How to Trick or Treat

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 26, 2022

The jack-o-lanterns are carved, your costume is all picked out, and the sun is just starting to set on a spooky Halloween night. Now it’s time for the best part: trick or treating! Grab a group of friends, take a couple of flashlights, and get ready to indulge that sweet tooth. With a few simple tips, you can have a safe and successful trick or treating experience, complete with a whole pile of tasty candy. Happy Halloween!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Going from House to House

1
Start trick or treating at around 6 or 6:30. You'll probably want to start trick or treating as soon as you get home from school, but be patient! Have a good dinner to fuel you up for the night, and wait until the sun starts to get a little lower before you head out. Aiming to leave by 6 or 6:30pm is a good goal.
- If you’re going with younger kids, you might need to leave even earlier to make sure you get home by bedtime.
- Some smaller towns might have specified trick or treating times to follow. Ask your neighbors or check your local newspapers or bulletin boards to find out.
2
Wear or make a costume that you can move in easily. When you’re deciding what to dress up as, choose a costume that doesn’t drag on the ground, which might make you trip in the dark. Check the weather beforehand and make any costume adjustments necessary to keep you warm (or cool!) enough at night. Make sure your shoes are comfortable, too—you’ll be walking around in them all night! Avoid wearing masks, as well, which can make it hard to see. Go with face paint instead!^{[1]
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Costume Suggestions

An emoji

A cool job, like a pilot, astronaut, or painter

A play on words, like "holy guacamole" (pin pictures of avocados onto a green shirt, then wear wings and a halo) or a "formal apology" (put on a fancy suit or formal dress, then wear the word "apology" across your chest)

An animal, like a cat, cow, bumblebee, bear

A classic spooky option, like a witch, skeleton, ghost, or pumpkin

Prince or princess

A minion from Despicable Me

Character from your favorite TV show, movie, book, like Harry Potter, SpongeBob, or a Disney movie

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3
Bring a pillowcase or bag to hold candy. You can collect candy in whatever container you want, but a pillowcase tends to hold the most. You can also go with a pumpkin-shaped container or a Halloween tote bag for an option with more holiday spirit. Try to bring something you can hold on to easily, and make sure it’s strong enough to hold a few pounds of candy.
- You can even choose a bag that matches your costume. If you dress up as a mermaid, for example, you could have a bag with shiny sequins on it like scales, or bring one shaped like a fish.
4
Only go up to a house if it has the lights on. Look for houses that have their front porch light on, with jack-o-lanterns and other Halloween decorations out front. This means that the people are home and celebrating—and ready to give you candy! If the house’s lights are off, they’re probably not around. Skip it and go on to the next one instead.^{[2]
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5
Take candy from a bowl on the ground, if it’s there. Some people will leave a bowl of candy on their front step when they know they’ll be out on Halloween night. In this case, just take one candy from the bowl (unless there’s a note saying you can take more) and move on.
- It’s tempting to take a lot of candy when there’s no one there to see, but remember that other kids will be coming to the house after you. Let them get their share of candy, too.
6
Knock on the door or ring the doorbell. If no one answers your knock after a minute or so, you can try one more time. If no one answers after that, just go on to the next house. It might feel a little disappointing, but you’ll save time and get more candy if you move on fast.^{[3]
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- Don’t touch any Halloween decorations or anything on their porch on your way up to the door. You don’t want to break anything!
7
Say “Trick or treat” and take one piece of the candy. When they open the door, smile and say “Trick or treat!” They’ll probably say “Happy Halloween!” or compliment you on your costume, then hold out the candy. Don’t hog the bowl to search for your favorite piece—just take the best one that you see on top. If you don’t like any you see, just grab a piece anyways to be polite. You can always trade later with your friends!^{[4]
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- Just take one piece of candy, unless they say you can grab more.
- You can say “trick or treat” in a loud voice, but don’t yell.
8
Thank them and wish them a happy Halloween. After you’ve grabbed your candy, look up and say “Thank you! Happy Halloween!” This shows that you’re polite and appreciative, and is especially important if you decide to come back next year. They might remember you and give you an extra piece!^{[5]
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9
Walk on the sidewalk to get to the next house. No matter how quickly you want to move on to the next house, stick to the driveways and sidewalks to get there. It’s rude to cut across people’s lawns or gardens, and you might trample their shrubs or flowers by mistake.^{[6]
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10
Go from door to door if you live in an apartment complex. Trick or treating in an apartment building can be just as fun as going around the neighborhood! You won’t have to worry about chilly (or hot) weather, plus you’ll fill up your candy bag more quickly without walking quite as much. Knock on doors with Halloween decorations and jack-o-lanterns to make sure the inhabitants are handing out candy.^{[7]
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- Trick or treating in an apartment complex is also safer, since you won’t have to deal with traffic or dark streets.
11
Head home by 8:30pm, at the latest. You might want to stay out all night getting more candy, but houses will start to run out as it gets later. Some people might want to go to sleep, too! Aim to be home by 8:30 so you can start checking out your candy and get to sleep at a good time.
- It can also get more dangerous to stay out past 8:30 or so, as fewer trick or treating groups are out.
- Ask your parents beforehand if they want you home by a certain time.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Trick or Treating Safely

