# Touchless Candy Delivery System?



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)




----------



## bobby2003 (Oct 5, 2017)

Not sure if that's a joke or you are serious, but If people are going to go that far they might as well go all the way. Make the Tot'ers work for that candy this year.


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

It was serious. Fishing for ideas. They will come but I don't see hand to hand candy happening this year. I've looked into remote delivery systems for years. Electric table top dispenser are of poor construction and the industrial equipment (e.g. packaging hoppers) is way too expensive. DIY solutions I've seen appear too complicated for me: Examples:









Automatic Halloween Candy Dispenser


Automatic Halloween Candy Dispenser: This year my Halloween project is the Automatic Halloween Candy Dispenser® triggered by TextforTreat®, CallforTreat® (powered by Twilio)and @TweetforTreat® technologies. Of course it can also be triggered from a B…




www.instructables.com













How to Make a MONSTER! My Frankenstein's Monster...


It’s Alive! A monster begins. My friend Frank started like many versions of the good doctor Frankenstein’s infamous experiments often do; with a curiosity. One that was too intriguing to ignore. The Build: Frank’s torso began with a few scrap pieces of 1”X 6” cedar fencing boards rough cut to...




www.halloweenforum.com


----------



## bobby2003 (Oct 5, 2017)

Russell said:


> It was serious. Fishing for ideas. They will come but I don't see hand to hand candy happening this year. I've looked into remote delivery systems for years. Electric table top dispenser are of poor construction and the industrial equipment (e.g. packaging hoppers) is way too expensive. DIY solutions I've seen appear too complicated for me: Examples:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I wonder if you couldn't make some sort of derivation on a vending machine mechanism that dispenses bags of candy. Then you would have a potentially simple mechanism which I would think could be put into a decorated box of some sort.


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

J-Man, Do you have a servo driven robotic arm candy dispenser yet?


----------



## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

I've been wondering, as many of you have, how the pandemic might affect Halloween trick-or-treating this year. I am hopeful that we will still have kids, but most likely it won't be as many. I've been thinking of ways I could give out candy safely. Like a candy toss trick-or-treat parade, ha!! 😆 

Anyone else thinking of this? Maybe too soon to even think about!...


----------



## bobby2003 (Oct 5, 2017)

I've had enough of this silliness. I am going to open the door, reach into my candy bucket and give them a handful. If the parents have a problem with it, they can be the ones to break the bad news to their kids that they will be leaving empty handed.


----------



## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Honestly, I'll worry more about that aspect in October since I do goodie bags. They're easier to deal with for me, they help me keep count of ToTers & we haven't had more than 25-30 kids in years.

I could always get some tongs & pass them out that way!


----------



## ghostlland820 (Jan 11, 2014)

Could you just manually drop the candy down a chute of some sort? Or make one of the spinning wheel things like those used at Walmart to bag groceries, but with candy compartments rather than bags?


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

ghostlland820 said:


> Could you just manually drop the candy down a chute of some sort?


If you have a second story window this would be an excellent low tech solution! I suppose an elevated platform where the "giving" hand is able drop candy into the "receiving" hand without touching would work. I just don't won't to make anybody sick but hate the thought of no candy.


----------



## Tasty Brains (Jan 16, 2019)

In previous years, we've let the kids grab the candy out of the bowl. This year, we'll probably wear some kind of gloves and hand them out to them. I prefer letting them pick the candy out, but that could theoretically create a heck of a disease vector if even one of the kids has the crud (any crud). 🦇


----------



## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Years ago, I tried an ill-fated "Spider pull" where plastic spiders dangled on fishing line from an arbor. TOTs would pull on one which was tied to a treat. Well, that rig became a tangled mess in about 3.4 seconds and I just ended up handing out treats by hand. Epic fail.

Idea #1
This year, IF we have TOT, I am thinking of redesigning that gag to keep the little plague infested monsters far away from me. Maybe they can just pull a treat towards them from a safe distance. I would have to figure out a quick release method.

Idea #2
More likely, I am thinking of designing a slide that will drop treats to the TOT. 

Maybe a combo of the two?

Early days. I would hate to not have TOT - but honestly want to protect myself since I am right at the COVID risk zone age/health-wise. I would definitely position a small fan blowing a cross-wind barrier between me and them.


----------



## Famous Pumpkin (Aug 12, 2014)

I love your slide idea and I think kids would get a big kick out of it!


----------



## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks! It might just be a cardboard slide, but I will be keeping my eye out for one of those kiddie slides this summer.

Maybe using something like this:


https://www.amazon.com/Little-Tikes-First-Slide-Blue/dp/B008MH5H4M



I like that it folds up for storage.


----------



## ScareyCarrie (Aug 22, 2018)

boo who? said:


> Thanks! It might just be a cardboard slide, but I will be keeping my eye out for one of those kiddie slides this summer.
> 
> Maybe using something like this:
> 
> ...


A neighbor always uses a type of tube (plumbers perhaps) and drops the candy through the tube to he TOT's. That's a cool idea.


----------



## Trepidation (Jun 7, 2020)

Hello - I’m new to this forum (after stalking for many years.) I’m thinking about my display this year and trying to come up with a method of contactless handing out of candy to TOTs If they do come around on Halloween. 

Intially I thought about one of those “grabber” things, but I think that will take way too long to put the candy in the claw, extend it to the TOT, and then reload the grabber for the next TOT. Some other ways of delivering the candy I’ve been noodling are a slide/chute from a higher point on my house or a conveyer belt (not sure how I’ll build that yet.). Anyone else have any creative ideas? 

In the end, hoping I won’t have to go this route, but I’m a planner and just trying to give it some thought now so I can come up with a creative theme to build around whatever candy delivery system I use.


----------



## Ravenseye (Jun 7, 2012)




----------



## Famous Pumpkin (Aug 12, 2014)

Hello and welcome! There is a similar thread you may want to keep an eye on, as well: Ideas for giving out candy during pandemic days


----------



## IowaGuy (Jul 30, 2012)

Throw it at them 😂😂


----------



## gcbike (Aug 9, 2018)

I think this pandemic stuff will be long gone by halloween


----------



## Jmpugh (Jun 29, 2015)

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I know everyone is burnt out on thinking about covid but I don’t see how it clears up in time for Halloween. We’re more at the end of the beginning than the beginning of the end. I could be wrong, but I’ve still been thinking through scenarios.

There is a chance my city “cancels” Halloween.We might have TOTers but I’m guessing it’s reduced, especially if a “2nd wave” hits hard (hopefully not). At that point, I would like to at least distribute candy for neighborhood or anyone else but I need to evaluate the risk of doing so. I like the candy tube distribution method. Might think on that for a bit.


----------



## Jmpugh (Jun 29, 2015)

I’m playing with the idea of using a stepper motor to dump some candy down a slide or tube with the push of a button. I googled and there are some nice ideas available. I don’t have a nice 2nd level balcony to distribute from so either have to build a structure, slide from the front porch or out of a 2nd level window.


----------



## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Our local harvest fairs have already been cancelled along with fall community days and group rummage sales. So there is a good chance TOT will have a bye year as well. If it's cancelled, I'll not put anything out other than a mailbox decoration.


----------



## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

End of night, so not it's full glory, but we use candy tables that sort the treats for the kids to pick. Works well, but maybe not practical for everyone's space.


----------



## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

boo who? said:


> Years ago, I tried an ill-fated "Spider pull" where plastic spiders dangled on fishing line from an arbor. TOTs would pull on one which was tied to a treat. Well, that rig became a tangled mess in about 3.4 seconds and I just ended up handing out treats by hand. Epic fail.
> 
> Idea #1
> This year, IF we have TOT, I am thinking of redesigning that gag to keep the little plague infested monsters far away from me. Maybe they can just pull a treat towards them from a safe distance. I would have to figure out a quick release method.
> ...


This made me laugh! Thanks, I needed that! I think the slide idea is great!

I started having visions of using one of those canon style guns they use at games to shoot out t-shirts!....I could shoot candy from it!! 😆 😆


----------



## katrick1128 (May 1, 2020)

Here is a concept.....if you don't want to participate then don't.....if you do want to participate then do. I would rather have my kids
walk pass a dark house and not go to the front door than go to the front door equipped with haz.mat. equipment in fear of spreading
the virus..........Sorry for the soap box, but people, we have got to move on. This just doesn't apply to Halloween but for
just simple everyday life......

