Your Stress Free Trick-or-Treat Checklist!

The spookiest night of the year is coming up and if you have little ghosts and goblins at home, it’s time to start preparing for the big event—trick-or-treating! Don’t let that daunting to-do list haunt you, simply follow our fun Halloween guide and your evening will be one sweet success!

1. Select the perfect costume! Start early so you have enough time to order the perfect get up or make your own. Consider the climate where you live and if your child will be too hot or too cold in what they are wearing.

Pro Tip: You should also consider how many times your child will wear their costumes and if it will hold up. Are there parades and parties along with trick-or-treating? If so, you may need to wash parts and it may be worth investing in a higher quality product.

2. Make a not-so-spooky playlist! Before the big night, put together a fun playlist of halloween themed songs to get everyone excited when you’re getting ready.

Pro Tip: Not sure what songs to add? If you use a streaming service like Spotify you can make the list shared among friends and family so everyone can build the ultimate soundtrack together.

3. Stock up on candy. Most local stores will sell bags of assorted fun-sized candy, or you can opt to splurge and be “that house” that puts out the full size bars. Either way, think about how much traffic you anticipate so you don’t run out. If you’re not sure, ask a neighbor!

Pro Tip: Many kids have allergies or other challenges that make candy difficult. If you want to be inclusive, in addition to candy, you can also put out a teal bucket and fill it with non-food treats and trinkets.

4. Check your town hours. Each community controls the scheduled hours for trick-or-treating and can generally be found on a town’s website. Whether you plan on having someone man the fort and answer the door to hand out candy or will leave a bucket of treats on your front step, the universal sign that a house is participating is leaving the front light on.

Pro Tip: Make sure to plan some sort of dinner before trick-or-treating hours. Once you get going on the candy, it’s a lost cause! If you’re feeling extra festive, try one of these spooky Halloween themed meals.

5. Necessities to bring along. Before you hit the streets, make sure you have a bag or bucket and flashlight. For little legs, you may want to grab a stroller or wagon if the streets are not too crowded. And if your hood still has mosquitoes buzzing around, apply bug repellent and pack an after bite tool like Bug Bite Thing so itching won’t get in the way of your fun!

Pro Tip: Glow sticks, necklaces and bracelets double as both a fun addition to costumes AND a safety measure to make your child visible to any traffic on the street.

6. After the festivities. Depending on your neighborhood, you may end up with way more candy then your little witches could possibly consume. It can be a fun activity to “sort” the candy by favorites. Then let them keep a certain amount of the top picks.

Pro Tip: What do you do with the extras? Mash up the candy and make Halloween candy cookie dough you can freeze for later or donate your sweets to Treats for Troops which will send your candy to deserving soldiers overseas.

How do you prep for this oh so sweet holiday? We want to hear YOUR pro tips, comment below!