. If they do not have any haybales, you might need to request them in advance. When farmers begin harvesting their corn, they will have plenty of shoots leftover for anyone that is looking to decorate the yard with a scarecrow, or fill old clothes to create that scarecrow look.
I remember my grandmother taking ears of corn, partially husking them, and hang them outside of her door. This display in retrospect is beautiful in showing the aging hard-corn and ornamentally decorating your front door for guests.
The more adventurous person might decorate the front yard with a plethora of yard decorations. The skeletons, pumpkins, ghouls, ghosts, witches, and graveyards certainly make for an interesting spectacle. It is fascinating to see how families decorate their homes and yards during this time of year.
When you are doing with this decoration, pull apart your hair and cover your yard, or cover barren areas. This is the time of year that I will start throwing down grass-seed, to prepare my yard for next year. This year, I laid down a weed-killer, and wanted to wait for plenty of time before committing to it. I’ve been in the process of de-weeding my yard, and keeping it freshly green.
Make safety important for your trick or treating guests!
I really love seeing the costumes from kids, and the glee for good candy. Since my own trick-or-treating days, I enjoyed having more caramel and chocolate as a personal preference. Depending on where you live, you will likely have varying opportunities to hand out candy. Anyway, if you plan on handing out candy, it helps that you and your neighbors have well-lit areas that make it inviting to have trick-or-treaters come up to your door. So, if you have a streetlight, or a light by your door, and lights on in the home, you have the invitation for kids to come up.
There is a great project happening right now called the Teal Pumpkin Project. If you or one of your kids has a food sensitivity, you can do some research on this great project that will show you neighborhoods that take part. These homes will have additional goodies for your child so they can take part and earn a toy or alternative candy for their sensitivities. My wife learned of this project because of her concerns over myself and our kids in case certain foods do not agree with our bodies.
If you are going out with your kids, make sure you wear comfortable clothing. In northern climates, consider bringing a jacket for the evening! Extra bags, a flashlight, and a fully charged cellphone are really important to your own safety. Make sure you know where you are going, and that you remember the cross-streets you are located. Walk by the street with your kids, and make sure they know your cues about how to approach a house, who rings, etc. As the adult in charge, keep your mind focused on making sure the kids are always safe, comfortable, and make on the fly costume adjustments.
In Closing
October, Halloween, and special events make for a fun time. This feels like the second or third major event that kids enjoy that helps break up the colder months. If you’re that adult that does not partake in these events, that is okay! This is another good opportunity to enjoy social gatherings because it is healthy to have interaction with other people.
Considering that last year, COVID-19 impacted a lot of decisions for gathering candy, I wonder how your family and community will go forward this year. How are you going to adjust this year if you still have concerns for your family health? Do you put your candy outside, ready for your trick or treaters to get? Will a costume mask make any changes for you? Don’t forget to leave a comment on how you decorate your home, follow us on social media, and share with your friends if you are struggling for Halloween ideas!