I feel like we have gone from riding in the rear dash of our parent's Buick Electra 225 to having to ride in adult sized car seats in a matter of months....

I predict in our area Halloween will be the first major holiday to seem normalcy.


----------



## dbruner (Aug 23, 2012)

I normally do goodie bags, but then my hands will be on lots of different pieces of candy and parents may not like that. I may go to full size and just give them one while wearing gloves. I don't get that many ToT's so it won't break the bank.


----------



## Tyrant (Aug 19, 2013)

If we're still having to work around virus restrictions, I foresee a lot of people simply leaving bowls out in front of their garages so kids can just grab what they want and move on here in my neighborhood. A lot of people tend to do that anyway every year. I'm not sure yet what we'll do but I'm really hoping all this mess is basically gone by then, though. I'm well within being at the end of my rope at this point and I think any sorts of 'mandates' canceling Halloween activities will be the last straw.


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

It looks like we really have to think about this. Last year I had 500 kids. Which means I had close to a 1000 people walking through my display for 4 hours. I have a few games too so it got really crowded. People are already asking me how I'm going to hand out candy bars or if there will even be a Halloween. I tell them that I will have the display up and it's up to them if they want to come visit. I've added a path so that the display is basically shown in a circle. (Sidewalk-Driveway-Path to the door-Path to the bike trail- which goes back to the sidewalk) This way people aren't doubling back and causing congestion. I hand out full size candy bars and I have no idea how to do this without handling each one. And any system I come up with will causes people to crowd around the delivery system. (Unless I shoot the bars out of a pirate cannon.)

I have a bike path next to the house/display. I may have kids line up there and have the pirate handing out candy gloved and masked and another pirate just to organize the line. This way people aren't crowded around the door. I'm guessing that the crowd will be smaller this year but you still have to manage them.

How is everyone else going to handle this. I would love a pirate themed method of no touch delivery.


----------



## kuroneko (Mar 31, 2011)

I'm not concerned about handing out candy. If we're still doing all this by Halloween then I'm sure there will be guidelines put in place and people will either follow them or won't. No system is going to be perfect and we'll be lucky if we have something close to a normal Halloween this year. Parents who are that concerned likely won't even let their kids trick-or-treat anyway.
ToTing is like getting carryout or delivery from your local restaurant... As much as they claim everything is "touchless" people had to have touched every part of your meal. The packaging alone has been handled numerous times from the time it was created to being delivered to the restaurant to packing your food inside. Sure, people are wearing gloves, but those can be contaminated too. Wearing gloves only protects the person wearing the gloves and only if they don't touch their faces or other areas while wearing them. The minute those gloves touch a contaminated surface they can then in turn contaminate everything else they come in contact with.
Wearing gloves and handing the candy out instead of letting the ToTs help themselves is probably one of the safer options as long as you don't touch anything else. You don't know who has the virus so just letting anyone stick their hand in a bowl is probably a bad idea. Wearing a mask is probably still the best precaution we can take as a whole. WHO is now saying that asymptomatic carriers are rare, but the reality is that many people can and will spread the virus prior to realizing that they are sick. I know I in the group that won't realize they're sick until I'm really sick due to ongoing health issues. It can be hard for me to determine if I'm just having a bad day (or few days) or I'm coming down with something.
Places where the impact of virus has been lower and have had fewer cases will probably have a normal Halloween. Places like NY, NJ, etc where we've had a lot may or may not have a Halloween depending on how the next few weeks go. There has been a big push to reopen everything and I know I'm expected to be back at work by the end of the month even if the building isn't open to the public (I work for a library). I have a serious concern that we will see a spike in cases, but hopefully it will be short loved and things will slowly return to some kind of normal.

TL;DR - Don't stress over handing out candy this coming Halloween.


----------



## Notsoscaryhouse (Jun 9, 2020)

Modified automatic hopper? They use them in all sorts of industrial applications. Use a design like an automatic pet feeder, (or modify an automatic pet feeder) add some Arduino control and push buttons or infrared sensors to dispense? I wasn't concerned about this at all but I was going to build a candy booth, now I might just have to do this because it sounds neat. I have a bunch of extra sensors, I'll order some servos and see what happens. Im thinking 5 gallon bucket w/shower drain feeding a hopper that is motion activated and ABS pipe chutes...


----------



## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

I'm not really that concerned about it, it's more the parents of tot'ers, that I'm sure, will be concerned (understandably). I was just trying to look for creative and even fun ideas of how to make it safer for them and therefore, more comfortable for all. Maybe a giant candy sling shot! …


----------



## Notsoscaryhouse (Jun 9, 2020)

By not concerned I meant I didn't even consider it, so it was great point. Im looking into this hopper idea. I found some ice box augers that would work well with my idea for a few bucks on eBay. BUT....My vote for fun factor: 






I'm not doing it, but I would watch the chaos😈


----------



## Spookzilla (Nov 4, 2007)

gcbike said:


> I think this pandemic stuff will be long gone by halloween


Do you really? If you really do how about making a BIG bet on that with me ...... hmmm? Forgive me, but with a statment like that you must only watch one news channel (not to be mentioned) and not read any newspapers or even feeds from Google news, sadly.

I hope I'm dead wrong and that this year Halloween and will be a smashing success for all with lots of TOT's knocking at all our doors. I hate to be a "Debbie Downer" but my money is forget on seeing any TOT's at your door if you live anywhere in our country where there are moderate to large outbreaks of the Covid-19 virus. Each of you who are parents of small children here need to ask yourself even if the outbreak of the virus is low would you send your kids out to go door to door? Hmmm? 

Those who have yard haunts that are mostly static, or with motion props, if you live on a road that gets lots of drive by traffic I'll say will probably get lots of drive by viewers just like people driving by to see lights at Christmas time. As for TOT's ringing the door bell or going through your haunt, sorry I say forget it this year sad to say.


----------



## racso66 (Nov 7, 2011)




----------



## racso66 (Nov 7, 2011)




----------



## FogMaster (Jul 4, 2018)

The simplest method would be a chute, and it doesn't have to be at a steep angle. You could use something as simple as a PVC gutter and cut it to length. The high end could come up to shoulder height, and the output end could be waist height of a typical TOT. If it is not slick enough, throw down a piece of HDPE, that stuff is slicker than snot um, slime. There are definitely a million other ways, not sure of budget, how complicated you wanted it, or if you had a certain prop you wanted to incorporate it into.


----------



## Rocky7 (Dec 9, 2019)

Tyrant said:


> If we're still having to work around virus restrictions, I foresee a lot of people simply leaving bowls out in front of their garages so kids can just grab what they want and move on here in my neighborhood. A lot of people tend to do that anyway every year. I'm not sure yet what we'll do but I'm really hoping all this mess is basically gone by then, though. I'm well within being at the end of my rope at this point and I think any sorts of 'mandates' canceling Halloween activities will be the last straw.


I hope this issue has quieted down by Halloween, I am not too concerned about the candy aspect, I usually give out rice crispy treats and or pringles, they both come individually wrapped and well sealed in a big enough package that could even be easily washed if one wanted. I get them at Smart &Final market and they have bulk prices ,48 Pringle packages for .$ 11.00, more bang for your buck than the candy and I like that you just hand out one per kid and aren't messing with counting out 3 or 4 little pieces of candy. I also find that the kids love something salty with all that other sweet stuff.


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

MOD NOTE: Merged 3 different threads with same subject started in the last week. Easier for everyone to contribute without repeating themselves.


----------



## Jerseyscare (Oct 2, 2012)

Snow storms, tropical storms, warm night, wind, cold night, rain, pandemics. We can't control any of those you can only plan for those unexpected. Decorating and lighting yard no matter what. If town or state says no, its no TOTers.
If there is TOTing and still spacing needed, Big sign, kids ring bell at bottom of steps, open door, active scare and use chute to slide candy to them one at a time (thinking rain gutter). Though I love the ideas from our mechanical prop makers. I may adjust flow to one way, but I've been putting that off for a while, with 500+ it at times is tight.

