If you live in a street where people go big on Halloween decorations and festivities, spending this time away from home may take away from the whole neighborhood’s fun and spooky vibe. Your house could be the only one that’s not lit up and decorated and it could also be the only one not handing out Halloween candy to cute little trick-or-treaters.
Of course, you have the option to hire a neighbor to house sit for you and be in charge of all the Halloween decor and trick-or-treating stuff, but what if your neighbors aren’t available?
Don’t run the risk of going back home to a house covered in TP from disappointed trick-or-treaters. Here are a few tips on what you can do in case you need to spend time away from home on Halloween night.
Leave out a bowl of candy
If you’re leaving home to work the night shift, leaving a bowl of candy out for the kids might be a good idea. Make sure to place a sign near the bowl reminding them to take only one each but also try to put more than what you usually give out. Some kids will be kids and won’t be able to help but take more than one. We’ve all been there, right?
Ask them to come back when you’re home
This one would work really well in small communities where almost everybody knows their neighbors. Leave a note telling trick-or-treaters to come back on a day when you’d be home all day so they can get their loot. You can post IOUs on your door, too, so they have something to show when they come collecting their candies.
Tell them where you’ll be spending the night at another house.
Leave a sign on your front door/porch to let trick-or-treaters know where you’ll be so they can collect their candies there instead. Do try not to make the sign stand out too much as it could potentially attract burglars who’d take advantage of an empty house.
Set up a candy dispenser
Keeping kids from taking more than what you intend to give them is easier if the candy would come out of a dispenser one at a time. Set up a DIY candy dispenser if you’re the handy type who loves to get crafty with these types of things or buy an automatic candy dispenser from Amazon instead. These are reusable so you can use them for other stuff in the future, too.
Make it interactive
Got a two-way security camera/doorbell installed on your front porch? This one might just win you the “Crowd Favorite” title on Halloween night, even if you’re not home. Hide candies in a few different spots around your home, ideally in areas that the security cameras are able to capture. Leave a sign that says “Ring Me for Candy” by the doorbell and wait for trick-or-treaters. When they ring a doorbell, you can ask them a Halloween-themed question and, if they get the answer right, tell them where to go to get their candy. Another option would be to simply give them a riddle about the candy’s location so they can have a blast looking for the treat. It’s like an Easter egg hunt, except it’s Halloween night!
If you’re leaving your home on a day like Halloween, keep the outdoor lights on and make sure the security cameras are recording. Some people might take advantage of the fact that you’re not home and use it to break in. With the cameras on and rolling, you can watch your home like a hawk and call the police if needed. You can also use it to shoo away pesky TP throwers!