# When are you "Too Old" for Trick of Treat?



## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Our daughter is faced with this dilemma. She's a legitimate 6' tall, 210 lbs., on the Canadian U18 Rugby Team. Not a small girl. She's going to walk the streets this year, in Costume, (Harley Quinn.) and pass out Nite Glow Bracelets to TOT's. But that makes me think... How old is "too old"? 
Im 64 years young now. If somebody said, "Oh, I love your mask!" I'd know I'm too old... How do you guys feel?


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## moony_1 (Sep 25, 2009)

NEVER!!! Halloween is for everyone! Anyone who comes rapping, gently tapping at my door on halloween and gives me a trick or treat gets a treat!


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

You're not too old. Anyone that asks gets candy at my house. I even ask the parents that hang back if they want candy.


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## MorganaMourning (Jun 10, 2014)

My daughter just turned 19 and is going trick or treating with a group of her friends. They dress up and have a great time. She got a lot of candy last year.


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## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

You're too old when you refuse to wear a costume.


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## SlayKnotV1 (Jul 6, 2012)

DeadED said:


> You're too old when you refuse to wear a costume.



*I agree 1,000%*


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## Bella LaGhostly (Aug 10, 2009)

DeadED said:


> You're too old when you refuse to wear a costume.


^THIS
In fact, I always give a little extra to the "older" (between 6 and 66!) kids who put forth the effort on a costume.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

Too old for Halloween? Never. Too old to trick or treat? When it's no longer fun. 
My daughter trick or treated all through high school. Maybe even college, who knows? My son was done with it when he was eleven. It just was no longer fun to him. So I say if you're having fun and not hurting anyone else in the process, trick or treat al you want.


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## Ditsterz (Aug 20, 2015)

Never too old. I'm happy to give out candy to all.


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## pumpkinheadedskeleton (Apr 26, 2010)

What your daughter is doing is fantastic.
She's having fun, the kids interacting with her are too.

(Excuse me while I put on my flame resistant suit......)

But if you're in Highschool or older you should not be going door to door asking for candy imo. Maybe Freshman and Sophomore years if you're going to put some effort into it but that's it.
There are lots of other things you can do on Halloween to have fun without the whole candy thing.
I have no desire to give candy out to people old enough to work and drive.
I'm in my 40's, I have a blast dressing up, haunting up my house and walk with my kids but I'm not personally expecting treats.
That would be ridiculous.

Would I refuse giving candy to an obvious adult coming to my door?
I think I would.
But I'd compliment the costume effort though.


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## Saruman of Many Colours (Sep 8, 2010)

pumpkinheadedskeleton said:


> What your daughter is doing is fantastic.
> She's having fun, the kids interacting with her are too.
> 
> (Excuse me while I put on my flame resistant suit......)
> ...


Seems that we have one or more these threads posted every year.

Mostly in agreement with you here. If one is over the age of, say, 18-21 and living somewhere where you'd likely get ToTs stopping by, then (in my opinion) the best way to honor the Halloween tradition might be for you to answer the door (sure, go ahead and wear that costume if you want!) and give out candy.

That being said, I'll not refuse candy to anyone who knocks on my door -- barring rudeness, of course.


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## mita23 (Jul 17, 2012)

I stopped when I was 17...for the fact that folks probably thought my friends and I were too old/high schoolers etc. If everyone thought it was acceptable I probably would've kept going through college


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## CrypticCuriosity (Aug 18, 2012)

pumpkinheadedskeleton said:


> What your daughter is doing is fantastic.
> She's having fun, the kids interacting with her are too.
> 
> (Excuse me while I put on my flame resistant suit......)
> ...



What is an "obvious adult", though? Plenty of teenagers can look like adults, even 13-14 year olds, especially boys. What if they're mentally delayed and still enjoy trick or treating?

_There are lots of other things you can do on Halloween to have fun without the whole candy thing_

This is also not really true for most teens, at least where I live. There aren't a lot of places teens can go and have fun, either too old for kiddie activities or too young to get into parties. Professional haunts and movies are expensive, it's a sucky time. 

That said, if you come to my house you get candy. It's a holiday of community and opening up your home to others, and I treat it as such.


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## dane82 (Sep 24, 2012)

pumpkinheadedskeleton said:


> What your daughter is doing is fantastic.
> She's having fun, the kids interacting with her are too.
> 
> (Excuse me while I put on my flame resistant suit......)
> ...


pretty much completely agree, as a general rule. 

on a case-by-case basis, it depends a lot on effort. if a high school kid in jeans and a t-shirt comes by in a dollar store mask, i don't refuse, but i think...come on, man. if there's some effort to be in costume and really enjoy the occasion rather than just hitting up strangers for free candy, i'm a lot less cynical.


