How to Discourage Trick-or-treaters on Halloween

A bucket of candy can discourage trick-or-treaters from knocking on your door.

Some people enjoy passing out candy to eager trick-or-treaters on Halloween, but if you'd rather avoid all the hullabaloo or if you will be traveling, you need to take special care. Fortunately, most children are respectful of others and will not harm your property while you are away. However, a few simple tricks will ensure that your home remains unscathed and the trick-or-treaters are appeased.

Things You'll Need

• Big bowl
• Candy
• Paper
• Marker

Instructions

1. Refrain from decorating your house. Halloween decorations will encourage trick-or-treaters. Even a small pumpkin or jack-o-lantern is too much.

2. Turn off the lights in your home, especially the porch light. This is typically recognized as a sign that you are either not home or not passing out candy.

3. Place a large bowl on the porch with a note saying, "Take one." You can put some candy in it, but you don't have to. If it's empty, any trick-or-treaters that do make it to your front door will think that you simply ran out of candy.

References

• BBC News: Pumpkin Posters to Discourage Trick or Treaters
• City of Dublin: Trick or Treat