It is the day before Halloween and the stores are jam-packed with last minute shoppers. People are running about trying to find more candy, the all-important pumpkin or “one more thing” for their child’s costume. The till tape is flying as stores try to push out the last of their Halloween merchandise.
However, behind the scenes retailers are also preparing for an onslaught of trick or treaters. Yes, it seems the mall has become the go-to destination for little ones to collect their candy. And why not? A mall is safe, well lit, entertaining and most importantly, WARM. Families can pull into underground parking, enjoy a hot beverage from the food court and casually stroll through the mall while their kids get free treats. A nice, safe way to spend Halloween.
On the flip side, there are the traditional trick or treaters who go door-to-door. They stuff their costumes over a snowsuit, hope their mask will keep their faces warm and grab a pillowcase. Parents follow carefully behind them in the van as they run feverishly around the neighbourhood hoping for the “big score”. They are chilled and exhausted but hardly skip a beat as the adrenaline courses through their veins. These trick or treaters will collect candy well past their bedtime and return home smiling from ear to ear.
Finally, there are the “party” trick or treaters. They skip the mall and the great outdoors in favour of a small gathering of friends and relatives. A small bucket is used to collect treats won through games and haunted houses. These children experience a more intimate affair that makes Halloween a little more personal.
All three options are fantastic ways to spend Halloween. Each offer a different experience and yet, the outcome is the same: CANDY FOR EVERYONE!
Where do your children go trick or treating? Let us know!
Smart Canucks wishes all of your children a safe and happy Halloween 2012.
Following behind your kids in a van?! How about parents join there kids and get a nice walkin at the same time. Usually if your going door to door it is in your neighbourhood so it’s not really far enough to warrant driving. Come on parents lets set a good example, dressed properly and maybe with a thermos of hot choco to warm everyone up between houses door to door is the way to go!
@Moonieya from my experience the parents in vans are not being lazy at all. They are the parents of the kids who don’t want their parents to go with them and their friends at an age where they are too young to go on their own but old enough to not want mom or dad to go with them. I think it’s great! It’s a hell of a lot more work to drive with them to give them important freedom and learning to be confident and safe while being there to make sure they are ok. When I was younger before I was totally allowed out on my own a friends mom took us around dropped us at one end of the street and picked us up at the end. We could get dry and warm up a bit. It doesn’t snow here on Halloween but its not warm and we always have lots of rain.
I don’t think they do the in-stores thing at our “mall” (If you can even call it that). We’ve always gone out with our kids and walked door-to-door.
My children are very young so just to a few houses in our neighbourhood right now. We live in a large new neighbourhood though so it should still work fine for when she’s older as well and wants to do more.
Oh boy can’t wait to go walking around in the neighbourhood tomorrow – wet and windy – the things we do for our babies 🙂 ……….. and of course there is the parent ‘candy tax’ in which I sneak a few chocolate bars 😀
Trick or treating in a mall??? Door to door in the cold, rain or snow was how it was done in my time. How else do you get the good stuff? Running door to door to get the loot was great only going home when our little arms could no longer carry our bags.
Mall in the afternoon followed by door to door. May as well do it all.
When I was a kid though, my mom would drive us around to where the good candy was. None of those halloween toffees for me.
We are right near a school,and there is lots of kids in our safe neighborhood.My kids are allowed to trick or treat in a 6 block radius from our home…
When I was younger, I’d go shopping at Dufferin Mall, then Trick or Treat at the Cadbury factory (HIGHLY RECOMMEND), then the houses nearby!!
We tried “Mall-o-ween” last year. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!! Walkd for 45 mintues to get 3 small treats – we were there for 5:45 and the stores we all out of candy….how early can you get here as a working parent?? Killed myself to be there that early and then it was total waste of time.
I am delighted that my youngest child (now 16) feels he is too old to trick or treat. He will go to a movie tonight with friends (To visit the newest version of scary movies?). Now I am looking to corale one of the kids to make the interminable trek to the front door to hand out candy.