My soap box moment, I don't come here to read anybody's thoughts, outside of Halloween, PLEASE, Halloween family, let's keep it that way, I love this safe Halloween world only place.
stepping off of box.
Jerseyscare


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Hoping for it all being behind us by Halloween but if not, I hate to be responsible for drawing crowds that might make people sick. In good weather my place looks like this for hours. Even with signs and lines on the sidewalk I don't see much chance for social distancing. But it sure is a lot of fun.


----------



## spiney99 (Nov 1, 2010)

Table out front...plexiglass wall with 2 holes for sleeves? Pay no attn to hazmat suit..only pic I could find


----------



## cadcoke5 (Feb 23, 2013)

Keep in mind that the who trick-or-treat is a social event. It is about people enjoying being with each other. I don't think it is necessary to have hand-to-hand contact to accomplish this. I think for a lot of kids, it is just getting the verbal warm greeting and interaction... "Wow...your costume looks wonderful. Do you really like spider man? Show me one of his moves!" So, regardless of how the candy is delivered, keep the human interaction.

-Joe


----------



## Oak Lane Cemetery (Sep 5, 2011)

Simple enough. Long handled spoon or dipper. Cheap and easy. Probably not going to be a 6ft spoon, but it would be really simple to rig up one a couple of feet long. Can even wipe the dipper with a sanitizer every so often if you really want to be safe. I like the slide idea too. Or a pipe attached to the porch rail. Kids stand at the bottom and hold their bucket under the end and you just slide the candy down to them. Or just throw it at them. lol


----------



## Engineerchic (Sep 6, 2017)

spiney99 said:


> Table out front...plexiglass wall with 2 holes for sleeves? Pay no attn to hazmat suit..only pic I could find


I really like this! It could be dressed up to fit a variety of themes - pirate treasure chest, coffin, mad scientist lab, bio-containment for mutants, etc. Plexiglass is a PITA to cut but I may have to figure this out.


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Anyone have plans of an animatronic arm. That might be fun (expensive) to build. Or, maybe a collection of rotating arms 6 feet in diameter. (Not to scale. LOL)


----------



## ceo418 (Jun 15, 2016)

If we have Trick or Treaters I'll hand them a bag filled with 3 or 4 items like I always do. The parents can decide what they want to do with it later, just as they would for allergies or other concerns. I might wear a cute pair of Halloween gloves, but that's as far as I'd go on my end. 🎃


----------



## Camile (Oct 16, 2010)

Our setup is a yard haunt with a center walkway. In past years, we've had families walk up our walkway to the porch to get candy and that walkway can get crowded. This year we'll be doing drive-by ToT-ing. The family can pull up in their car so they see the haunt, we'll be stationed at a table with the treats between the curb and the city sidewalk on a small little median. They'll roll down a window and we'll admire the kids' costumes and answer any questions about the haunt, and the parents will tell us how many kiddos they have and then pop their trunk from inside the car and we'll put the treats in the trunk with gloved hands. Parents can then choose to wipe down the treats when they get home before giving them to the kids or not; their call. We'll also be extending our haunt hours and encouraging folks to come earlier in the day so we don't create too much traffic. (Crossing fingers on that one.) 


That's the way our local grocery stores have been doing things for folks who are in the high-risk group for getting Covid and we'd rather be too cautious than not enough and inadvertently wind up having our haunt be a Typhoid Mary kind of hotspot. That would be heartbreaking.

We've brought treats to folks in cars in the past for families that had cumbersome strollers, little tiny kids that were too scared to make the trek up the walkway, and people who have challenges walking up to the haunt or getting in/out of cars. Those folks seemed to appreciate that small accommodation so we're looking at it as an extension of that- easy peasy and everybody still gets to have fun.


----------



## GraveyardQueen (Jul 9, 2011)

I’m in NYC, so TOT happens in apartment buildings. I’m LOVING the ladle idea Covid or not because I want to do something witchy and what a fun cauldron accessory. 
My original thought had been to bag candy and decorate the door Hansel and Gretel style for children to “break off”. I was thinking I might try to figure out a QR code that linked to a zoom party that was a walk through of our apartment? Or where at least we could share costumes. Still brainstorming but loving this thread!


----------



## teamblock (Sep 21, 2017)

I love the candy chute idea! I just moved and this is my first year living in a two-story house so it's perfect timing. I'm doing a sea monsters theme this year so I might try to decorate a piece of PVC pipe to look like a tentacle.


----------



## joes.halloween (Oct 8, 2019)

I've been weighing options too (shout out to Oak Lane Cemetery's pipe video). There are tons of opportunities here to make the candy transaction more fun and interactive. We'll probably go with a 6' pipe or chute and theme it in with a display at the front door like teamblock mentioned. Other thoughts are a conveyer belt (paint rollers and fabric "belt") which could be manually turned by a giant oversize Frankenstein lever or something. Or a high-tech mock candy sterilization chamber made with triggered lights and laser and fog burst, although this one may alarm parents. Still it's fun to think of all the possibilities.


----------



## 66539 (Feb 20, 2016)

Considering the direction the pandemic is going in our area, we're expecting it to be still an issue come Halloween. We're keeping it simple. We figure just a bit of extra care is more than enough to get the kids safe candy, and keep them from sneezing all over us in the process. Safety works both ways.

We're buying candy that's inside a sealed plastic wrapper. A week before Halloween night, we're going to package our candy into bags. They'll get set aside into large boxes we can move about easily. That means by Halloween night, they will have been in quarantine long enough to be virus free. (If we're sick, all bets are off and we go dark.)

Come Halloween night, I'll be out wearing a mask and gloves that are a part of my costume. The black n19 mask will cover my face and make the acrylic skull wrap-around I'm wearing as a costume look even more freaky because my face won't be beneath it. Truth is, even if there were no Covid to worry about, I'd be wearing a black mask beneath the skull wrap.










I have skeleton gloves that I'll be wearing Halloween night. They'll provide enough protection to limit contact, and again, will be what I was going to wear anyway. We'll move the boxes out front and transfer the candy bags into the coffin we always use Halloween night to hand out candy. When people drive by to view the graveyard, they can roll down their window, and we'll give them their treats. Just because I think it's funny, we'll use one of our grabbers to pick up and transport the candy to the window. The grabber is 2 feet, my arms reach 3 feet, close enough to be social distancing for a few seconds. Done... no elaborate machines, no real expense. Essentially what we were going to do before the pandemic, except the kids won't be running up our stairs to get the candy. That will work for us.

But for all those who create gizmos and doodads that give the kids their candy in some elaborate way, we are rooting for you... BIG TIME. We have seen some wonderful candy delivery props over the years, and we think they're great. Do what you think will make you smile when you give the kids their candy, and that will be the right way to do it.


----------



## pluto (Aug 24, 2012)

GraveyardQueen said:


> I’m in NYC, so TOT happens in apartment buildings. I’m LOVING the ladle idea Covid or not because I want to do something witchy and what a fun cauldron accessory.
> My original thought had been to bag candy and decorate the door Hansel and Gretel style for children to “break off”. I was thinking I might try to figure out a QR code that linked to a zoom party that was a walk through of our apartment? Or where at least we could share costumes. Still brainstorming but loving this thread!


These are amazing and super creative ideas taking a bad situation and finding a realistic, themed way to handle it inside an apartment!


----------



## GraveyardQueen (Jul 9, 2011)

Thanks! My latest higher tech thought is maybe I’ll rebuild and RC car into a black cat and “deliver” candy that way? Still honing the options haha


----------



## jscaldwell (Mar 29, 2016)

Where did you find that skull wrap around mask?


----------



## 66539 (Feb 20, 2016)

GraveyardQueen said:


> Thanks! My latest higher tech thought is maybe I’ll rebuild and RC car into a black cat and “deliver” candy that way? Still honing the options haha


My mate looked at it and said... and I agree that this is the perfect delivery system... How does it deliver the candy; cough it up like a fur ball into their hand?



jscaldwell said:


> Where did you find that skull wrap around mask?