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## HalloCat (Jul 31, 2016)

Trick or Treating for candy door to door I feel should be reserved for children from toddlers to middle schoolers. (Never did get the whole parents bringing infants unable to eat solid foods TOTing. You're not fooling anyone on who's eating that candy lol) After that then you should be the one handing out candy, scaring kids in a haunted house, having a Halloween party or some other activity that keeps the spirit of Halloween alive for yourself and the kids. But that's my opinion. The oldest TOTer I usually see is maybe a kid in the Freshman year that can't drive yet.


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## HALLOWEENTOWN3110 (Aug 5, 2012)

I think i will give Trick r Treating a miss this year i feel i am too old knocking on doors well i am 46 after all lol


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## Forhekset (Oct 23, 2014)

I think I stopped when I was 12-13 or so. I probably thought it wasn't cool anymore. 

Every year I get at least one or two older teens, and as long as they're dressed up and say trick or treat, I don't care, I'll give 'em candy. It's the slackasses who don't even bother dressing up and give a half-hearted, mumbled greeting at the door that I give a hard time. One year I told a kid "What are you supposed to be, a lazyass teenager who doesn't have a costume?". I gave 'em candy anyway. Didn't want my house egged later.

I usually also offer candy to the older kids who are there only to escort their younger brothers or sisters. Who cares? It's Halloween.


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## annamarykahn (Oct 4, 2009)

anyone/everyone who shows up, in costume or not, gets that same

this year, because we used to let the tots pick a toy/trinket & that really slowed things down, we're going to be putting stuff into halloween treat bags

we will never turn anyone away & i think that this puts us on the "bad apples" good sides so they don't vandalize or take any props ... at least not that i've noticed  is there a halloween hoarder's 13 step program?

amk


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## unlovedpoet (Aug 10, 2016)

In my area children above 12 are not allowed to go trick or treating. I'm not sure how they enforce that but I sure was bummed when I turned 13 and couldn't go out anymore! Most houses won't bother to give the candy to teenagers anyway and just remind them of the policy :/


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## hopelesslyinsane (Sep 6, 2013)

I went trick-or-treating until I was 17. I dressed up every year and it was fun! I started to take my nephew when I was 18. I still dressed up and while I didn't ask for candy some people still gave it to me for dressing up. 

I don't live close enough to take my nephew out anymore but we get TOTs so I dress up and pass out candy. I usually give it to the adults taking kids out, too. Halloween is for everyone.


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## MacabreWeb (Jul 28, 2016)

I was told I was too old when I was 13 and it broke my heart. I don't refuse anyone who comes to my door on Halloween night. Even if they don't have a costume. (I had a year where my mom couldn't afford a costume and had to work and no one would help me put one together). In the spirit of the season, if you come to my door and I have candy, you get a piece. We even hook up the delivery guy the times we've ordered out on Halloween night. 

I see less and less people participating in decorating or passing out candy, I want to be the house that guarantees it. Senior? College student? Retiree? You're out and about, have a couple mini snickers on me and thank you for participating!


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## Jenn&MattFromPA (Sep 4, 2013)

The way I see it, any participation in Halloween works for me, because the goal is to celebrate the holiday & keep it going! While I prefer TOTers wearing costumes, I've also worked in social services & know that it's not always possible for some kids to really have one. Sure, sure, I can hear some people saying that it's not that hard to put on a pillowcase & be a ghost or something, but at the same time, if there is not a lot of parental involvement in the home, kids are often left on their own and down to the last minute. 

Plus, frankly I think it takes a lot of nerve in some social circles, schools & neighborhoods to still go TOTing if you are deemed "too old". I admire kids who still want to do it! Kids are often told they are "too big" to TOT, but they are "too young" to maybe actively give out candy or decorate their own place, so if they're trying to find a place to fit in anyway, I'm all for it!

And anyway, I like showing off our decorations because we do it to share it. So, of course the more, the merrier!


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## AstorReinhardt (Sep 6, 2016)

I was just hitting the "getting weird looks" age at 13 because I was so tall...so I looked older then I was and at 15 I called it quits myself...no one told me to but I just got the feeling 15 was to old.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

I trick or treated until I was 18 years old. That year felt weird, I was living with my much older boyfriend (I've since married him and carried his children), so we bought candy for the trick or treaters and yet I was one. Unlike my younger friends who could pass as older than I was I looked at least a few years younger than I was, so I figured there had to be a good side to that somewhere. But it just felt too weird, so that was the last year I went out. 

