How To Be the Best Trick-or-Treating House on the Block
Do you love Halloween? There’s the slight chill in the air, candy, fall treats and fun decor. But perhaps the best part of Halloween is getting to see all the creative costumes! If you plan on staying close to home this Halloween holiday and want to be the best trick-or-treating house on the block, considering doing these five things.
Whether you want to infuse new life into your trick-or-treating style or you’re new to the neighborhood, these five steps will make you a popular stop on anyone’s trick-or-treating route.
1. Make it well lit and obvious
Perhaps the first step in being the best trick-or-treating house on the block is to make it very clear that you are offering up Halloween treats. Depending on your neighborhood’s vibe, the participation level from house to house could be varied, and you don’t want to scare kids away by not making your home an obvious stop. So make sure your porch lights are bright and on. DIY or buy door covers or wreaths that make it obvious you are open for candy business. Throw open the curtains at the front of your house and consider some window decor that is Halloween themed. Work on lighting the path from the street to your front door so that it is easy to navigate.
2. Good hand-outs
This is pretty obvious. You’re going to want to have good treats to give. You don’t have to spend a ton (and I suggest having control over the handing out of the treats, not leaving an unattended bowl as a free-for-all). A mix of the good brand name candies handed out with some more affordable, less-popular candy is probably the best budget mix. Just do stick to store-bought unless you’ll be giving treats out to folks you know (and who know you).
3. Costume yourself
It’s not required that you dress up to be the best trick-or-treating house on the block, but boy it adds to the fun (both yours and the families that come to your door!). Dressing up in a costume will put you more in the spooky mood and depending on what you choose to dress up in, could help you be a memorable house on the block this year and next.
4. Have something interactive
The affordability of motion sensors and your endless creative imagination can make for a great partnership when it comes to dreaming up ways to make your home a little interactive for the Halloween holiday. Maybe it’s a purchased yard decor item that makes a noise when kids walk by on the way to the door. Maybe it’s a doorbell addition that makes a spooky noise instead of a regular “ding.” Maybe it’s making the kids choose between two buckets of candy without being able to see what’s in there. It could even be snapping instant photos of the best costumes with their family and handing them to take back with them as a keepsake (with parent permission, of course).
5. Set up a scare
If you really want to get into the spirit of the season, figure out a way that you could add in a scare along with handing out candy. Best attempted when you have other members or partners in your home that can get into the spirit of things, consider having someone hide in the bushes and scare kids (of an appropriate age) when they are leaving your home after getting candy (when they are off guard and their most scare vulnerable.)
Put in the comments below your suggestions on how to be the best trick-or-treating house on the block! Share your favorite treats and tricks you’ve tried with success throughout the years!