22.02US $ |B Half Animal Mask Cosplay Eyewear Adult Disposable Face - AliExpress


Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com




www.aliexpress.com





UPDATE: I got the mask today. It fits perfectly over a protective mask. I'm 6'2" and have a fairly big head, so it should fit most folks with the appropriate adjustments. It's going to take some time to figure out the rest of the costume, but at least a safe foundation is laid.


----------



## hogyween (Jul 25, 2020)

I've thought and worried about this a lot!

In all honesty, if you put something out then you have to expect trick or treaters and I think that means you should do what you can to protect yourself and your visitors. After all, it's people coming to your house and touching your stuff, such as your doorbell or knocker.

I'm trying to think of some kind of solution which will remove the need for anyone to knock on the door at all. Trick or treating is popular where I live and it creates a great community feel. I really enjoy putting out decorations and don't want to face missing a year!

In the UK (especially England) there is worry about a second spike coinciding with the winter flu season. If that happens we risk local or national lockdowns. Social distancing is going to be around for quite some time. I imagine trick or treating won't be "cancelled" or made illegal but I expect it to be heavily discouraged.

It's still July, a lot can change in a few months but it's always best to be prepared!


----------



## kuroneko (Mar 31, 2011)

More than likely I will have to close the cemetery to walking traffic. I only have a narrow walkway up to my front door that would be terrible for social distancing. I have wanted to add a walkway to either of the driveways that flank my yard, but that's up to my landlord. The ground is just uneven enough that I'm not comfortable letting people cross the yard. It would have been ideal to create a one way traffic route, but that is just not happening.
Instead I'll be trying to create an along the fence experience. I usually set my cemetery fence a few feet back from the curb as we unfortunately don't have sidewalks. While parts of that ground tend to be worse, at least it gives people a place to stand if cars are driving past. It also prevents people from getting too close to things in the yard as they tend to stay in the street and just go up and down the walkway. I'll probably move the fence a bit this year and possibly add caution tape to create a walkway for people to move along in a single direction. I'll have to figure out the most level parts of the yard to use as I'd rather not take up a lot of space in the street to create a walkway (and force those that are entering or leaving more into the street to go around to the said walkway). I'd rather them move across the front of the yard, but I may be limited to using one of the driveways and just splitting it in half or something which would really limit what I could do.
I'm thinking of maybe getting one of those grabbers that (typically older) people use to hand out candy. It won't give people 6 feet, but we're outside where it's a bit safer to get a bit closer as long as everyone is wearing a mask. I could turn it into spider eggs with some saran wrap or something and pretend that I'm carefully taking them from a nest (complete with angry giant spider of course) and giving them to the ToTs. It doesn't need to be big, just easy enough to grab with grabber thing. I give out full sized bars, but you could use this idea if you normally do treat bags by creating layers of goodies in saran wrap instead of a bag. If I had really thought ahead I might have purchased some plastic Easter eggs or something on clearance.
There's still time for me to figure out something. As I said in an earlier post, nothing will be completely touchless. Items will have to be handled all along chain of events. However, the potential to spread the virus this way is low so that's at least some good news especially for me. I work in a public library and it has been a bit of a nightmare trying to deal with items being returned. Depending on how we're handling materials in October, I may or may not being pursuing a minimal contact delivery system for treats.


----------



## GraveyardQueen (Jul 9, 2011)

chubstuff said:


> My mate looked at it and said... and I agree that this is the perfect delivery system... How does it deliver the candy; cough it up like a fur ball into their hand?


This cracked me up! I haven’t yet thought through all the way. Started a thread in props hoping for brainstorming help, but I think it got buried! But still a thing to try playing with!


----------



## 66539 (Feb 20, 2016)

kuroneko said:


> There's still time for me to figure out something... I may or may not being pursuing a minimal contact delivery system for treats.


The most important part of this thread seems to us to be that it gets us all thinking about how we're going to handle a Halloween with complications. There are so many good ideas here, and if we take the time now to think our plans through, by the time Halloween rolls around, we should be able to offer children and ourselves a safe, enjoyable Halloween. It may look nothing like our previous Halloweens, but with care it certainly can be one that is memorable to every TOTer that visits us.


----------



## Lawrence Malbot (Jul 23, 2020)

Only time of year answering your door in a full Hazmat suit to hand out some candy would be completely appropriate! Unless that's how you get down for Christmas too, I don't judge.
I hope everyone stays safe.


----------



## jscaldwell (Mar 29, 2016)

Russell said:


> View attachment 730660


I think I'm going to try something like this, with a slow motor on one side to keep the string moving, and skeleton hands with small clips attached to hold candy bags. The ToTs can wait outside my cemetary gate and pull a couple of treats off the clips as they move from the porch to the sidewalk...


----------



## theworstwitch (Aug 14, 2006)

I think it would be pretty easy to sit at the window by the front door, and send pre bagged treats down a tube into a large bowl on the ground.
Hopefully we can TOT, these kids need Halloween!!!


----------



## Trepidation (Jun 7, 2020)

Many thanks to all of you who have offered suggestions to my original post on this topic. So many creative people out there. Not sure there will be TOTs, but if there are I'll be ready for them and will share what I finally decide to do.


----------



## sumrtym (Aug 16, 2008)

Tots carry bags. Start working on your 6-10' candy tosses. 

Have them stand on an x under an ACME weight with a sign next to the x says free candy.


----------



## JW Halloween (Sep 30, 2012)

Here is an idea from the Adafruit site. Automatic Halloween Candy Dispenser for Halloween

It’s not touchless but you could use a proximity sensor of some kind rather than the big button to dispense the candy.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

I came up with an idea to use a 6foot wide lazy susan type mechanism with treat bags lined up around the perimeter. Quick execution of kids grabbing a bag and I can just slowly turn it and add a bag as I go.


----------



## Mugglemama (Sep 16, 2019)

I've been racking my brain on this. I'm settling on handing out goodie bags, while wearing gloves, mask, and having a bottle of sanitizer out for those who feel the need to use it. Some funner ideas have popped up in my mind as well, like a poke a pumpkin game, but I can imagine it becoming a headache quick. All this thinking and planning but deep down I worry that TOTing will not happen and this would all be in vain


----------



## 66539 (Feb 20, 2016)

*MOD NOTE: leaving chubstuff's post intact but removing the name of the person who saw fit to call another member a rude name due to their idea that COVID would be over by Halloween... because chubstuff's post is something everyone should really take to heart. *





member name redacted said:


> rude name used against another member - removed by moderator


It does this thread no good to call folks we disagree with names. In fact it doesn't do any thread on Halloween Forum any good to call people names. I totally disagree with gcbike's assessment of the pandemic, but it does me no harm to let him think whatever he wishes. It didn't slow down the flow of marvelous ideas and contraptions from those who see a different future on the horizon. I ignored his prognostication in favor of people contributing to the thread theme.

That a person two months ago got the pandemic arc totally wrong isn't the point of this thread. It's about how those of us who see it as a legitimate concern are going to respond to it. That means coming up with inventive ideas and sharing them. Those ideas don't include calling those we think miss the whole intent of the thread names. Many of us have lost loved ones and so much to this pandemic. It would be a shame to see civility become another casualty on this of all sites.


----------



## Jmpugh (Jun 29, 2015)

I need to clean it up a bit and haven’t even worked on the chute yet, but here is the second candy distribution machine I’ve made. First one could feed an assortment of candy but it jammed occasionally. This one was sized to Kit Kat bars and has worked flawlessly. I’m going to try full size candy bars next, usually we get too many TOTers to hand out full size, but if the crowd is smaller this year, might make the jump.

Probably will put a foot pedal on the driveway to activate and send it down a chute but could use a break beam so they don’t touch anything.


----------



## 66539 (Feb 20, 2016)

Jmpugh said:


> I need to clean it up a bit and haven’t even worked on the chute yet, but here is the second candy distribution machine I’ve made. First one could feed an assortment of candy but it jammed occasionally. This one was sized to Kit Kat bars and has worked flawlessly.


There is so little good or happiness that has come from this pandemic, but we take it where we find it. This thread has not only amazed us by the ingenuity of fellow haunters, but made us laugh out loud at some of the designs. That so much effort is being expended simply to make kids have a memorable Halloween restores my faith a bit in humanity. At least a few remember a day when we all took care of each other through tough times. Thanks everyone who have posted so many wonderful ideas.


