Last year, there was some enthusiasm around the idea of Reverse Trick or Treating, the idea of going out and engaging with trick-or-treaters, or even going to people’s houses to give them treats. I’d like your help in evolving this idea, or something related, but Halloween in Wallingford this year.
Here’s where I’m coming from: Halloween is one of the best holidays out there: kids get to be creative, dressing up in costumes, roving in bands, being scared, being amused, being amazed.
Trick-or-treating is fun, but has some flaws: kids go door-to-door, hold out their bags and fill them up with candy that often gets thrown away or, worse yet, eaten. Most of the treats are the same: cheap chocolate mini-bars. Next house, same bars. Next house, same bars. What a wasted opportunity for awesomeness.
That, and the rise in allergies (nut, gluten, corn, egg, dairy, etc.) has made many of the treats verboten to a growing block of kids. Kids who deserve a fun Halloween!
Our best times on Halloween have been at the amazing haunted houses that people have created, like the one 42nd and 1st Ave NE and the one at 42nd and Corliss, or the day glo dungeon on Sunnyside below 42nd. The kids get so excited to interact with these amazing art and performance pieces that people have put on, and the parents chat with each other, and it feels like a carnival. So much more amazing than just going house to house filling up a bag of corn syrup and palm oil.
So, I’ve got a few ideas that I wanted to run by you, let’s see what there’s enthusiasm for this year.
First idea: call-out for roving reverse trick-or-treaters. Last year, Erin went out as Elliott from ET and stopped people on the street to give them bubbles and candy. Zev and I rolled a wagon full of super-balls, and quizzed kids with fun questions before giving over the goods.
How about make-believe camera crew interviewing kids about their costumes, in character (you’re dressed as superman, expect to be asked what it’s like to fly)? Or a fortune-teller offering to tell fortunes? Or the Headless Horseman looking for his head? Roving bartender for the adults?
Imagine if there were people all over the neighborhood intercepting bands of children, giving them more fun than just a candy bar in a bag?
Second idea: same as above, more or less, except we block off a street (preferably near one of the aforementioned haunted houses) and encourage folks to come set up their acts and games there. With a fixed place (and perhaps some power cords from friendly neighbors), we could have games, a performance stage, all sortsa fun.
So anyway, that’s some ideas to start with. What do people think?
(Photo by Michael Hanscom)
Aw, thanks for the shout-out! It was an awesome Halloween last year (thank you, weather!).
I like the ideas but am not sure how I can help. Maybe as the ideas become more developed, I can figure out a role for myself.
Thanks for the ideas!
Erin
Great idea. I don’t have much entertaining to do, but would be glad to provide a supportive presence if it would help.
I love the idea of roving trick-or-treaters. Every year I’ve gotten a ton of cool stuff for halloween, and every year kids skip our street because so few lights are on.
Sounds weird.
Several years ago, when the kids, small to big would come to my door saying, “Trick or Treat”, I would reply, so give me a trick. They would stand there gapped mouthed not knowing what to do or say. No fun for me; no fun for them. Eventually I just turned off my lights. Teaching the kids to do tricks, have some fun, giving the homeowners something to do and see that is fun, would put the joy into this holiday.
I loved trick or treating as a kid, but have a hard time participating in the holiday as an adult. I live in a townhouse, and no children ever come trick or treating at my place. If I had kids I’d have an excuse to go house to house. I would love to do something to make this holiday fun for everyone.
Wonderful idea to make Hallowe’en a neighborhood festival occasion!
I, too, live on a street that attracts almost no trick or treaters. Sometimes there are planned kids events nearby.
I’d be glad to support something festive. Perhaps area teens would be interested in getting together to help to put this on?
Setting up one “Halloween block” seems too much like the trick or treating at stores and malls that kids do now instead of walking through their neighborhood. Why not work with your immediate neighbors to have a pumpkin carving party or share decorations?
An adult driven and organized Halloween “festival” seems like a poor substitute for trick or treating. Have you actually talked to any kids about this? While they may want to check it out, I bet that they still want to go out for traditional trick or treating.
Jordan,
A few years ago wasn’t there an October mystery bags neighbors were leaving on porches near Halloween? I recall that the kids and parents loved it. You would pick five neighbors and leave a surprise in a paper bag which a number on it. Does that sound familiar?
Your ideas are good but I wouldn’t get too hung up on the health aspects of eating candy once a year. It just seems like such typical Seattle silliness to make a big deal over such a silly holiday and its once a year possible sugar high, and trick-or-treating and then throwing the candy away seems like typical American wastefulness. Perhaps just choose small individually wrapped dark chocolates if you are that concerned with nutrition. They are supposedly healthier. Granted kids are fat much more often nowadays than when we were children but that is due to their eating habits and lack of exercise the other 364 days of the year, not once a year binging.
@2dogs: I hear you. I abhor the store/mall trick-or-treating substitute. My inspiration is the haunted houses that I’ve seen in the neighborhood. Kids absolutely love it, and line up and go through a second time. And yes, I came up with the idea after talking to my son, who is really excited about the idea.
@evon: it’s not so much the sugar-one-day-a-year that bothers me, it’s also the growing number of kids with food allergy that really can’t even have it once a year. It’s also just a waste: sure, i can hand out something better, but it’s house after house after house handing out candy that just gets thrown away. It’s not the end of the world, but if we could do better, why not?
And seriously, it sounds like fun to me. If kids want to trick or treat instead, they don’t have to come.
I would love to see a list of all of the planned bigger haunted houses in the neighborhood. Perhaps people could post them to this blog?
If you are really anti-candy, consider giving away mini-comics. Comics Dungeon is participating in Halloween ComicFest. (To be clear, you buy the comics – but they sell them in packs, just like you’d buy candy.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvL5Cj__OxY&feature=youtu.be
http://www.halloweencomicfest.com/Home/1/1/78/1138
When I was in high school we used to go Christmas caroling on Halloween. People would always answer the door expecting to hand out candy but they were serenaded instead. 🙂
Of course, it was funnier before Christmas started encroaching so heavily on Halloween.
We will be giving away non-food treasures, to be allergy-friendly and offer something more interesting than the usual candy fare. To help let people know we are doing this, we will have a teal-colored pumpkin at our porch and a poster — part of a nationwide allergy-friendly trend:
http://www.today.com/parents/teal-pumpkins-make-halloween-safer-kids-allergies-2D80220834
Happy Halloween Everyone!