To Trick-Or-Treat or Trunk-Or-Treat? Here’s What Parents Need to Know

For generations, families who celebrate Halloween have gone trick-or-treating, and it’s almost always a good time. It’s a blast to watch the kids dress up and visit the homes in the neighborhood, hoping for the best candy. However, times are changing, and there is now a new exciting way to celebrate the day, and it’s called trunk-or-treating. It’s become a craze as of late, but the question is, which is better: to trick-or-treat or trunk-or-treat?

In this guide, we’ll tell you the pros and cons of both activities and everything that your family needs to know to be safe and have the most fun possible on this spooky holiday.

What Is Trunk-or-Treating?

If you have young kids, you may have heard that trunk-or-treat events are becoming the next big thing when it comes to collecting candy and celebrating Halloween. If you’re wondering what trunk-or-treating is, here it is:

It’s exactly how it sounds. It’s an event where friends and families gather together in a single spot to hand out candy, show off their Halloween costumes, and enjoy the spooky season. Instead of decorating houses, people often park their cars and trunks backwards and decorate the rear of the vehicle. Then, they hand out candy. 

Trunk-or-treat events are typically held in parking lots of churches, strip malls, schools, and car dealerships. The events are becoming so popular that it's almost guaranteed that there will be at least one near your home this Halloween. You can find them by checking the newspaper, city websites, church bulletins, and community Facebook pages.

Pros of Trunk-Or-Treating

When it comes to the question of whether to trick-or-treat or trunk-or-treat, you need to weigh the pros and cons, as people have different opinions. Some of the pros include:

They’re Safe

Though traditional trick-or-treating has been the norm for many decades, as time goes on, some parents grow concerned about the safety of the activity. It’s dark, you’re going up to strangers’ homes, and there is a sense of unpredictability. Plus, when kids are wearing dark costumes and are blending in with the other children, there’s the potential to get lost. 

Trunk-or-treating greatly reduces all of those risks. Everyone who attends the event is in one place, so there’s a reduced chance of wandering off. Many trunk-or-treating events are also very orderly. You often get in a single-file line with other attendees and go from car to car to get candy. It’s much more orderly and easier to keep an eye on the kiddos.

Additional Activities

Another great aspect of these events is that there are often additional activities that your kids can try that you won’t find when going to your neighbor’s house. Many events feature spooky mazes, hay rides, dunking for apples, and more. It’s possible that your local event could provide hours of fun.

Trunk Themes

A very unique element of trunk-or-treat events is that many of the car and truck owners will decorate their spaces. While some events have a theme, in most cases, every trunk will be different, so it adds a nice level of variety to an already fun event. Some people get very creative with their decorations, so bring a camera.

More Candy for Less Work

If your kids are anything like mine, then they're mostly into Halloween for the candy, and a trunk-or-treating event can deliver tenfold. Within 15-20 minutes, your children could have bags overflowing with tasty treats. It's fun going to each trunk, and there's far less walking involved.

On top of that, your kids can be more efficient when they get their candy. They don’t have to take the time to go up to houses, ring the doorbell, and find that there’s no one there. The potential for disappointment is almost eliminated.

Opportunity to Learn About Local Establishments

Part of the reason why businesses and local establishments hold these events is to try to draw in potential customers. So, Walmart may intentionally hold a trunk-or-treat event as a fun marketing gimmick. This can be especially important for trunk-or-treat events that are held at local churches. If you’re interested in learning more, this could be a great opportunity to strike up a conversation.

Cons of Trunk-or-Treating

While these events are a ton of fun, they may not be for everyone. There are a few downsides to consider:

Less Excitement

Although there are often plenty of thrills, hanging out in a single parking lot can sometimes take some of the fun out of trick-or-treating. There’s no running down the sidewalk, getting excited about what the next house may hold. You’re just going from car to car. Also, though you can still ask, “trick or treat,” it’s a little less exciting when you’re walking a couple of feet over to the next vehicle. With that said, there’s still plenty of joy to be had.

Less Time Mingling With the Neighbors

As parents, part of the fun of going trick-or-treating with your kids is that you get to spend time with the other neighbors, many of whom may be your friends. Unless you invite them to the trunk-or-treat event, there's a good chance that you may not see them at all that night. That goes the same for your kids, who may have other friends in the neighborhood. It's a factor to consider.

Provides Less Freedom for Older Kids

Part of the joy of going trick-or-treating throughout the neighborhood is the chance to have some freedom from mom and dad. If you have teenagers, then you know what I mean. Dragging teens to a parking lot where they have to wait in line may remove some of the magic from the holiday. They could still have fun, but it’s something to think about.

How It Compares to Trick-Or-Treating

As you can see, there are more pros than cons when it comes to attending a trunk-or-treat event, but how does it compare to traditional trick-or-treating?

A traditional Halloween outing allows you and the kids to travel around the neighborhood, where you can see other folks dressed in their creative outfits. Many neighbors will go all-out, decorating their homes and putting on a big show, and it's a good time.

This traditional experience also allows you to feel like you're part of the community. You can walk past people you know, say hi, and strike up a conversation. There's a reason why so many people go out trick-or-treating every year.

However, like all things, trick-or-treating has its downsides:

• Danger factor – Though there are more dangerous things to do in the world, there’s still some risk to walking with your kids in the evening. There’s the potential to get lost or lose track of your kids, so caution is essential.
• Time-consuming – The desire to get as much candy as possible may have the kids walking around the neighborhood for hours. 
• Pressure to dress up – While it’s often encouraged to dress up in a Halloween costume when attending a trunk-or-treat event, you could go there in plain clothes and still have fun while getting plenty of candy. When you go traditional trick-or-treating, your kids may receive more criticism if they’re not in some type of costume.

Though there are pros and cons, if you remember to be safe and responsible during Halloween, you’re sure to have fun.

Verdict: To Trick-Or-Treat or Trunk-Or-Treat?

In the end, both trick-or-treating and trunk-or-treating have more pros than cons. While neither is a one-size-fits-all situation, both experiences provide a good time for the family. 

If you live in a busy neighborhood that loves the fall season, then traditional trick-or-treating may be the way to go. However, if you live in a rural location where there aren’t many homes around, then finding a trunk-or-treat location may be ideal. If you live in the city or the suburbs, you may even be able to do both in the same evening. My suggestion is that you owe it to yourself to try a trunk-or-treat event at least once.

How to Make the Most of Your trunk-Or-Treat Experience

When you go trunk-or-treating for the first time, there are a few tips you can keep in mind to make your experience as fun as possible. 

1. Research a location – Search online or on community boards for local events. When you find one, research and make sure it seems legitimate and safe. If necessary, reach out with questions.
2. Get there early – Many trunk-or-treat events are very popular. If you get there late, you may be at the end of a very long line. Find out when it starts and get there first for a chance for more candy!
3. Dress up – You don’t have to wear a costume to this type of event, but it would certainly be more fun if you did. Then you can discuss your costumes with the people you meet in line.

We hope you’ll consider a trunk-or-treating event this Halloween season. Find a great costume, do your research, get the kids involved, and you’re all sure to have a great time.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ukrolenochka/Shutterstock.com