----------



## Labfreak7 (Oct 31, 2019)

RCIAG said:


> Honestly, I'll worry more about that aspect in October since I do goodie bags. They're easier to deal with for me, they help me keep count of ToTers & we haven't had more than 25-30 kids in years.
> 
> I could always get some tongs & pass them out that way!


This is probably the best way to go. I will be leaving goodie bags out as kids come. It can be like when you get a food delivery. Count out the kids coming, and leave the candy at the doorstep. Then they can come up and get them.


----------



## Saarkin (Aug 1, 2019)

Here is my plan on how to handle this. I think providing some type of normalcy will be good for the kids. I don't honestly expect to have tons of kids going door to door. At most we average about 100 kids a year though with us adding more to the display every year it has been slowly increasing. 

With that said my plan is to create a facebook event and then specifically reach out and invite all of my friends from church and work who live near me to bring their kids and come enjoy the decorations. Then I will wear a mask, sanitize my hands each time before handing the candy out, and give each of them a goody bag of candy that was prepared well in advance to allow the contents to be covid free. I'll have extras just in case I get random kids but not tons.

I will have them come up my driveway/front walk but exit down the flag stone steps I'll be placing in my yard. so as to create a loop of sorts.


----------



## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

Have you considered a Snickers Trebuchet?


----------



## anonymousbrunette (Jun 16, 2015)

So many fantastic ideas here! I think the chute/tube idea is going to work for both my home and our neighborhood haunt.


----------



## LV2HLWN (Aug 24, 2020)

I'm really hoping places will reopen and Halloween will be a bit normal. But if not... 
I'm thinking of making a Candy Chute. Putting Candy in bags. Looking into a Concrete Form Tube from Home Depot or maybe a Carpet Tube if it's wide enough. Carpet stores will give you a used tube for free if you ask. I think the kids would get a kick out of that. I know I will...👍


----------



## whodudis (Sep 26, 2009)

This reminded me of a project I saw YEARS ago. This person built a foam facade to put in place of their front door and had a decorated chute to dispense candy. They also used the "Magic Mirror" digital puppet from ImaginEERIEing. It seemed like a really neat idea.
ImaginEERIEing "Magic Mirror"
Candy Chute Build


----------



## ah2610 (Aug 8, 2012)

Sorry if I've missed a post about this, I looked back and searched but may have missed it.

Preface: We get around 1000 ToTers. We live in a large neighborhood that's walkable, and people park in a nearby shopping center and walk through. I expect that we'll have fewer this year, but it's hard to know this early in the game. 

That said, going to the door is not an option, so we always sit out in the driveway and hand out candy to the kids. My husband has some conditions that make him higher risk, so we are doing our best to maintain a distance. Do you guys have any creative ways that you'll hand out candy, and keep the kids at a distance? I generally don't make treat bags, but I thought about making small ones and sitting them on a table at a distance in front of us and having them grab and go. That's not very fun, though, so I'm hoping I can come up with a way to make it as fun as we can.

Thank you!


----------



## Yodlei (Jul 13, 2019)

Yep...you missed them. There are a couple related threads.


----------



## ah2610 (Aug 8, 2012)

I just looked back again and still don't see them. If someone knows where they are, would you mind linking them in a response below? Thank so much! I'll keep digging.


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

ah2610 said:


> Sorry if I've missed a post about this, I looked back and searched but may have missed it.
> 
> Preface: We get around 1000 ToTers. We live in a large neighborhood that's walkable, and people park in a nearby shopping center and walk through. I expect that we'll have fewer this year, but it's hard to know this early in the game.
> 
> ...


Merged your thread into the existing one - so you can check over the various highly creative ways folks have come up with the candy conundrum!


----------



## Paul Melniczek (Jun 5, 2009)

You could always bring back the old







fashioned clothesline wheel, and clip bags and candy to it then pull it along as you go!


----------



## Jeremy7 (Aug 9, 2020)

It ain't original, but it's true:

*yeet*


----------



## nicoleelements (Sep 9, 2020)

Russell said:


> View attachment 730660



found this vid on youtube for a candy slide! definitely going to make it this year!


----------



## texmaster (Aug 25, 2008)

I know some folks are probably going to want to social distance this Halloween and I was wondering if anyone thought about creating some sort of spooky tubing for candy to slide out so kids don't have to get too close.

My first thought was PVC and decorating it was up in the air. Perhaps a jack o lantern at the end cut out wide so the kids can retrive the candy

If anyone has any good ideas please share them


----------



## ozaz (Apr 26, 2016)

Seen a few of these already on facebook and youtube. Some have a skull at the end so it looks like the treats are coming out the mouth. here's one Social Distancing Candy Dispenser

However, whilst you can social distance, I suspect visiting ToTs will all group around the end of the tube?


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

texmaster said:


> I know some folks are probably going to want to social distance this Halloween and I was wondering if anyone thought about creating some sort of spooky tubing for candy to slide out so kids don't have to get too close.
> 
> My first thought was PVC and decorating it was up in the air. Perhaps a jack o lantern at the end cut out wide so the kids can retrive the candy
> 
> If anyone has any good ideas please share them



There's an existing thread on this so I merged your post into it. TONS of ideas!


----------



## Jeremy7 (Aug 9, 2020)

You know, if some people are doing skulls at the end of the tube, I think I'm going to do a pumpkin at the end of one. If I do so.


----------



## texmaster (Aug 25, 2008)

I've decided to do ours with 3 or 4 inch pvc and attach it to the brick wall on the porch and have it slide out to the lower step of the sidewalk. For me it will be easier to set up and take down.


----------



## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Well clearly we're doing it all wrong when THIS is what goes viral & makes Buzzfeed News:








This Dad Invented A Candy Chute To Make Halloween Safe Amid COVID-19


Photos of the chute have now gone viral as people are figuring out how to have a contactless Halloween.




www.buzzfeednews.com


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

RCIAG said:


> Well clearly we're doing it all wrong when THIS is what goes viral & makes Buzzfeed News:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think they covered it because it's really easy and quick to make. We're a bunch of over achieving triple A type piro personalities that make things as complicated as possible. We want it to light up, move, explode, make noises... We are makers of Rube Goldberg machines for Halloween.


----------



## texmaster (Aug 25, 2008)

I've got an engineering question. I'm going to make my slide out of 4 inch pvc approx 6 feet long because we are using full size bars this year. The top I'm going to use a 4 inch bracket and attach to the brick of the house but the lower part extends to the sidewalk and will have to be supported both underneath and to help prevent it from sliding forward at about 3 feet off the ground.

My first thought was to make a simple X with some 2x4 pieces and glue a half circle piece of 4 inch right behind it to keep it from sliding.

Appreciate any ideas on how heavy and what type of support I should be looking at.


----------



## texmaster (Aug 25, 2008)

I've decided to use one of my speaker stands. Plenty heavy and sits 2 feet off the ground. Its even got holes that I can use to run some zip ties through to secure the slide to it.


----------



## Flowerpistol (Sep 18, 2020)

I'm going to make some sort of chute from our second story, using this 4" x 20' clear tubing. The kids will be able to see the candy and maybe I can add lights somehow.


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

LOL, I like it! hit the kids with candies moving at 35 ft/sec or about 24 miles an hour.


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

re:".....We are makers of Rube Goldberg machines for Halloween....." So I was about to add arms and legs to MY tube dispenser, it was hot so I took a break. I noticed the guy at the beer store pharmacy was behind Plexiglas and it occurred to me that I might be overthinking this and have decided to go with a Plexiglas shield on my Candy Stand and social distancing stickers on the sidewalk. My unfinished tube is free to a good home to any one in the Irving, TX area.



http://www.snydercentral.com/halloween/H2020/videos/2020Tube01.mp4


----------



## Syrkres (Aug 4, 2018)

I got my plastic balls today, so I can now start sizing my giant marble run. Picking up some PVC tubing and will need to print some turns this week. Should be pretty cool! The balls hold 6 small mini bars and I also have mini glow sticks to make them glow as they roll around.


