https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:32:14 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2901172 Wed, 30 Oct 2019 21:13:01 +0000 ShootingStar 2901172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: Check your town police page, that’s who dictates ours. It’s a big joke on our town page right now about how many more posts there will be asking what hours trick or treating is, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2901170 Wed, 30 Oct 2019 20:41:20 +0000 periwinklebee 2901170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: Thanks! I imagine ours must be something like that, but could not find anything googling.... also tried joining the local parents facebook group explicitly for the Halloween posts last week, but mods have not approved my request yet. We just moved here recently and LO's too young for the public schools, so I feel like I must somehow be missing out on relevant info sources.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2901168 Wed, 30 Oct 2019 20:32:07 +0000 ShootingStar 2901168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn’t really read everyone’s responses, but I live in the Boston suburbs too. Most towns have set trick or treating hours, my town’s is 6-8. Also, if you run out of candy, just turn of your porch light and kids will stop coming to your door. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2901001 Tue, 29 Oct 2019 11:19:08 +0000 maybebaby 2901001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: Where in Boston are you? We are in the North Shore :)</p> <p>Many families in our nieghborhoods participate in teal pumpkin project - I bet your kiddo will have lots of fun non-candy options!</p> <p>We start after dinner so around 6/6:30 and usually stay out for an hour then come back home to hand out candy (we leave bowls out while we are gone).</p> <p>Our first was about your kiddo's age when we went for the first time and while he didn't totally get it, it was seriously the cutest most fun night ever - you should totally try it out and if it's a fail you can just head home!</p> <p>As for leftover candy, lots of places have donations for the troupes or things like that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900977 Tue, 29 Oct 2019 08:51:05 +0000 periwinklebee 2900977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@helloperidot: Awesome idea!</p> <p>@Aria: Thank you! I'm not sure LO even knows what most candy are at this point, as we've never brought them into the house, but he definitely recognizes chocolate and knows it is yummy (he can thank his mama for that). So having something safe on hand to trade I think will be helpful.... </p> <p>@lindseykaye: 😂 Yes, I would so much rather have them trick or treating (nicely, w/o stealing!) than egging or tp-ing houses, which I know was a favorite of teens on halloween when I was growing up, lol... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900946 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 23:31:03 +0000 Aria 2900946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just to comment on the allergy part-my daughter was 2.5 the first time she went trick or treating, and I just bought a small Halloween gift pack from Vermont Nut Free chocolates and was just very up front with her about how her allergy meant there was some candy she couldn’t have because it wasn’t safe, but that I got her some special candy. She just loved asking for candy and didn’t mind that she couldn’t eat it because she knew there was something else special later. Then we just let her have a few candies on Halloween, and then one thing each night after dinner. We let her keep any candy that was safe for her and any non candy items. We ate the rest. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900917 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 18:11:56 +0000 helloperidot 2900917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Everyone here pretty much has it covered, but I have one more suggestion for the "What do you do with the candy???" question-- our kids' dentist does a candy "buy back" event. My kids trade in their candy and get $2 a pound, up to $100. Then I let them choose a toy to buy. Realistically last year my kid got $10 and bought a Barbie, but it worked! We also let her keep 10 of her favorite candies. She forgot about them less than a week later.</p> <p>Oh, and the candy we traded in goes to troops overseas, so it's a good way to kick off "sharing" season. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900901 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 15:49:44 +0000 periwinklebee 2900901@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@newlypregnantlady: @graceandjoy: Interesting, we will see how common it is! I've noticed when taking LO around the neighborhood that nearly everybody (except lazy me 😂 ) has decorated their front stoops with pumpkins (or more), which makes me think people are into it, but who knows... </p> <p>@muffinsmuffins: hah hah, great call on the extra bag. LO pretty much lost his shit a couple of weeks ago when the apple picking bag got too heavy for him to carry (of course...) I bought a pumpkin for him to paint, but he had zero interest in that and just wanted to carry the thing around the house. So yeah, no way would he let me carry the pail! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900884 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:25:46 +0000 graceandjoy 2900884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In our whole county there are SO many public trick/treating events held by churches, malls, play spaces, etc I feel like no one even really relies on actual Halloween Day trick/treating, or it's more like in insurance policy that kids at least GET some form of trick/treating no matter what happens the day of. </p> <p>We've actually never gone trick/treating, since my kids were in daycare/preschool, they always had a parade, followed by trick/treating at school. They were always just home to hand out candy if anything. But we don't get that many kids b/c we live on a semi-main road (not dangerous, but families prob circle the area behind us vs right by us).