So long as you're getting into the spirit of it, wearing a costume and carrying a bag, I'll give you candy if I have it. I'd far rather see older kids out trick or treating and having harmless fun then getting themselves in trouble. Adolescence is hard. Let's just be accepting and let them have fun.


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## MacabreWeb (Jul 28, 2016)

CrypticCuriosity said:


> What is an "obvious adult", though? Plenty of teenagers can look like adults, even 13-14 year olds, especially boys. What if they're mentally delayed and still enjoy trick or treating?
> 
> _There are lots of other things you can do on Halloween to have fun without the whole candy thing_
> 
> ...


This ^ I'm pretty sure I looked older than I was at 12/13. I was the tallest girl I knew, which is funny to me now cause I'm so short...that was the year I stopped growing -sob- anyway, its hard to judge. My 10 yr old nephew is SUPER tall. He looks like a 7-8th grader but hes only in the 5th grade. 

I also hated it when I was asked to tell a joke to "earn" my piece of candy. I was a very shy, soft spoken and timid child. I earned it walking miles in an oversized costume to be ridiculed for bitter adults amusement wielding a candy bowl like gatekeeper. Life has thrown me plenty of trials without jilted adults trying to teach me life lessons over some m&m's FOR ONE NIGHT OF THE YEAR!


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

For being in a residential area with tons of families, we don't really get that many ToTers, guess it's because no streetlights or sidewalks? 

Anyhooo, every gets something from me - but I am a judgmental cuss! If you're bringing infant in a teddy bear costume around, you're sure as heck not getting the full size Snickers bar! Mini bar for you. Now a family dressed up as the 3 bears? I'm much more generous. Teenage boys in minimal costume, but gushing over the cemetery - flattery will get you much candy! An original, homemade costume - same! If you're clearly having fun - I'll add to it. 

Yeah - it's so hard to judge how old a kid is. My daughter will be 19 tomorrow and could easily pass for 13 or 14. Yet I've seen kids at the dance competitions she goes to that are in the 10-12 age group who look like they could be driving!


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

Everyone is always a kid at heart during Halloween. You come to my place I'll give out candy to you. ENJOY !


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## Illysium (Jul 15, 2016)

I'm 35, haven't touched candy or sweets in at least 15 years. I do it all because some of the best memories of my life were trick or treating as a kid in the 80's. We got trash bags full, every year. Not just candy but toys, marbles, pirate coins, glow sticks. My dad usually got a few beers from our neighbors, just for walking us around. The 80's were a lot more laid back than things are today. I want kids to have the same experience I had, because it was awesome. Anyone that comes to my house on Halloween, will get something, no matter the age.


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## Saruman of Many Colours (Sep 8, 2010)

Illysium said:


> I'm 35, haven't touched candy or sweets in at least 15 years. I do it all because some of the best memories of my life were trick or treating as a kid in the 80's. We got trash bags full, every year. Not just candy but toys, marbles, pirate coins, glow sticks. My dad usually got a few beers from our neighbors, just for walking us around. The 80's were a lot more laid back than things are today. I want kids to have the same experience I had, because it was awesome. Anyone that comes to my house on Halloween, will get something, no matter the age.


Yes! Quoted for truth.


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## CrypticCuriosity (Aug 18, 2012)

MacabreWeb said:


> This ^ I'm pretty sure I looked older than I was at 12/13. I was the tallest girl I knew, which is funny to me now cause I'm so short...that was the year I stopped growing -sob- anyway, its hard to judge. My 10 yr old nephew is SUPER tall. He looks like a 7-8th grader but hes only in the 5th grade.
> 
> I also hated it when I was asked to tell a joke to "earn" my piece of candy. I was a very shy, soft spoken and timid child. I earned it walking miles in an oversized costume to be ridiculed for bitter adults amusement wielding a candy bowl like gatekeeper. Life has thrown me plenty of trials without jilted adults trying to teach me life lessons over some m&m's FOR ONE NIGHT OF THE YEAR!


It was the same for my brother. I remember someone telling him he was too old and slamming a door in his face when was 12. Like, why be so hateful and cruel about it? Even if you're not outwardly rude, is it really going to kill you to be nice and give a piece of candy to someone? I'd rather teens be coming to my house for candy then out causing trouble or doing something potentially dangerous.


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

Everybody gets treats at our place! Heck we even have seniors that come together and they have a ball. I've never been a stickler about costumes on Halloween everyone is deserving of a treat!


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## tzgirls123 (Mar 22, 2016)

I love when teens/adults/parents with infants TOT!! It makes me happy to give them candy knowing the spirit of Halloween is living on...I trick or treated until i was 21...then not again until my son was born...it was a total buzz kill because we did a family themed costume & so many neighbors would only give treats to my stepson...hey, mom wants some candy too!!! haha!! 
If you go to the effort, you get candy!! I want more people to participate in Halloween in general, so I love to see everyone dress up and come out for the night!! 