----------



## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Although I wish it were cancelled, looks like TOT will probably happen in my rural community this year.

I give out a large selection of treats: toys, plush, full sized candy bars and treat bags. Every year, it's a challenge to figure out who gets what. In the past, it's been a Wheel of Fortune, Plinko game, String pull, or fish pond. Those are not options this year.

So it looks like I will be building a slide to dispense treats.

Ideally, The top of the slide will be curtained off and they won't see what's on offer. That will help me gauge the age-appropriate toy for each child. Maybe this year, treat bags will contain full-sized candy bars with fewer small treats and the options will simply be CANDY or TOY.

I could really use some suggestions to make this work. How would they signal their choice? What signage should I make to explain the process? Maybe a "Stand HERE for a toy" and a Stand HERE for candy" spot? Maybe two slides? Obviously, the candy one could be a simple 4" cardboard tube. Thoughts?


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

boo who? said:


> Although I wish it were cancelled, looks like TOT will probably happen in my rural community this year.
> 
> I give out a large selection of treats: toys, plush, full sized candy bars and treat bags. Every year, it's a challenge to figure out who gets what. In the past, it's been a Wheel of Fortune, Plinko game, String pull, or fish pond. Those are not options this year.
> 
> ...


HUGE thread of ideas already in progress, so I've merged yours into it. Have a look and hopefully there will be some fun ideas for you!


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Russell said:


> re:".....We are makers of Rube Goldberg machines for Halloween....." So I was about to add arms and legs to MY tube dispenser, it was hot so I took a break. I noticed the guy at the beer store pharmacy was behind Plexiglas and it occurred to me that I might be overthinking this and have decided to go with a Plexiglas shield on my Candy Stand and social distancing stickers on the sidewalk. My unfinished tube is free to a good home to any one in the Irving, TX area.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I found these on Ama Zon. Anybody fine any thing with the jolly roger?


----------



## 66539 (Feb 20, 2016)

Russell said:


> I noticed the guy at the beer store pharmacy was behind Plexiglas and it occurred to me that I might be overthinking this and have decided to go with a Plexiglas shield on my Candy Stand and social distancing stickers on the sidewalk. My unfinished tube is free to a good home to any one in the Irving, TX area.


There are certainly completely effective routes to go that aren't too involved. However, I will say that for a kid, seeing a skull spew out candy from a long tube will be way more thrilling than just being handed it from behind Plexiglas. That said, your approach at least has the fun of a haunted candy store.  I think it all comes down to doing what we think will maximize the fun kids get from Halloween while minimizing their risk. The roads we take to that end have so many options. I love how inventive people are getting. (Ours is going to be super simple, but we're older and have already spent our budget on trying to make the graveyard more entertaining as a drive by.)


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

chubstuff said,"skull spewing out candy way more thrilling .... your approach at least has the fun of a haunted candy store." 

Shucks! Now my brain wants to use both. However the candy stand does have a surprise.



http://www.snydercentral.com/halloween/props/CandyStand/boothdoordemo2.mp4








Candy Stand


snydercentral.com - Halloween Stuff - Candy Stand




www.snydercentral.com


----------



## MT_Grave (May 23, 2014)

I do a haunted walk through graveyard every year..which I will also do this year, but with signage requesting social distancing and mask wear.We normally sit by a fire in our fire pit and hand out candy to the Tots. I was thinking of building a simple X shape coss and mounting a skeleton on it. then mount it on a pedestal and wheel like a giant lazy susan. Have what looks like torture instruments in the fire and dress in dark robes with the famous faceless hood (hide the mask I'm wearing that way. I then build cups to go in the skeletons hands. Fill the cups with treats and then spin it to the side the Tots are on.


----------



## Internet Avenger (Sep 24, 2020)

bobby2003 said:


> I've had enough of this silliness. I am going to open the door, reach into my candy bucket and give them a handful. If the parents have a problem with it, they can be the ones to break the bad news to their kids that they will be leaving empty handed.


"this silliness" as you call it is a pandemic. it's very real. It's not a hoax. Sorry to break the bad news that your actions could kill people. This isn't a red or blue thing, it's a Mother Nature thing, and she will always win in the end. Please get tested 2 days before or at least wear gloves or wash your hands frequently.


----------



## Internet Avenger (Sep 24, 2020)

gcbike said:


> I think this pandemic stuff will be long gone by halloween


You would be WRONG... please be careful.


----------



## Internet Avenger (Sep 24, 2020)

MT_Grave said:


> I do a haunted walk through graveyard every year..which I will also do this year, but with signage requesting social distancing and mask wear.We normally sit by a fire in our fire pit and hand out candy to the Tots. I was thinking of building a simple X shape coss and mounting a skeleton on it. then mount it on a pedestal and wheel like a giant lazy susan. Have what looks like torture instruments in the fire and dress in dark robes with the famous faceless hood (hide the mask I'm wearing that way. I then build cups to go in the skeletons hands. Fill the cups with treats and then spin it to the side the Tots are on.


Sounds like a great idea! Simple and effective.


----------



## Internet Avenger (Sep 24, 2020)

nicoleelements said:


> found this vid on youtube for a candy slide! definitely going to make it this year!


Awesome job!!


----------



## Smurr (Sep 25, 2020)

jscaldwell said:


> I think I'm going to try something like this, with a slow motor on one side to keep the string moving, and skeleton hands with small clips attached to hold candy bags. The ToTs can wait outside my cemetary gate and pull a couple of treats off the clips as they move from the porch to the sidewalk...


I have been thinking along the same lines of delivery.


----------



## Flowerpistol (Sep 18, 2020)

So my clear flex tubing came today. My daughter and I put it on the roof and tried to send a granola bar down. It just got stuck on the ridges.  I tried a it with some black stiff tubing that we use at the bottom of our rain drain spouts and that worked perfect. It's not see through and cool looking, but works much better.


----------



## Syrkres (Aug 4, 2018)

Here we go, proof of concept marble run with Candy filled plastic balls.
Touchless Candy Marble Run!


----------



## Flowerpistol (Sep 18, 2020)

Syrkres said:


> Here we go, proof of concept marble run with Candy filled plastic balls.
> Touchless Candy Marble Run!


Link doesn't work.


----------



## 66539 (Feb 20, 2016)

Flowerpistol said:


> So my clear flex tubing came today. My daughter and I put it on the roof and tried to send a granola bar down. It just got stuck on the ridges.  I tried a it with some black stiff tubing that we use at the bottom of our rain drain spouts and that worked perfect. It's not see through and cool looking, but works much better.


We were thinking you would have problems with the flex tubing because of the ridges. One thing that might make it still a viable option is if you create some sort of shaker for it along the way. Tying off a few places along the way with cord that when you pull it shakes the entire length might help it dislodge candy when it gets held up. If done with a bit of dramatic flair, it might look like a clear tentacle writhing in the darkness while keeping the candy speeding down the tube. Or it could jam up even faster. We haven't got a clue. But you do have time to experiment.


----------



## Shyra (Feb 18, 2020)

I am hoping to setup a “birthday theme” tent with scary clowns 🤡 and have goody bags on the table as a grab and go treat. I will be creating a one way pathway through my front yard and garage hunt with the the treats at the end. I will also have signs and direct people as needed. As kids go by my house I will want to give them some hope or have something fun to look forward to. ❤🎃


----------



## pluto (Aug 24, 2012)

@Russell "However the candy stand does have a surprise."

Well I jumped...


----------



## Syrkres (Aug 4, 2018)

Flowerpistol said:


> Link doesn't work.


Not sure why, it's on facebook. working on better video, will post when done.


----------



## ghostlland820 (Jan 11, 2014)

This is my "socially distanced" delivery system. I'll be using two of them.


----------



## Rogue (Aug 5, 2012)

Simple and effective. I like it! Thanks for the how-to.


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Apologies in advance if this has already been presented but I had just finished blowing off the driveway, saw my candy pipe, and then spent some time shooting candy out of the thing. An elbow or skull end cap would deliver the candy at 90 degree angle into a trick or treater's bag. The blower eliminates the need for a steep angle and the problem of stuck candy. I might do another test to see if it would blow the bag out of little hands and down the street. A baffle like used in the "Cheese Ball Machine Gun" might allow the use of a hopper.


