Halloween! Will you answer the door?

This year, my DD is doing an outside party for my GS. We live on a street that has quite a few young families (as the older residents have sold and gone into homes / died) and has a nice friendly feel. So I think if we just invite the children from our road, it will be nice. They can go to each others to knock, then retire to our garden for spooky snacks and drinks.

I can never get it right lol.

If I load up with treats - no callers
If I don't get anything in - the doorbell doesn't stop

I put a pumpkin out, and I have a sign under the outside light saying "trick or treaters welcome" on one side, and "sorry out of treats" on the other. I don't think our motion activated light is much good at illuminating the sign, so it's not easily seen from the road.

I will load up with treats again, and no doubt my hips will take the hit if they don't come.

And the pumpkin flesh won't go to waste. Even if I don't make pumpkin soup, my granddaughter's hamster loves her mini pumpkin, to the point of climbing inside it, so she can have some of the flesh

Considering Sainsbury's struggle to find us some weeks, we won't be getting any tricks or treaters here, in our out of the way abode. Think I will have to organise my own trick or treat.??

The pumpkin rule is respected where I live as well. Its usually only small children with their parents that come round.

I did get sweets in when the children were little and for a few years after we moved to our present house as the last family always took part. But as we got more decrepit, it takes longer for one of us to heave to the door, so we no longer put a pumpkin outside and no one calls. Around here they respect the pumpkin rule.

Pumpkin house ? here.
Eldest grandson's favourite time of the year. ? ? ?

Always have a small halloween party for grandson's .

Costumes already sorted.
Conservatory becomes haunted ?.

Whilst DGS's are out with parents trick and treating,
I shall be at home in my witches hat ?‍♂️ dishing out the treats our visiting little trick or treaters .

As Christians, we don’t celebrate Halloween. All the children round us have now grown up, but we used to offer them some sweets, and then give the parents a leaflet explaining why it’s not a good thing to do.

We always expected to find these leaflets dropped on our driveway, or somewhere...but never did. So quite encouraged by that.

Now, it’s mainly students and older residents, neither of which are bothered.

I enjoy Halloween but luckily we are a bit off the beaten track so only get neighbouring families with younger children. There are some amazing costumes amongst them. I like to see them enjoying themselves.

The children in our street are all grown up now, so we don’t bother anymore. I hate to waste money on sweets that get thrown away if no one comes, so we dine early and turn off the lights at that side of the house.

I’m also scared of spooky masks so don’t miss that at all!

Should have added, I put the mini packets in a bowl and tell them they’re allowed to take one each. TBH I don’t think I’ve ever had a child trying to take more.
I’d never leave them outside - they have to knock.,

I might add, that I always prepare for them anyway, and my husband usually manages to eat up all the chocolate to save it from going to waste.

GrannyGravy13

Same here if there is a pumpkin out children will knock, I have my sweets ready ?

Me too, I dress my house up for them. It's just once a year and the children are aways with a parent or 2. I did it with my children and every other year we held a party for all the children in the road in my garage, turning it into a spooky cave. All the parents pitched in, we all dressed up and played games with them.

Same as many of you here, we only allow the children to go to houses which are obviously participating, there is an estate in our village, and lots of houses go to an enormous effort, there are lots of families out and about, and it’s a great atmosphere.
We live on the edge of the village, and have never had truck or treaters.

Where I live is predominantly retired people so I don't have anyone calling at Halloween. The only family close by are not pleasant children so I won't open my door.

Dds loved trick or Treating, and so do Gdcs, not that any of them ever did ‘tricks’. So I always put a small pumpkin in the window, and except for last year, usually have quite a few callers, nearly all quite young children, with a parent hovering at the end of the path.

The next day I turn the pumpkin into a spicy Thai-style soup. Waste not want not….

But thank you for reminding me to stock up on mini packs of Smarties, while hoping that there’ll be a few left for me. ?

I put the pumpkin (plastic thing with lights inside) out last year along with a bowl of sweets and within a very short time both the sweets and the bowl were gone. DH was very annoyed at his "good" bowl being pinched!
I might get some sweets this year but they'll be kept inside for those who ring the bell. There are a few kids around who normally come, and if not the grands get a bonus.

Some good ideas on here, although I do not know about the theme if you have a pumpkin out then you will have a visit.

I used to like the small little children that mum and dad walked around and always had the small pack treats chocolate for them.
Where I live it began to be 12-15 year olds and quite a few of them and if some people did not give treats they threw eggs at the house. These days I have no interest and will probably keep the door closed.

Yes same in my town pumpkin or lights outside is a sign they can knock
One year I had forgotten and had nothing bought in so I put nothing out and no one at all knocked

Same here if there is a pumpkin out children will knock, I have my sweets ready ?

in my village you put a pumpkin and light out to show you are taking part and then have a tin of mixed sweets to offer the children when they appear.

Houses without pumpkins are not visited.

I'm a pumpkin person.

Haven’t had any little visitors on Halloween at my present house, but now that further down the lane two families each with two small children have moved in, I will buy some fun sized chocs in case they call here.It’s an exciting night for children.?

I switch my bell off but don't tend to have many Halloween visitors anyway.

Nobody walks up the dark windy lane to my house and if they didn’t I certainly wouldn’t open the door. It’s ok for little kids though. My gc go round their estate with mum. What they did last year was you don’t put any sweets out at your house. Instead you give the treats to your own kids at someone else’s door marked with a rainbow.

Yes I will and I’ll have some packets of fun sized chocolate bars in a bowl, my children did it and my GC’s do it. Children have had a tough 18 months, it’s a bit of pleasure for them.

In our area it is generally understood that if a house has no decorations outside then they do not knock. I admit if they did, I would not answer unless I had been asked previously .