You are never to old to throw on a costume and have a good time. We shouldn't limit who gets to participate.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

Actual ToTing? Probably teens. Although the last time I legitimately did I had just turned 18. Me personally, I don't care how old you are; if you come to my door in a costume, you're getting candy! I love seeing older people ToT, with or without kids.


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## Jerseyscare (Oct 2, 2012)

Yes, one of my annual favorite threads.
This year, I'm only giving out candy to kids with birthdays in October....
No, everyone coming to my door (and an occasional my sister is home sick), gets a choice, BUT I also pull some sort of startle.
Also, some I ask, "can I help you", "why are you here", etc.....until I get a "Trick or Treat"!  
Sometimes it takes, me asking "what are the 3 words", which still brings some interesting answers!
(almost to October!)
Jersey Scare


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Wolfman said:


> Our daughter is faced with this dilemma. She's a legitimate 6' tall, 210 lbs., on the Canadian U18 Rugby Team. Not a small girl. She's going to walk the streets this year, in Costume, (Harley Quinn.) and pass out Nite Glow Bracelets to TOT's. But that makes me think... How old is "too old"?
> Im 64 years young now. If somebody said, "Oh, I love your mask!" I'd know I'm too old... How do you guys feel?


Wait, she's going to walk at random and pass out to random people on the street?


BAD IDEA! 

Trust me. Been there. Done that. Police don't like that. 

Especially since some parents might not recognize Harley Quinn, and with the scary clown thing going around, a clown dressed anyone approaching kids unsolicited is just a recipe for arrest or worse. 


Now, as for how old is too old to trick or treat? I love this question every year, and my answer is always the same:

5 years after death. 

Gotta draw the line somewhere, right?


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## tarpleyg (Oct 28, 2014)

SlayKnotV1 said:


> *I agree 1,000%*


And when you're a disrespectful little **** while doing it! Had my fill of that last year.


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## Hallow Girl (May 8, 2015)

You are never too old!


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## Hallow Girl (May 8, 2015)

pumpkinheadedskeleton said:


> What your daughter is doing is fantastic.
> She's having fun, the kids interacting with her are too.
> 
> (Excuse me while I put on my flame resistant suit......)
> ...


Why shouldn't anyone in high school or older not go trick or treating? There is no age limit to celebrate halloween. If a person wants to dress up and go tot good for them. You turning them away is a shame. I feel sorry for your kids, you will most likely discourage them once they get older. Hope no one knocks on your door.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

I posted this in 2007, September 24th. I'm a little calmer these days, but I stand by what I said.

"Aren't you a little... old for Halloween?" he asked, a patronizing smirk smeared across his face. He didn't wait for an answer, but instead allowed himself a dramatic sad shake of his head, as if the concept was too tragic to consider. How he lives with his mature wisdom, I've no idea. It must be terrible to live in a world where adults have fun, when they should be constantly worried about appearing as emotionally dead as possible.

I'm thirty-six, employed with a growing business and fully insured. I have a car that is paid for, a wife, a house of our own and no debt. I make far more than minimum wage and I even clean dishes and mow the lawn when I must.
I celebrate Halloween.
I carve Jack o' Lanterns, so much so I got a pattern published with Pumpkin Masters (Harvest Moon, it was called). I light candles and listen to creepy music. I clutter the house with bones and leaves, cobwebs and creepy lights. I watch every special I can. I go to Halloween stores and spend my money like millions of other Americans. I have candy for the tricksters, and I take my nieces out when they come to town. I host a huge party, in costume with games and decor, food and drink. I celebrate like many american adults, so obviously I'm okay.
Little toddlers and grade schoolers come to the door, sometimes in groups, sometimes with a parent. Candy and decorations are prepared for their visits, so obviously they're okay.
What was the cut off? Was it 11, 12, 14, 16 years of age?
When does the revamp hit? When you pay rent and society allows you to decorate?
Who are these worthless, sad, empty-headed, arrogant jerks that introduced the idea that you might be too old for Halloween? It used to be teens and twenties used the holiday for courtship games, and adults had parties. Kids starting being offered candy to keep the pranks across Depression Era America at a minimum. But one day, some kid's holiday was destroyed when some smirking adult said...
"Aren't you a little... old for Halloween?"
and they stopped. There was no official "too old" age I recall ever being published in the newspapers or announced on the news. Did Congress pass a law? So these folks grow up, hand out candy if they feel like it, and ask everyone they ever meet over the age of 7... "aren't you a little old for Halloween?"

