Poll: Trick-or-Treat - how much do you give out?

[fan_of_small_world]

Out of curiosity and based on a conversation I had over the weekend...

How much candy do you give to each trick-or-treater?

Do you let them take the treat(s) themselves, or do you hand them out yourself?

ETA: Multiple-choice poll, so vote for both how much and how you give the candy out!

 

[Princess Roo]

We hand them out, because we've had too many kids grab huge handfuls. For the children who are really dressed up and trick-or-treating, we give them at least two (more for the ones who are moving so slow you know they'll be lucky if they make it to more than 10 houses - LOL). For the high schoolers wearing just a mask or football uniform that show up before we "close down" for the night, only one. We figure they're covering more houses anyways! Our neighborhood is popular for people driving in from the neighboring apartment buildings, so it gets pretty expensive.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Our neighborhood is popular for people driving in from the neighboring apartment buildings, so it gets pretty expensive.

We get a lot of "visitors" on Halloween, too.

 

[Benducci]

It depends upon the kids - If it is a kid from the neighborhood that I know, I tend to be more generous than kids that come around from out of the neighborhood. I also tend to have special treats for those kids that live just in my neighborhood.

 

[GoinToDisney]

Depends on the age of the child for me too. Little ones get different treats like bubbles, teddy grahams, toys etc. and get 2 or more. Elementary school kids can pick a few treats including candy. I will let them pick if we don't have a long line at the door. My dd also likes to hand out treats after she finishes her trick-or-treating. We only go around our block with her, so she spends more time handing out treats than collecting them. I don't usually let the high schoolers take their own until it gets later. Then the last few kids get lucky when I try to get rid of any left over candy at the end of the night. One kid last year, was shocked when I dumped a couple of handfuls in his bag. It was nice to get such a sincere thank you from a high school kid. I remember going as a high school kid, and it was good clean fun, so I try to be patient. However, I won't let them clean me out at the beginning of the night either.

 

[CastleCreations]

We don't have many trick-or-treaters, so we give them each a handfull. Last year, we went to my brother's where he has more kids coming by, it was so much fun to see all of the costumes. I wonder where the time has gone...I can still remembering running from house to house, will my mother lagging behind. LOL

 

[ryka]

Around here kids don't come to the houses.We have more aprtments buildings then houses anyway and you really can't get in those buildings without a key or ringing somebody's bell. Kids go to all the stores on the main street and that's it. So I never buy candy.

 

[Tammysue5]

We live in an area that has a large number of kids trick or treating. Houses on one street actually boast 500-600 kids... we usually get about 200-300. That gets pretty expensive.. (but my husband does the whole yard up... everyone comes by to see it... and now MANY houses in the area have 'awesome' set-ups so we do see a great deal of people. We hand out the candy as some posters have mentioned.. some kids will grab a handful.. young ones get more...

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Tammysue, DH and I moved to Il. from the east coast for a few years, and we were surprised at how seriously you folks take your Halloween decorating out there! So many families in our neighborhood went "all out," much more than we'd ever seen where we moved from. We loved it and we're trying to continue the tradition even though we're back east now.

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

We do not acknowledge halloween

 

[fan_of_small_world]

OK. I guess that would be "other" then.

Anyone else?

 

[kerry34]

Usually we give out little treat bags with 3-4 fun size pieces of candy. This year I am saving myself the trouble and giving out full size bars. We usually get less than 100 kids, but it fluctuates at times and we will get more and sometimes we get around 50. My mother usually hands out the candy for me while DH and I take the kids out. I do believe she gives them the candy as opposed to letting them pick their own.

 

[CrazyZeus1]

I make up little bags with alloween toys, pencils, full-sized candy bars, and whatever else I find that's cute. Sort of a "keeping up with the Jonses" type thing--we live in a hoity-toity neighborhood. If we didn't live here, I wouldn't do THAT much for each child!

 

[tadamom]

We live in an apartment building, so we don't get any trick-or-treaters. We usually go to my SIL's neighborhood and do 2 streets. But for my kids' friends at preschool, kindergarten & playgroup, we make up goodie bags that have some candy, spider rings, pencils and other small toys in them. The kids really love it!

 

[hthrbells]

If anyone came to boonyville I would give out a ton of candy!!!

 

[merfsko]

We always give out a good amount, because there are so few trick-or-treaters in our area (never more then 60). We also keep canned goods by the door, as we live around the corner from a university, and always get a few people collecting for 'Hallowe'en for Hunger.'

 

[Jen_in_NH]

I usually let each kid pick 2. If it's a younger kid, maybe more. The teenagers with no costumes - 1.

We have a huge amount of trick or treaters. Last year there were about 400 kids. They come by the vanload from the next town over.

 

[wowsmom]

Early in the evening, we give out 2-3 pieces...then when a lot more kids start coming, we'll give 1 or 2 and then as things start to wind down, we'll give handfuls.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Jen in NH, I just have to say that your little guy is soooooo adorable!

 

[blana]

I spent last night filling our treat bags. 3 pieces of candy in each. We go to our church & have Trunk R Treat there, so we get about 200 kids. (Which for a town of <1000 people, isn't bad!)