</p> <p>So far this year the weather isn't even looking great so I see a lot of parents asking on FB about what they can do instead. I am also seeing posts about nursing homes that would love kids to go visit the residents there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900872 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:19:38 +0000 newlypregnantlady 2900872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Over the last ten years I’ve lived in like 6 different neighborhoods and ZERO times have I had kids show up looking for candy. We live in a very middle-of-the-road suburban neighborhood (definitely surrounded by nicer areas but not dangerous at all). </p> <p>This year I got a notice from NextDoor asking if we’re handing out candy. I imagine other places have similar things. </p> <p>We usually go to a planned event (not in our direct neighborhood but near us there are several nicer areas where 1-2 blocks will do a kind of “block party” halloween thing and all the houses give out candy). Most people I know here do this because it’s easier than trawling your neighborhood looking for the 1 house every mile that hands out candy. </p> <p>My brother’s downtown area has an annual afternoon event where all the local businesses hand out candy from like 2-6pm. We usually go to this at around 3ish. I like that it’s early, we go with family (my brother takes a long lunch to do it with his daughter!). </p> <p>I live in Northern CA and every time I move to a new area I’m blown away by how few houses do trick or treating. If we didn’t go to an event it probably wouldn’t happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900862 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 10:44:40 +0000 lindseykaye 2900862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@muffinsmuffins: Ditto to pumpkin carving prior to Halloween. We don't do it too early because it will rot or get eaten by squirrels but it's never the day of.<br /> And I agree with the easy meal. I started doing crock pot chili a few years back and now make enough to feed the crowd we go with so everyone can come meet at our place, eat a quick bowl, and head out with the kids. It keeps things faster and earlier than all the families doing our own dinners after work and then meeting up, plus the kids can get their excitement out showing off costumes and playing while we eat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900861 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 10:40:04 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2900861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This year we are going with our 5 yo and 14 mo sons. We live on a crescent so we maybe have 20 houses and just do the circle and come back to our place. We leave a bowl out while we are gone and I don’t really care if someone takes it all, though it hasn’t happened yet in the 4 Halloween’s we’ve had so far. We have a box of 120 chocolate bars and a 32 pack of mini Pringle’s cans this year. We buy things we like to eat in case there’s leftover! No idea how many kids we get as we aren’t usually home. We carve our pumpkin the night before and plan an easy meal so we can go out by 6. Bundle up under the costume if it’s cold/raining/snowing which it almost always is here in Canada ! And I take a plastic grocery bag in my pocket as the bucket gets too full for them to carry so I empty it out...and trust me, they always HAVE to carry it, heaven forbid I try to help! We only go to decorated houses as well. I prep my oldest before and allow him to have 2 candies when we get back and the rest goes into the cupboard for another day. I’m sure he will whine about it this year but out of sight works for him. Once we get home, we do our regular bedtime routine and turn out all the lights upstairs and outside when our kids go to bed so no one comes to our door and wakes them up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900860 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 10:36:26 +0000 lindseykaye 2900860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: I know, right? I really have zero problem with teens trick-or-treating (especially if they're in costume or escorting younger kids). Extending childhood longer is A-OK with me! This bowl snatching was actually pretty funny in memory, probably only because I got my nice big stainless steel bowl back :D And I think it was the first time I heard DH's 'Mad Dad Voice' lolol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900857 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 10:23:21 +0000 periwinklebee 2900857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all, super, super helpful! </p> <p>@lindseykaye: Ugh teens 😂 I'm sure we'll have a few of those.... They are for some reason always hanging around the toddler playground. Not doing anything bad per se, but dude - you do not fit in that little kiddy swing and my one year old wants to use it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900852 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:38:53 +0000 Ajsmommy 2900852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Trick or treating is very different for my kids than it was for me. I grew up on a rural area so we had to get in the car and drive many miles for each house. We would basically just hit about 5 or so (including my grandparents and one aunt/uncle) and 3 or so of my moms friends. Than that was it. Not fun in my opinion and I never really liked the holiday but now with my kids it's so much more fun.</p> <p>We live in the suburbs. Our community has single family homes and townhouses. Trick or treating starts at 6 and goes for a few hours. We meet up with friends and go to the townhouse section. More bang for your buck, much easier for the kids to go door to door instead of up driveways/etc. And sidewalks. </p> <p>We buy about 100 pieces of candy and a few non candy items and leave them in a bowl on our steps with a sign to "please help yourself to one". Last year no one took any so DD and DS split up the loot. We are in a new house this year so not sure what we'll see.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900851 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:34:36 +0000 JennyPenny 2900851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One lesson I learned the first year giving out candy is that I prefer to hand it out rather than say "you can choose __ pieces". First, because it takes some kids FOREVER to choose and can create a backlog. Second, you get some older kids who just grab a handful anyway and run away! Sometimes when I start handing out candy a kid will say "oh, could I have Reese's?" or something, and I'll try to accommodate those requests. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900850 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:30:45 +0000 Umbreon 2900850@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I usually buy peanut free candy for allergies but have never had anyone tell us they have an allergy. </p> <p>We usually give two candies per kid, one if they look too old. Dh likes to make the older kids dance (or if they don't have a costume) I am too scared to do that Haha.</p> <p>It usually starts around 6 or 630 for us and we usually turn our lights out at 8. Or until its slowed down. Depends on the weather usually.</p> <p>Some people buy bags of chips to give out. We did that one year and a kid complained so we dont do that anymore. (Rude, ungrateful kid but whatever)</p> <p>When we were younger my parents would look through our candy and anything they didnt want us to have (toffee, jaw breakers, any anything we didnt like) they would give those out to other kids. Questionable stuff gets thrown out.