NO! I'm not! Aren't you a little young for a corpse? Sorry you decided to give up one having any fun outside of monday night football and beer, but most of us would like to live life while we're here. Luckily, this generation doesn't seem to buy into the "too old" nonsense, especially since no one can give a reasonable answer for when and why age has anything to do with it.

Wanna save trick or treat? Get whole families doing it. When the college kids have the guts to come to your door and politely trick or treat you, lavish them with goods and tell them it was great to see them! Give Mom and Dad some candy, tell them they get more next year if they are in costume!
Take candy to work and offer it to folks, let them know they aren't too old for chocolate and a horror movie, so Halloween should be par for the course.

Sorry. Just a bit of a rant after running into some backwater idiot who wanted to know who shopped at Spirit, since Halloween was just for little kids, and everybody else was a moron if they bothered. He actually made a scene in the parking lot, yelling at his wife what a stupid concept a Halloween store was.

He's right about one thing, though.

He was a little... old for Halloween. Shame, though. He only looked about forty years of age, plenty of decades of halloween fun still to be had at that age. Oh, well.


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

While this topic gets posted every year, I'll weigh in. At our place, everyone gets a treat, kids of all ages, adults who accompany said kids (many politely decline), college kids (my wife works at a nearby universtiy and we get a lot of them from there). Costume or not ( we get a LOT of kids from poorer neighborhoods whos parents bring them to our neighborhood for a fun and safe TOT experience). It's a holiday, like any other. What would be different about telling someone they're too old to celebrate Christmas, Easter, St. Patricks Day? None that I can tell. We love to see the crowd (most years over 600). We visit with them while they wait in line to go through the haunt. Parents tell us they've been coming to our place for years and how they look foward to it every year. Halloween night is a celebration for us as well as the folks who stop by. I wouldn't think of discouraging anyone from taking part and hopefully we're maybe bringing back a spark in someone who's been told they're too old, or at least inspiring future Halloween enthusiasts.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

Jerseyscare said:


> Yes, one of my annual favorite threads.
> This year, I'm only giving out candy to kids with birthdays in October....
> No, everyone coming to my door (and an occasional my sister is home sick), gets a choice, BUT I also pull some sort of startle.
> Also, some I ask, "can I help you", "why are you here", etc.....until I get a "Trick or Treat"!
> ...


It blows my mind that some kids don't know to say "Trick or Treat!" They just hold out their bag and crowd around the door.


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## dane82 (Sep 24, 2012)

it seems that there may be some confusion about the topic here...

when are you too old to trick or treat? i'll go with my previous answer, probably somewhere in your teens.

when are you too old FOR HALLOWEEN? NEVER! i haven't trick or treated in 20-ish years, but i've never stopped going crazy for halloween. these are two very separate questions.

i quit sitting on santa's lap a long time ago, but i still love christmas.


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## MissT (Dec 18, 2013)

A little boy showed up at the door, his parents standing a few feet behind him. 
Parents (to their son): "Say Trick or Treat"
Me (smiling at him): "Can you say Trick or Treat"
Little boy: <nods head enthusiastically>

That made my night 



HalloGeekHalfrican said:


> It blows my mind that some kids don't know to say "Trick or Treat!" They just hold out their bag and crowd around the door.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

Dane82,

No confusion here. They are one and the same, because no one can say why there should be an age limit on trick-or-treat. There's no age limit on caroling.

Not to mention, this house thinks 12 is too old, this one thinks 14, that one over there thinks 16, that one across the street has no age limit...

I suggest we drop this age nonsense completely. If you've ever been to Scotland on New Years Eve, you'd know how amazing it is to see all ages in the streets and visiting doorsteps. The only age limit there is for liquor and who gets served. 
And since it is the primary focus of Halloween, let's open the doors to everyone. They are one and the same.

And the Santa comparison is flawed. Everyone gets presents at Christmas... BUT only recently. A century ago, many families reserved gifts only for children.
That changed.
This can, too.


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## Terror Tom (Nov 3, 2008)

If they have a bag for the candy, they get some! I don't really care too much. I hope that the teens and older remember the nice guy that had the cool Halloween decorations and gave out candy and maybe in the future they would do the same. I think a little goodwill goes a long way and makes people stop and think about doing there own decorations. I'm in it to spread some Halloween cheer and make some memories.


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## psox16 (Jun 6, 2009)

I stopped trick-or-treating when I was 13. I was the official babysitter in the neighborhood, and I knew all of the little kiddos and I loved them all. I preferred to hand out candy and see them all in costume. I would usually dress up, too. 