----------



## Rogue (Aug 5, 2012)

I almost choked to death. OMG. I know you're serious, so I'm not laughing in a bad way, I just saw that, and it made me laugh...the candy cannon has been invented!!



Russell said:


> Apologies in advance if this has already been presented but I had just finished blowing off the driveway, saw my candy pipe, and then spent some time shooting candy out of the thing. An elbow or skull end cap would deliver the candy at 90 degree angle into a trick or treater's bag. The blower eliminates the need for a steep angle and the problem of stuck candy. I might do another test to see if it would blow the bag out of little hands and down the street. A baffle like used in the "Cheese Ball Machine Gun" might allow the use of a hopper.


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Rogue said, "That's insane." Russell's brain heard, "Build a Candy Cannon." Great idea Rogue!!!



https://www.walmart.com/ip/Costway-Set-of-2-30-In-Decorative-Vintage-Wood-Garden-Wagon-Wheel-w-Steel-Rim-Wall-Decor/947783539?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=1848&&adid=22222222227296390244&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=361228734847&wl4=pla-973131741352&wl5=9026825&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=113146030&wl11=online&wl12=947783539&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpcL6oqmY7AIVjLLICh0NAQYhEAQYAiABEgL2b_D_BwE


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Candy Cannon update. I'm waiting on wagon wheel delivery but I think I like this better. Tripod mounted. Needs front sights and black/yellow paint job.


----------



## Rogue (Aug 5, 2012)

I bow to your greatness.


----------



## barkersrandomprojects (Oct 8, 2019)

JW Halloween said:


> Here is an idea from the Adafruit site. Automatic Halloween Candy Dispenser for Halloween
> 
> It’s not touchless but you could use a proximity sensor of some kind rather than the big button to dispense the candy.


We are a bit late to the game, but we are creating a 'touchless' variant of our candy dispenser to help kids get candy this year. We've published the original plans on our website (Barkers Random Projects) so people could build their own if they would like!

Here is a sneak peak of our working prototype using an ultrasonic sensor - hoping to have the plans out by the weekend for the touchless variant.


----------



## wolfmanyoda (Jul 30, 2017)

Russell said:


> Candy Cannon update. I'm waiting on wagon wheel delivery but I think I like this better. Tripod mounted. Needs front sights and black/yellow paint job.
> 
> View attachment 739711
> 
> ...


That is really gnarly. Good work!


----------



## Syrkres (Aug 4, 2018)

Work in progress (video: Halloween Candy Run).


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Syrkres - That's more like IT! Wooo Hooo


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Russell said:


> Candy Cannon update. I'm waiting on wagon wheel delivery but I think I like this better. Tripod mounted. Needs front sights and black/yellow paint job.
> 
> View attachment 739711
> 
> ...


you get to drink from the firehose!


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Last post I promise. Paint job and front sight. I'm still undecided and haven't bought any candy. I'm leaning toward no candy this year. I keep dragging out those creepers out to be corpsed but did the cannon instead this year. I mean shooter. I didn't have enough C stencils for cannon.


----------



## Dr Ghastly (Apr 13, 2005)

I suspect we'll see a lot of these chutes this year. Post photos of yours here.

My porch doesn't have a railing and I also wanted to use the chute at Boo at the Zoo, so I needed my chute to be free-standing.


















This is built from black ABS pipe. No painting necessary. Cost about $50 in supplies from Lowes. Those Ts and Ys are expensive! Main tube is 5 feet of 3 inch pipe, and the legs are 3 feet front and 5 feet rear of 1.5 inch pipe. Angle is about 23 degrees. Candy will not slide down completely by gravity alone, unless you give it a tiny shove - which works great.

Candy drops into the TOT's bag from the skull's mouth, the skull lights up from within, and there are tiny LEDs running the length of the tube.


----------



## wickedwillingwench (Sep 16, 2011)

will full size bars go thru? it looks good.


----------



## Dr Ghastly (Apr 13, 2005)

wickedwillingwench said:


> will full size bars go thru? it looks good.


It worked with a full-size Snickers!


----------



## wickedwillingwench (Sep 16, 2011)

my husband, being a man and all, HAS to build the chute. Personally, I plan to go with a pair of nitrile gloves. _I_ will drop a full-size candy bar in each bag...no grimy kid paws in the bucket...while wearing a surgical mask for my protection. (Kids being walking cootie farms and all.) i figure any parent more concerned than that won't be out toting anyway.


----------



## jscaldwell (Mar 29, 2016)

Russell said:


> Apologies in advance if this has already been presented but I had just finished blowing off the driveway, saw my candy pipe, and then spent some time shooting candy out of the thing. An elbow or skull end cap would deliver the candy at 90 degree angle into a trick or treater's bag. The blower eliminates the need for a steep angle and the problem of stuck candy. I might do another test to see if it would blow the bag out of little hands and down the street. A baffle like used in the "Cheese Ball Machine Gun" might allow the use of a hopper.
> 
> View attachment 739430


Video ?


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Candy Stand with plexiglass on top and a plywood middle with ABS elbow candy shoot (also good for lowering a spider on a string).

Plexiglass was delivered with 2 cracks (see blue tape). I want to remove the tape and seal the cracks so they don't get any bigger. Appearance is unimportant. Anybody know if I should use clear silicone, super glue, or pvc solvent?


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

I've got a "Spitter" mechanism proof of concept in a box somewhere. Perhaps the sliding panel should open and spray some Lysol.


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Option 3:


----------



## Rogue (Aug 5, 2012)

Not my business, but I vaguely remember being a kid, and I'd be sorely disappointed to find a house all decorated up for the holiday, then find out there's no candy. As far as the safety factor, I feel like it's possible to make it safe for the kids. I'm taking a suggestion from early on in this thread, and making up the candy bags 2 weeks ahead, using gloves and a mask when I make them up. If I haven't gotten sick by Halloween, then we know the candy is safe. Again, for handing out candy, gloves, a cloth mask, and staying 6 ft back. That's more safety measures than you get if you go out for takeout or buy groceries. Am I missing something?



Russell said:


> Option 3:


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Rogue said, "Am I missing something?" Yes you are taking away the fun of me over thinking this


----------



## ghostlland820 (Jan 11, 2014)

Russell said:


> Candy Stand with plexiglass on top and a plywood middle with ABS elbow candy shoot (also good for lowering a spider on a string).
> 
> Plexiglass was delivered with 2 cracks (see blue tape). I want to remove the tape and seal the cracks so they don't get any bigger. Appearance is unimportant. Anybody know if I should use clear silicone, super glue, or pvc solvent?


I've already built a lazy susan gizmo, but this is a pretty cool, fail-safe setup. Hah...you could drop all sorts of things out of the pipe. (Like a rubber snake.)


----------



## Scott_Garrett (Oct 13, 2011)




----------



## hjg0989 (Aug 19, 2019)

Scott_Garrett said:


>




That's fantastic!


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

Scott_Garrett said:


>


That's freaking amazing - you've even got it able to control on your phone? 

Are you going to have a LARGE bucket there so the TOTs can then get their treats themselves after the 3 point shot or just a target zone chalked/taped on the ground for them to put their buckets?


----------



## Scott_Garrett (Oct 13, 2011)

Frankie's Girl said:


> That's freaking amazing - you've even got it able to control on your phone?
> 
> Are you going to have a LARGE bucket there so the TOTs can then get their treats themselves after the 3 point shot or just a target zone chalked/taped on the ground for them to put their buckets?


Actually I haven't figured that out yet, just happy it's working right now. Also I can use voice commands, ok Google candy


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

Scott_Garrett -------- Wow. Please send more info on design to dispense a single piece of candy or better yet send it to me so I can take a look. I promise to return November 1.


----------



## Jcollier97 (Aug 29, 2017)

We are going decidedly low tech - table at the end of the driveway with candy and toys spread out. Refill as needed. Kids can grab as they will.


----------



## NormalLikeYou (Oct 2, 2011)

Here's ours.


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Wow, Very nice!


----------



## Digitizit (Sep 25, 2008)

Hey everyone! I wanted to show you my solution to how to give out candy while maintaining social distancing. It gives a little trick, and then dispenses candy. It can run all automatically or I can control it from my phone.

