What are the ‘rules’?
Well, there’s no rules to trick or treating, but because we Aussies are relative rookies in this area, below are some tips on etiquette.
Where do I find a home that’s ‘keen’ to participate?
Just head to the ‘map’ page which will not only show you which houses are happy to participate, but also lets you know what are the best hours to come around. Go to: www.keenonhalloween.com.au/map
How do I approach a home to trick or treat?
It’s recommended you simply knock on their door and yell… ”Trick or Treat?” when someone answers. It’s OK for Mum or Dad to tag along too.
It’s a bit of a transaction…
Kids get dressed up in their spooky outfits, and households reward those efforts with a tasty treat. It’s bad form to turn up in your regular clothes!
Handfuls of treats?
Households will generally have a basket or some sort of container containing treats. It’s probably not an invitation to grab a handful, but rather one or two treats so that there are plenty left for others. Same goes for unattended treat baskets… just take a couple.
Single use plastics?
If you’re dressing up or decorating, make sure you keep that stuff for next year instead of binning it and buying new each time. Even better, get your craft on and make your own! Those plastic wrapped treats are not great either. Piles of single use lolly wrappers are not a great look around your house for the following few weeks, and even worse blown around our suburban streets. One idea might be to hand out unwrapped lollies using tongs.
Supervision?
Its up to Mums and Dads to decide how old their kids need to be to trick or treat independently, so just use your best judgement when heading out. Remember though… those kids might be riding a sugar rush so be careful when crossing roads, especially at twilight. Spooky masks make it doubly dangerous!
Make an evening of it
Its so much more fun when you can make an outing of it by inviting some classmates and their parents. It’s a great opportunity to get to know your neighbours too! Keen on Halloween is not just for the kids. It gets you out on your local streets to meet other mums and dads who are on the same parental journey as you.
How do you ‘trick’ instead of ‘treat’?
Look…. Just don’t go there. You have to crawl before you can walk, and as it’s a fairly new phenomenon on the Australian landscape, we’re probably not that open to being pranked. ‘Treat or Treat’ just doesn’t sound right though does it?