That being said, anybody who wants candy can have candy at my house (provided they are polite). I also have Teal Pumpkin items for kiddos who can't have candy. Of course, I would prefer costumes, but it's not required. Of course, I want everybody to say "Trick or treat", but some kiddos are shy or are unable for whatever reason. I just want everybody to have a good time on Halloween!


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## byondbzr (Sep 9, 2012)

My mom told me in 7th grade I was too old. It killed me and I hated her for a long while after that. For real. I give treats to everyone. I do have a negative reaction to 14-15 year old boys, not in costume, who run up and hold out a pillowcase. But as quickly as I have that reaction, empathy saves the day. I live in an area where many are poor and/or barely scraping by. If these boys don't have costumes, who am I to judge them? They always say "trick or treat!" and "Thank you." So yeah, I've got no problem with it, they should be allowed a treat too.


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## Darkslide632 (Sep 10, 2010)

Never too old in my mind. I'm not sure about how I'd feel about people not in costume TOTing, but otherwise I don't care. Why anyone would is beyond me.


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## Hallow Girl (May 8, 2015)

YESSSSS!!!!

I Couldn't have said it better myself.

There is NO age limit to go tot.


Spats said:


> Dane82,
> 
> No confusion here. They are one and the same, because no one can say why there should be an age limit on trick-or-treat. There's no age limit on caroling.
> 
> ...


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## GrimGrinningGhost (Sep 2, 2009)

I don't like the analogy of sitting on Santa's lap and Trick 'r Treating. Sitting on an adult strangers lap vs going to your neighbors door receiving candy are two differenct creatures: just my opinion. In High School several of us (an eclectic group we were: a couple brainiacs, an althlete, a few awesome exchange students, and myself the Addam's Family member) went to the mall and had our pic taken around Santa. 

Just a few years ago I went Trick 'r Treating in my Frank the Bunny suit from the movie Donnie Darko. I was in my mid forties. I had householders come out on the porch to take pictures with me. Groups on the streets would stop to take pictures. I was in my forties.
It is all fun. 
You are never to old to enjoy life.

Some mistake child engagement and entertaining with childishness. I would never go to McDonald's playland (well, I frequent fast food joints maybe once every four months or less) and just play, yet while in my mid thirties I went with my buddy and his son to an arcade that had a huge, I'm talking HUGE, hamster like tube maze with net crossways and intricate tubing like a space station and spiraling turrets with long entwining slides and a huge ball pit at the bottom. I was there with my friend and his son, not there to entertain myself although I had a blast. I would never go there on my own. Obviously.
I personnaly feel Halloween is the same.
I actually prefer to decorate the front yard and sit on the porch and watch the boys and ghouls. 
My new digs does not allow that: living on a busy street-we only got one group of three younguns from behind us in the alley. So sad.


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## mariem (Oct 7, 2012)

I don't care how old they are and if they are in costume they get a treat bag &/or a homemade cookie/cupcake as well.

Marie


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## Goog (Sep 3, 2012)

I give candy to any age regardless of whether they have a costume or not. I might be a bit more okay with it because I have a child with autism. He's 12 and completely innocent (we are talking full on 100% belief in Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, etc). I could see him wanting to trick-or-treat until he's much older. He's also unusually social for an autistic individual and many people don't know that he has special needs until they've talked to him for a while. He also has sensory issues with a lot of costumes, masks, and makeup. Usually his costume consists of a superhero shirt or something that can be made out of normal clothes. Anytime I see an older kid or adult running around without a costume or mumbling I give the benefit of the doubt.

And sometimes a child might be tall for their age. I coach a flag football team and we have a 5'9" kid who is only eleven. My daughter is 13 and already 5'7" and is planning to go out with friends (she's going as Star Trek: TNG's Data).

I personally went until I was 17. I would dress up and take my younger cousins around. It was a small town and most of the people knew me (not many 6' tall girls running around) and some would roll their eyes but most later told me that it was nice to know that at least one teenager wasn't out egging houses.


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## Goog (Sep 3, 2012)

psox16 said:


> I stopped trick-or-treating when I was 13. I was the official babysitter in the neighborhood, and I knew all of the little kiddos and I loved them all. I preferred to hand out candy and see them all in costume. I would usually dress up, too.
> 
> That being said, anybody who wants candy can have candy at my house (provided they are polite). I also have Teal Pumpkin items for kiddos who can't have candy. Of course, I would prefer costumes, but it's not required. Of course, I want everybody to say "Trick or treat", but some kiddos are shy or are unable for whatever reason. I just want everybody to have a good time on Halloween!