I would love your creative feedback!


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

EonDigital said:


> Hey everyone! I wanted to show you my solution to how to give out candy while maintaining social distancing. It gives a little trick, and then dispenses candy. It can run all automatically or I can control it from my phone.
> 
> I would love your creative feedback!
> 
> ...


That's WONDERFUL!! I love the overall look with the old posters/stickers and the nifty little tricksy. That is sure to be a huge hit with your neighborhood!!


----------



## Digitizit (Sep 25, 2008)

Frankie's Girl said:


> That's WONDERFUL!! I love the overall look with the old posters/stickers and the nifty little tricksy. That is sure to be a huge hit with your neighborhood!!


Thanks! I am adding some graffiti here and there on the outside. The posters are all paper props that I printed out and glued on and then aged. I really enjoy doing the aging. I'm not the best by any means, but I have fun!


----------



## Rogue (Aug 5, 2012)

Wow, both of those blew me away. Haunters always amaze me with their creativity and ability to make just about anything happen for the TOTs.


----------



## Michael__Myers (Sep 8, 2019)

EonDigital said:


> Hey everyone! I wanted to show you my solution to how to give out candy while maintaining social distancing. It gives a little trick, and then dispenses candy. It can run all automatically or I can control it from my phone.
> 
> I would love your creative feedback!
> 
> ...


Well done  the kids will definitely dig it


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Here my silly spyglass candy system. Its on a rope so i can angle it to the height of their bags. ( I really shouldn't replay on the phone. I'm all thumbs)


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

HauntedPirates said:


> Here my silly spyglass candy system. Its on a rope so i can angle it it the hight og their bags.


I love it. I really adore when things you have to add after the fact actually fit the whole theme so well. Never would have thought of the spyglass but that's just perfect!!


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Frankie's Girl said:


> I love it. I really adore when things you have to add after the fact actually fit the whole theme so well. Never would have thought of the spyglass but that's just perfect!!


Thank you.


----------



## rmayer121 (Aug 3, 2016)

HauntedPirates said:


> Here my silly spyglass candy system. Its on a rope so i can angle it it the hight og their bags.


Really like this idea! It would fit well with my pirate theme.


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

rmayer121 said:


> Really like this idea! It would fit well with my pirate theme.


Really simple to make. its all ABS. 4" coupler, 2'X4" pipe. 3" coupler with a 2'x3" pipe, 3" to 2" reducer and 2'x2" pipe. Glue and paint. The 2' pipe pieces are pre-cuts from home depot.


----------



## Digitizit (Sep 25, 2008)

I have seen loads of creative ways to give out candy and maintain social distancing. This is my take. I actually had this idea decades ago, but it was little more than a cardboard box with Christmas lights and bits of calculators glued to it. I have learned a couple of new tricks in the last few decades.  This one is entirely automated.

When a TOT steps on the switch mat, the black door at the top slides open There is a screen behind that and they get a short message. There are seven videos on there now, but I have scripts for several more. I don't want anyone to get a repeat if they linger. At either the end of the video, or at specific points in the videos, candy comes out the chute.

I would appreciate any input or ideas! I think, even post virus, I will keep this around and going.

I shot a short video in case anyone is interested. 




Here is a video with a little more technical info:


----------



## sasasola (Oct 9, 2018)

Wow! That's amazing! I'm sure the kids in your neighbourhood will love this!


----------



## dylaninwv (Oct 29, 2018)

LOVE IT!!!


----------



## BiggieShawty (Aug 31, 2010)

Amazing!


----------



## theric85 (Feb 23, 2014)

On a scale of 1-10, I'll give that a pretty not bad!


----------



## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

I absolutely love the look of it! Have you had any issues with candy getting stuck?


----------



## liquid6 (Oct 2, 2020)

That is very cool. Will probably be a main stay for years to come!


----------



## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Back again. Can’t stop thinking about how cool this treat dispenser is 🥰🤪🥰👏👍👍


----------



## Digitizit (Sep 25, 2008)

Ghost of Spookie said:


> I absolutely love the look of it! Have you had any issues with candy getting stuck?


I went through several bags of candy to figure out which may cause problems. Anything in packets (Skittles, Swedish Fish) are bad for getting stuck. Fun sized candy bars and such have no problem.


----------



## Syrkres (Aug 4, 2018)

Here is final Candy (Marble) Ball Run video!


----------



## PoCoHauntGal (Sep 2, 2010)

Many years ago, I made a plywood barrier to go across my doorway so when I opened it for trick & treaters, my dalmatian puppy couldn’t sneak out. I painted a pumpkin on it and cut out the eyes and mouth. My puppy surprised many by popping her head through the mouth opening! It would be simple to make a similar door barrier and use corrugated plastic pipe or dryer duct and cut holes in the barrier for the pipe to come out from the top, come back inside and then out again at a spot appropriate for trick or treaters hands. You would pop the treat in the top from inside the house and it would snake down to their open hands. Paint it up to look like a snake body or add some accessories and make the barrier look like a steampunk door, or a vending machine ... it you have a haunt theme, the ideas are endless. You can repurpose an old screen door, use plywood, corrugated plastic ... whatever works for you. Drive by some home construction sites - they often have a junk pile with stuff free for the taking. This is really the year to think outside the box!


----------



## internet troll (Nov 7, 2014)

Just finished my version of a pvc pipe delivery system.... creeper style. Based on an idea I first saw oak lane cemetery use months ago.


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

Wow, what fun.


----------



## Jeremy7 (Aug 9, 2020)

Okay, an update. Due to the angle the pipe needs to be to deliver the treat bags, the chute will not feature decoration on the exit. I will, however, apply some decoration on the body of the device.


----------



## HauntedPirates (Apr 12, 2020)

I was thinking that this year there would be very few people TOTing. But last Saturday I had over 200 people visit my display from 7pm to 9:30pm. I also took a poll on next door on who is trick or treating and it came out that 30% will TOT, 17% are undecided and 53% are not. Also, Halloween is on a Saturday and the weather will be nice. These things make me believe that there will be a lot of people out. I'm guessing around 500 for my display. With that in mind I think it's better to move people quickly through the Candy delivery line. I'm having 4 people hand out candy during the peak. 2 using the lacrosse defense sticks that are 6' tall, one on the spyglass and my new creation Candy Bones.


----------



## paulybo (Feb 16, 2021)

I'm late to the discussion, but I wanted to share the hands free candy dispenser that I made. I modified one of those motion activated candy bowls with a hand sticking out of it. Normally the hand sticks up and grabs at anyone who reaches in using a motion sensor. I moved the motion sensor to the bottom of a candy chute (PVC pipe) and I turned the hand around to drop candy when the motion is detected.


----------



## ScareyCarrie (Aug 22, 2018)

paulybo said:


> I'm late to the discussion, but I wanted to share the hands free candy dispenser that I made. I modified one of those motion activated candy bowls with a hand sticking out of it. Normally the hand sticks up and grabs at anyone who reaches in using a motion sensor. I moved the motion sensor to the bottom of a candy chute (PVC pipe) and I turned the hand around to drop candy when the motion is detected.


Awesome idea. I may have to use that idea this Halloween. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## PRO5OHHO (Mar 7, 2021)

Here's a couple pics of the candy tube I put together for 2020. Didn't have much time to do it the way I would have liked to (had problems finding ways to give it glowing eyes and the wings are abysmal) but the TOTers didn't seem to notice.


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

PRO5OHHO said:


> Here's a couple pics of the candy tube I put together for 2020. Didn't have much time to do it the way I would have liked to (had problems finding ways to give it glowing eyes and the wings are abysmal) but the TOTers didn't seem to notice.
> 
> View attachment 744316
> 
> ...



You're being much too hard on yourself... 
I think it turned out VERY nice and think it's lovely! This is pretty creative and I think the overall effect is quite good.

I bet the TOTs loved it too!


----------



## Russell (Jul 26, 2013)

I updated my candy shute (it's French for chute) with red led lighting inside and foot controlled bug zapper audio for effect. I'll have to check with Fauci but I'm pretty sure red led light kills the corona virus.


----------