</p> <p>Very important to inspect the candy! Never had anything dangerous but anything open or old looking you want to throw out. (Scary stories exist about blades and such in candy so dont risk anything with open candy!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900843 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:17:59 +0000 lindseykaye 2900843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here's a rundown of how it goes for us and our neighborhood (suburban FL)...</p> <p>Our house doesn't get a ton of trick-or-treaters, so we buy a few bags of candy and have some non-candy treats in a separate bowl for those with allergies or who just want to pick something else (glow bouncy balls, bracelets, etc.).<br /> Since we are always out taking the kids around, we just leave the bowls on our porch with the light on and people know to take some and move along. We've never come home to empty bowls and usually for the 'last' group, we will give all the candy to the kids (to their delight). We did once have a group of teens swipe our bowl and run off but we were in the living room and DH heard them and went after and got our bowl back :p<br /> One house in our area hands out snack size bags of chips which is a fun way to give a treat that's not sweet.</p> <p>We start out when it's still light, around 6 or 6:30, in order to be home at a decent hour. When she was small we took the stroller. Then we started going with another family close to us and we toted the kids in our wagon for longer stretches of walking. We see lots of familes in big groups who tote a wagon for supplies or even a cooler with beverages. Our route each year is pretty much the same and we focus on houses with lights on and decorations.</p> <p>We always give ourselves and the kids glow-stick necklaces so we can easily see each other when it gets darker. When she was small, we would walk up with LO to every house but now we let them walk up and give a lot of reminders about saying 'trick or treat' and 'thank you'. We've never done the switch witch but like others, we let her have her treats here and there and they taper down as time passes after the holiday. We don't go out for too long so that we don't end up with a massive amount in the first place.</p> <p>Have fun!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900841 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:17:03 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2900841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Around us trick or treating starts around 6 and is usually over around 8:30-9 if Halloween is a weekday and starts a bit earlier if its a Saturday and goes a bit later. We typically turn off our porch light around 8:30 because I get tired of answering the door. We get more kids on weekends but still do a brisk trade, our neighborhood has sidewalks but the ones surrounding us don't so we get a lot of over flow.<br /> Most people still give out candy around us, but some people do little waters or something else. Teal pumpkins mean non-food treats for allergies, but I don't know how wide spread that is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900836 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:10:15 +0000 josina 2900836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Some non-candy alternative ideas that we've gotten in the past... small bags of chips, microwave popcorn, glow necklaces, hot chocolate packets. halloween pencils/crayons, spider rings, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900830 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:57:03 +0000 erinbaderin 2900830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How much candy to buy is really neighbourhood specific! We usually get about 100 kids, assuming good weather, but I have a friend who gets closer to 500! For us trick or treating usually starts around 6:30 - it has to get a little bit dark, but my kids are 3 and 5 and bedtime is usually 7 so I don’t want to wait much later. </p> <p>Some people do the “switch witch” - she comes in the night, takes the candy, and leaves a toy - but we tend to just let them have one a day while they remember to ask, which never usually lasts past a week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900827 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:55:36 +0000 BUNBUN 2900827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've totally been where you are now! When moved to TX, it seemed like folks around here start trick-or-treating later than they did in NY, which threw me (especially since we don't have sidewalks in my neighborhood)! Hopefully you get some Boston Bees to fill you in.<br /> When DS was 2, we were relatively new to the neighborhood. We took him around to our nearest neighbors, and focused on those who had decorated for Halloween. I made him do all the walking, so he didn't last too long.<br /> I had alternative snacks and goodies at home so I could "trade" with him for something that I would rather have him eat. I also helped him pick out stuff from the bowl that was 2-year-old friendly.</p> <p>As for what to buy, I bought way too much our first year, but the next day DH and I took it to work to give away to folks. I also got a bunch of not-candy treats (for kids who have allergies, etc) and those keep from year-to-year.</p> <p>When you're done handing out candy, just turn off all of your porch/front lights. That's the universal sign of "no candy here" :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trick-or-treating-crash-course#post-2900818 Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:27:23 +0000 periwinklebee 2900818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've lived my entire adult life in tiny dorms/apartments in the city where there were no kids and no on ever came to trick or treat. </p> <p>We recently moved out to the suburbs, and I feel really dumb saying this but I have no idea how this works. </p> <p>I know a lot of this is probably neighborhood contingent, but I don't really know my neighbors yet 😂 Around what time does trick or treating start (I'm in the Boston area, in case any Boston bees can comment...) And how much candy do you buy? Or do people buy something besides candy nowadays? Lol, I feel so old admitting this, but it's been a good 25 years since I have had anything to do with trick or treating! </p> <p>I'm thinking my LO, who is a few months shy of two, would get a kick out of trick or treating. But he's allergic to lots of the candy. And the kid has a surprisingly good memory when mommy has made off with something he wants. If you have a similar situation - or just don't want your kid to have that amount of sugar - what is your strategy for making the candy disappear? </p> <p>Thank you! </p>