We do the teal pumpkin too. We have done Halloween comics the last few years. We offer them along with candy to everyone. We handed out mini tubs of PlayDoh one year and had a bunch of teenagers really excited about them. I knew one of their parents and she said that they sat around her dining room table that night playing with it and eating candy. That sort of thing is why I don't mind handing out treats to anyone.


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## oaklawn Crematory (Jun 25, 2010)

I have received a number of complaints myself and subsequently I stopped Trick or Treating last year.....I really miss it, especially the full size Snickers bars.


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## dane82 (Sep 24, 2012)

I don't feel like arguing over something so damn stupid, but yes, the Santa example is right on point.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

..just sayin'..


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

Dane82,

I apologize. It wasn't my intention to upset or pile on, and if I came on too strong, that is my fault.
And no, not every disagreement has to be an argument, we can discuss our viewpoints here with a little less ire. I will.

I do not see this thread or this issue as "so damn stupid". I consider the topic important to the future of the holiday.

There is a practical reason for children generally being the primary visitor's to Santa's lap. Expecting an elderly man to allow a full-grown adult onto his lap is impractical and cruel. It's a physics issue, not to mention a medical one. 
However, college kids pose with Santa. December newlyweds pose with Santa, new parents, new grandparents, sports teams, enthused party guests, etc. Maybe they don't physically sit in his lap, but Santa is a big deal for a lot of holiday fans, and they go see him.

No one has ever given me a rational reason for trick-or-treat to have an age limit. 
If other begging customs (like caroling or the New Years Eve/Hogmanay tradition of 'first footing') have no age limit, why should trick-or-treat?
Why would you deny anyone candy on Halloween?
If there is an age limit, was is it? Who decides?

Everyone has a different age or perceived visible age (I mean the "I don't know that kid's actual age, but he/she looks too old to me" sort of thing), so shouldn't we have some sort of agreement? This forum alone is filled with stories of the person at the door breaking a heart with "aren't you a little old?" and I'd bet that kid would have liked to have known the Official National Age Limit of the American Halloween.

We're trying to preserve the holiday, spread it, nurture it, not impose personal standards and limits and rules on it. We want to set it loose, not hedge it in.

No one, and I mean no one, ever made the world a better place by declaring that people having fun weren't acting their age. Whether it was cartoons and comics, games and toys, costumes, presents, trick-or-treat or even just holidays in general, some people try to shame others from enjoying them.

I don't see any reason for it.
If you have one, I'd like to consider it. I sincerely doubt I've thought of every possible reason, I ain't that smart.
But if all we have is "it was always that way", then I'll dismiss it outright. I want a better justification for ruining someone's holiday. If we're going to throw their age in their face and deny them a tiny piece of sugar, it had better be for good cause.

Honestly, what's wrong with trying to improve things?


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

My daughter is struggling with what to do this year. She is 12 and she is afraid she shouldn't trick or treat anymore because we don't see many kids her age trick or treat in our neighbourhood. We are encouraging her to go out with friends but she's hesitant. 
The other concern we have is my 9 year old sons acceptance because of his height. He is taller than the average 13 year old boy and stands almost a foot taller than most of his friends.


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

oaklawn Crematory said:


> I have received a number of complaints myself and subsequently I stopped Trick or Treating last year.....I really miss it, especially the full size Snickers bars.


Oak you should tell the truth......you didn't receive complaints because of your age.....you received complaints because you lined up 78 times at one house for Snickers Bars.


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

doto said:


> My daughter is struggling with what to do this year. She is 12 and she is afraid she shouldn't trick or treat anymore because we don't see many kids her age trick or treat in our neighbourhood. We are encouraging her to go out with friends but she's hesitant.
> The other concern we have is my 9 year old sons acceptance because of his height. He is taller than the average 13 year old boy and stands almost a foot taller than most of his friends.


IMO, that's a great age to TOT. As a little kid, you're relegated to walking around with your parents in tow, as they watch you go from door to door. Your TOT time is also often dictated by your parent's energy or level of interest in the whole affair. some of the best TOT memories I have were the years we could go out unaccompanied by an adult. Hitting neighborhood after neighborhood with a group of enthusiastic friends, running through dark streets and back yards, staying out until 9 or 10; it was kid heaven! We get a LOT of teens in our neighbrohood, partly because we do a walk through haunt. They're a fun crowd for the most part and we get some of our best scares from them. We also find that the majority are respectful and appreciative and many compliment us on being the "best house" around!


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## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

The last time I went I was 20....during my college years. I had a blast!!


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## dane82 (Sep 24, 2012)

@ spats--I'm at least equally to blame. I've been on some forums where people are less than respectful and I'm a little quick to get defensive. Mea culpa. No harm in differences in opinion and I'm glad people handle them well here at HF.


