His neighborhood is not good for ToT for multiple reasons, so this is designed as a replacement/recruiting event.
We might go because our area moves ToT to Thursday if the actual day is a weekend.
This is my understanding of the common practice here. There are no sidewalks and a decent amount of abandoned houses. I would in no way feel comfortable with my child ToTing in our neighborhood at any age really.
Thankfully preschool has a little party and parade so that's all we're doing and calling it a day.
My SIL's area has a lot of abandoned homes too. One directly across the street from them is foreclosed and now collapsing slowly due to water and mold.
Something like 75% of kids qualify for free lunch at school, so spending $25 on candy to give out just isn't happening.
Here kids definitely still trick or treat normally in my neighborhood. There are lots of trunk or treat things and special events where businesses in an area will give out candy. I would guess a lot of kids do one of the other options then trick or treat within a couple of blocks of their home.
It really depends on weather and day of the week as to how many kids we get.
Post by runblondie26 on Oct 5, 2015 8:41:08 GMT -5
Very common. The houses are very spread out in our area and not really conducive to trick or treating, so I appreciate it for making my life easier and the kids happy.
Very common here- in churches, community centers, shopping centers, colleges all have them. Most of them seem to lead up to Halloween, but last year I remember seeing some on the actual day. I think it is starting to replace TOT judging by the lack of TOT's we had last year- I think many people just go to these and be done.
We have them and I LOVE it! Just something fun to do and MORE CANDY!!!! My kids still get super excited about both and being able to wear their costumes so I don't really see it as taking anything away from Halloween. Just more fun to be had.
Post by bluelikejazz on Oct 5, 2015 9:02:57 GMT -5
Our church is doing it for the same reasons others have said - the area of town the church is in not super walk-able, low(er) income, and tons of apartments.
A lot of the schools do it here. Really, there are a lot of ToTing events. C is 2.5 and we will do:
ToT Trail (2 weeks before Halloween)
Zoo Boo (1 week before Halloween)
Halloween Night
Harvest Night at Preschool - the kids are encouraged to wear their costumes (Nov. 6). There is no candy party at the in-school party though. Parents are asked to bring in black and orange craft supplies and the kids are encouraged to wear those colors on Oct. 30. This is so you pay to come to Harvest Night where your kids can wear their costumes with their friends.
I'm not totally sure what this is. But until we someday hypothetically move my kids are either going to have to mall ToT or drive out to some suburban area to ToT because our neighborhood is not conducive (houses split I to apartments and condo buildings). I get the impression that mall and/or business ToT is what most people do.
Ours is a week before Halloween on a Saturday afternoon through our rec department. I love it cause we invite all our nieces/nephews to come who we don't' usually see on Halloween and the kids can trick or treat together
my husbands company does it, but it's not on Halloween, it's usually the week before. It's fun! they set up popcorn, hotdogs, hot apple cider etc. outside the building then play a movie inside for the kids
Post by sometimesrunner on Oct 5, 2015 10:05:50 GMT -5
It's very common around here. Lots of churches host them. It attracts mostly kids from very low-income neighborhoods that don't necessarily participate in trick or treating. It sometimes replaces Halloween, depending on which day Halloween falls. Our church hosts a huge Trunk of Treat event. There is a local kids band, and the gym is full of carnival-type games. We easily attract 1,000+ kids per year. That being said, I still despise the name. "Hey kids, come grab some candy out of my candy-filled trunk!"
In my area, I've only seen it associated with churches, to provide an alternative to trick-or-treating, or in addition to it. Or "Fall Festival" held in the church gym with games and stuff.
But my actual neighborhood is one of the most popular in town for actual ToTing. We get folks from all over town. I bought like $50 worth of candy last year for DH to hand out and it was gone in an hour according to him.
I've only heard of it on this board so I guess it's not too common where I live. We like going to a whole lot of different Haloween events throughout October.
Seattle. The only one I know of here is at a church in the suburbs. I'm sure there are others.
The neighborhood businesses do candy the Saturday afternoon before, but we get a few ToTers when Halloween is on a weekend.
I am not aware of any bike trailer-or-treat, but maybe we should have one, if only to keep up with Portland
ETA I know several large businesses - Microsoft etc - will encourage employees to bring their kids to ToT in the office. Some people wear costumes or at least cat ears. Though, in Seattle some people wear cat ears just because it's Tuesday.
The only time I've participated is when I was visiting my parents who were posted in Germany. Everyone lived in different towns, so they got together on base and did trunk or treat.
I have never heard of this outside of the internet. Shopping center events with handing out candy, yes, but literally passing out candy from the trunk of the car? Huh.
there are lots of fall festivals in October and as it gets closer to Halloween many of them have costume contests and hand out candy and all of that. I am fine with that. The trunk or treats are primarily put on by churches. I have not seen the signs up for them yet so I'm curious to see when they are having them this year since Halloween falls on a Saturday. I did get an invite to one that is Friday night. I know many of the malls/historic downtowns in the area also have trick or treating but it's usually afternoon/early evening on Halloween. We are going to one at that is at 5pm in my hometown, and then will go trick or treat in my parent's neighborhood because there are lots of families there.
unfortunately what i think is happening a lot is both parents want to go out with the kids while ToTing, so they just turn off their light at home and go to another neighborhood that is known for lots of candy or fun decorated houses and all of that. When I was a kid the only people that left their neighborhoods were people in poorer areas that were not safe. Typically mom OR dad would take the kids trick or treating until they were considered old enough to go alone (8 or 9 back in the 90s, you know that's not the case these days...). One of the parents stayed home to pass out candy.
Halloween has been ruined over the last decade or so and I think trunk or treat events are part of the problem. People are convinced Halloween isn't safe but actual cases of razorblades in candy DO NOT EXIST.