1
Go in a group with two or more friends. Trick or treating by yourself isn’t any fun, and it’s not as safe, either. Instead, head out with 2-4 of your friends! If you’re under age 10, you should go with an adult, too.^{[8]
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- In groups of 4 or more, try to stick with a buddy just in case you get separated from your main group.
- Set up a designated meeting place in case anyone gets separated from your group. Bring cell phones if you have them, too!
- You can even coordinate your costumes with your friends. Try going as the Three Musketeers, the Avengers, M&M’s, or characters from a TV show, book, or movie, like Harry Potter or Winnie the Pooh.
2
Trick or treat in a familiar neighborhood. By trick or treating in your neighborhood, you’ll be less likely to get lost and can easily head home as soon as you get tired. You’ll also be asking for candy from neighbors who know you, so they’ll be more likely to give you an extra candy or two!^{[9]
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- Agree with your parents on a time to be home by.
- To save time and avoid getting lost, plan out your route beforehand. You can even walk it a few times in the days before to ensure you know where you’re going.
3
Bring a flashlight or wear a glow necklace to light your way. Sidewalks and driveways can get dark as the sun falls. Bring along a flashlight or a glow stick so you can see, or wear glow necklaces for more convenience. The light will also help cars see you if you need to cross the street.^{[10]
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- You should also make sure that you can see other trick-or-treaters, especially if you're in an unfamiliar neighborhood. If you notice a place where nobody's out trick-or-treating even at a time when you have noticed multiple groups of people trick-or-treating, it might not be the best choice to trick-or-treat there.
4
Walk, don’t run. It’s hard to see in the dark, and even though you might want to get to the next house as fast you can, tripping and skinning a knee will bring your night to a fast end. Make sure you’re walking and use basic street safety, too. Look both ways when you cross the street, and only cross at corners or crosswalks.^{[11]
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5
Don’t eat any candy until you can sort through it at home. Save your appetite and haul your loot home before you dig in. You want to be able to remove any candy that’s not in its original wrapper, or looks like it’s been opened. Another great reason to wait: trading! Once you’re home, dump out your candy and sort through it. Trade with your friends to get more of your favorite candies.^{[12]
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Avoiding Bad Candies

Don’t eat:

Candy that’s open, ripped, or unwrapped.

Homemade candy or treats.

Fresh fruit.

Community Q&A

Question

I can't afford a costume and I can't make one. What do I do?

Community Answer

You could be a character from a TV show that wears regular clothes, or you could do the old cut-holes-in-a-sheet and go as a ghost.
Question

Is it normal to trick-or-treating at the age of 12?

Community Answer

It's not uncommon to go trick-or-treating when you're 12, and most kids take advantage of this tradition as long as possible. If you're tall for your age, go with younger kids in a group so you don't look out of place
Question

Does it matter what I am dressed as?

Potatoestosee

Community Answer

Goodness, no! Just make sure that your costume isn't obscene or sexual, and you're ready to go!

Warnings

If you don't recognize a certain candy, or if it looks suspicious to you, throw it out! Bad people can hide deadly stuff in innocent-looking candy.

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Tell your group and the people at the house if you have any food allergies, especially to common candy ingredients like nuts or gluten.

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Never go into a stranger's home. Even if they say, "The candy is inside the house!" or, "There’s a haunted house inside! Come check it out!" never go in. Don’t say yes just to be polite; instead, say, "No thank you," and walk away.

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Be very careful when walking around at night, especially on Halloween. Always stay in a group, and look both ways before you cross the street.

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