Taking All the Stress Out of Halloween Night

If you live where you have a lot of Trick-or-Treaters stopping by on Halloween night, you know how hectic it can sometimes be. I’m like a Jack-in-Box on Halloween evening, popping up every minute or two to answer the door.

I love seeing the little ones in their costumes. Halloween and Trick-or-Treating with friends is one of my fondest childhood memories. Back then, we didn’t buy fancy costumes, we wore whatever we could create or put together from things we had around the house. Did you do that, too?

Since I live in a family-oriented neighborhood with lots of little ones, sometimes when I answer the door I’ll find a large group waiting on the porch for their treats. I’ve had as many as 8+ arrive at once. To help speed up the process of giving out candy, years ago I started putting the candy into little treat bags. I find that so much easier than trying to count out/sort through the candy while the little ones are standing there waiting. By using the treat bags, I can fill them a couple of nights in advance, making sure everyone gets plenty of candy and a nice variety.

Also, I find it makes Halloween night a lot less chaotic and I can spend my time talking with the kids and complimenting their costumes instead of sorting through candy. It just makes life a lot easier on Halloween night. I’ve actually purchased two types of treat bags this year. I thought these were super cute! I love the images on the outside of each bag. These are available here: Halloween Treat Bags.

 

 

This is the other style I purchased. These may turn out to be a bit large, will just have to see. I think the ones above are probably a better size. These are available here: Halloween Treat Bags.

 

 

I was super tempted by these because I like the drawstring closure. I’m may order them, as well since I can always use them next year if I have more bags than I need. They are available here: Halloween Treat Bag with Drawstring Closure. I purchased candy HERE since I thought the prices looked pretty good for the large amount in each bag.

Halloween Treat Bags with Drawstring

 

So I think I’m all set for Halloween this year. I hope you find this idea helpful! It has definitely helped take the crazy out of Halloween night for me and I can relax and just enjoy the monsters, vampires, and princesses knocking on my door. 🙂

Do you have a lot of Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween night where you live?

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Comments

  1. I do the same thing but add a table with a tray full of bags so all I have to do is sit back in my porch rocker and enjoy. They are either parents pick up the bag. Great way to social distance but also see and interact with neighbors. I even take my Alexa on porch and play fun Halloween songs.

  2. Growing up on a LA city street we always went trick o treating. My mother would make my costume and sometimes we would revamp it. At school we always had a parade and could wear our costume to school. Fun times. Where I live now, out in the country for 40+ years, I have had not one trickster! I do decorate because I love Halloween so my house is lit up. I like your idea of the bags as it makes it more fun for the kids and it’s all about the little ones. I hope you get an assortment of costumes!

  3. Cute bags, Susan! Since I have moved to a gated community with few children and I live on a cul-de-sac, I get no trick or treaters. I usually spend time at my grandsons house going out with them.

  4. Last year because of Covid community leaders requested that candy be set out on a table so kids could grab and go – no need to interact with people. We got bags very similar to the drawstring bags you showed. They worked great and the kids seemed to love it! I think the shyer ones liked not having to talk to “strangers” We can’t be around on Halloween this year so plan to use the same system! We just add a note – one bag to each goblin and ghoul!

  5. I went as a Trick or Treator back in the 50’s as the now politically incorrect term of bum if I couldn’t come up with anything better. My frugal mother wouldn’t spend money on something as frivolous as a costume. Lol

    I live in Mexico and have never had trick or treat kids as Day of the Dead is the big event in these parts.

    • Ginger, just heard about an earthquake off the coast of Mexico. I hope you are not affected by it in any way.

      • Yes, it was 7.6 on the Richter scale. I’m in Jalisco and the center was in Colima but felt it strongly. Friend’s pool had waves and my fountain was sloshing water but doesn’t look like any damage. I was on my bed watching TV and thought it was my big dog brushing hard against the bed until I saw the ceiling fan swinging back and forth. Thanks for thinking of me! ❤️

  6. We don’t get a lot of kids (maybe around 70-80). I go to Sam’s and buy 3 boxes of Hershey’s full size plain chocolate bars. One per kid. Easy peasy and they love the big candy bars!

  7. I, too, give out bags. Continuing the tradition that my mom started. The kids seem to like that it is different. We will probably have a decorated table outside this year. Nothing fancy, I have some cardboard cutouts and fun/ spooky skulls to set out with the candy bags. Boo to You!!! 🙂

  8. In pre- COVID years we’ve had 200 plus kiddos! Last year. We made bags for our close neighbors children and didn’t do regular trick or treating. We will probably do the same this year since circumstances are worse here this year than last. Happy Halloween Everyone!

  9. I’ve purchased 2 packages of 40 each from a local thrift store and they are on the smaller size (3 candies + tattoo in each). Perfect size and perfect price @ 50 cents per package! And yes, I always made my costumes (put together or crafted or sewn). I did the same for our 2 children but haven’t been able to continue for the grandchild…. 🙁

  10. Susan, I went out trick or treating in my urban neighborhood which had a lot of houses. Got lots of candy. We would then drive to my grandma’s house where her neighbors who knew us had dropped off treats for us. That yielded some homemade treats like caramel popcorn balls, candy apples and donuts! I just had to stop typing to wipe the drool off of my keyboard. My mother sewed the costumes . The Mexican senorita and the Japanese geisha girl would be a no go now. It was so much fun.

  11. Theresa Marilyn McDaniel says

    We live in a rural area no kids go door to door. We have many different activities in town . Our church has a movie night outside. Community center has adult kickball. There is a chili cook off and lots more

  12. We usually have lots of kiddos coming for treats. My husband likes to let the kids pick something they like out of the candy bowl. Especially the little ones. It’s fun to watch them try and make up their mind. To make things simple, I usually cook a pot of chili or soup. That way dinner is no big deal, and one of us can eat while the other is manning the door. We had no trick or treating last year, but I expect we will have some this year. I will have to figure out a way to do the distance thing. Maybe put the bowl on a low table and sit out on the porch. Thanks for all your cute ideas!

  13. Bobbi Duncan says

    We began using drawstring bags last year and will do so from now on as it makes everything easier. The children all get the same types of candy assortment instead of some selecting more of one type. We are BIG fans of Halloween so we decorate to the nines with all kinds of spooky items: spells book, witch w/ crystal ball & cauldron , raven, village set-up, skeleton and much more. The children get such a thrill from it all and we love watching their faces light up. Growing up, our Halloweens were simple; no decorations other than ones my brother & I would draw and tape to our front door. Our mom made most of our costumes until we were old enough to help w/ them. We lived in a small tight-knit village where almost everyone knew us. Many folks invited kids inside to see their decorations, serve punch or hot chocolate & cookies while we took in all the spookiness…and hand out candy as we departed. Great memories!

  14. Love, love love Halloween and Autumn! We’ve always enjoyed decorating our house inside and out with pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and mums from Nature’s bounty. We add in some spooky items and vintage Jack-o-Lantern candle lights in every window along with Beistle Halloween cut outs.

    Like you, we’ve always placed the Halloween candy in treat bags. I festoon a vintage Adirondack twig basket with orange ribbons/bows and keep it filled with treat bags to hand out. It’s so wonderful to watch all the adorable children in costumes every year! I even keep a little Halloween Memory book to describe the day every year. I record the weather, how many little goblins came to our porch and the overall mood of the celebration. It’s given us much joy to look back over the years and remember. Happy Halloween to you all!

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