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Trick-or-Treating with Kids Checklist

Easy 22 items · 45 min
testuser's avatar
testuser Published 2 weeks ago Updated 1 week ago
Lifestyle

Trick-or-treating is mostly prep at home: the costume, your pockets and a plan for the candy. This list follows one parent and a group of kids around the neighborhood on Halloween night.

Try the costume on a week before, with the shoes and the tights or coat it will be worn over. A hem that drags or a mask that slips is much easier to fix at home than on a dark street.

Pick a meeting spot before you leave. If a child gets separated in a crowd of similar costumes, they will know where to go.

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  1. Try each costume on a week ahead — Wear it with the shoes and layers it will be worn over.
  2. Check that costumes will not trip a child — Hems should clear the ankles, and capes should not drag.
  3. Use face paint instead of a mask when you can — Masks can block the view of the road and slip around in the dark.
  4. Test any face paint on a small patch of skin first — Do this a day ahead so a reaction does not show up on the night.
  5. Plan warm layers under the costume — Evenings can be cold, and a coat over a costume hides it.
  6. Choose comfortable, closed shoes — You will be walking for an hour or more.
  7. Add reflective tape or a light-up item to each child — Dark fabric is hard for drivers to see at night.
  8. Charge or check batteries in flashlights and glow sticks
  9. Feed the kids a proper meal before you leave — Kids who start out hungry are likely to eat candy on the walk.
  10. Agree on a route and a time to be home — Stick to well-lit streets you know.
  11. Pick a meeting spot in case anyone is separated — Say it out loud so younger kids remember it.
  12. Write your phone number on a card or wristband for young children — Put it inside a pocket, not on the outside of the costume.
  13. Charge your phone and carry it
  14. Give each child a bag or bucket they can carry easily — A pillowcase holds more but can drag on the ground.
  15. Remind kids to stay on the sidewalk and cross at corners
  16. Remind kids to only visit houses with lights on — Also that they wait on the step and do not go inside.
  17. Remind kids not to eat any candy until you have looked at it
  18. Pack tissues, hand wipes and a spare bag — Something always spills or tears.
  19. Tip out the candy at home and sort it — Set aside anything unwrapped, torn or homemade.
  20. Check for allergens on the labels — Especially if a child has a known food allergy.
  21. Agree how much candy can be eaten tonight — Decide before the pile appears, not after.
  22. Put the rest of the candy somewhere out of reach
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