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## runjimmyrun (Jun 4, 2016)

If it keeps you young at heart by doing it, your never too old! Trick or Treat forever!!


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## Rowsdower (Oct 7, 2016)

I wish I could still trick or treat now, to be honest. As far as "when are you too old", I would say after you're 18. Though, I say this having trick or treated up to a slightly older age. The main gripe I have with older trick or treaters is that so many of them show up at my house with plastic grocery bags, no costume, and a crappy attitude to boot. I plan on having "bad" bags this year to give to the more obnoxious teens. By that I mean cheap, unpleasant candy. If a little kid doesn't have a costume, I'm not gonna say a word about that (why embarrass a child over something that's not their fault?), but a smug teen who demands candy and isn't even polite? No thanks.

Otherwise, I wouldn't care too much about how old a "kid" is. Just as long as they're friendly and say "trick or treat" and "thank you".


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## Boone6666 (Aug 22, 2014)

and I get plenty of them too


DeadED said:


> You're too old when you refuse to wear a costume.


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

Never. I give out full sized candy bars not college educations.


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## HalloweenieChallenge (Oct 8, 2014)

Easy question:

The answer is never.


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## HalloweenieChallenge (Oct 8, 2014)

Oh - and a solution for your daughter might be to come up with a costume that "works with" her height.

What I mean is - get something that will cover her from head to toe - that covers her and disguises how tall she is. This might mean putting a face/mask lower on her body so people think that is where her face is - and how tall she really is.

Something like this: http://www.google.com/search?q=hula...X&ved=0ahUKEwiFnIjkjs3PAhWCQj4KHSZ2Dc0Q_AUIBQ

But put the sun glasses lower - make a "hat" that would cover the top part of her head.

Check out #14 Kid Riding A Jet Pack and #13 Tall Guy As A Regular Guy On Stilts:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/the-best-halloween-costumes-of-2012?utm_term=.sjeLbKB7x0#.dvR6ywXQJ4

(and sorry if some of these are really crude and offensive - I think those 2 I picked out might work for her!)


You just gotta get creative!!


To me this is totally in the spirit of Halloween!


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## mikieofthedead (Aug 12, 2005)

NEVER! If you're in a costume you get candy at our haunt no matter what age....it's all about the spirit


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## piraticalstyle (Sep 1, 2009)

Okay, this one strikes a nerve with me! My youngest is 12 and my oldest will be 16 ON HALLOWEEN! (Yes, my first Powder Monkey was born on the day.) They never really got into Trick or Treating, however, after my divorce we never really decorated my apartment. We weren't getting ToT's anyway. So I started looking into alternative ways for us to enjoy the holiday, and you know what I found? NOTHING! There's plenty of events aimed at young kids (Fall Festivals at schools, Trunk or Treats, door to door trick or treating, etc.) and no shortage of ADULT themed parties, where theres a lot of booze and not a lot of material to the costumes. I still can't find anything aimed at 'tweens'. I expect this is part of why we, as haunters, deal with hooligans that destroy our haunts. They have nothing else to do and are envious of the fun everyone else is having. 

As many others have said, if you knock on my door and you are wearing a costume you will get candy. Your age is irrelevant. Not only should we be letting the older kids enjoy themselves, we should be encouraging it!


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

ok I'm gonna say a bit more here. I encouraged my tot'ers to bring their parents into the house tour, then people started bringing their whole families to see what we did. I rewarded them for that cause I love entertaining the kids but if I could really entertain the families too that made me very happy. I wanted to put a smile on all of their faces on Halloween. Like I said...I have seniors that come without any kids. Costumes are not manditory here. 

I hope you guys all come to some agreement cause for sure I would hate to have a bouncer at the front door checking birth certificates! Ha!


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## jackpot (Nov 1, 2008)

If you show up at my place and you say Trick r' Treat you will get goodies. But, the idea of older kids going out and passing glow bracelets and such out to tot's is even better.


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## McBernes (Mar 10, 2015)

I'm 42, and last year was my first trick or treating experience. It was my daughter's first too. My wife tot'd when she was growing up and had to explain the protocol to me lol. We will all three dress up and do it again this year ( we will be Lock Shock and Barrel). Our daughter got the most of the candy, we got little here and there. So, you are never too old. I expect I'll be out shuffling about on my walker at some point.


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## sookie (Sep 19, 2010)

Age doesn't bother me as much. I usually do trick or treat and hand out candy from 4pm to 8pm. The older kids come around 9pm but I am usually watching the movies marathons with my family then so ToT is over here. 

However after 8pm most of the kids are done. It's the car full of kids from Charlotte after that so we close up. Most everyone here stops between 7:30 and 8:30


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