Being “that house” at Halloween
November 2, 2024 7:21 AM Subscribe
We’re excited to be “that house” at Halloween with full sized candy bars, chips and drinks. How can we up the wow factor?
I’ve seen people do fun things like this fish market set up (I love that the candies also tie in and that the house doesn’t need to be decorated too much either. ) but what could we do rather than a straight copy of them?
This year (and last) on our driveway we set up a few small tables on one side to hold a tray of candy bars, a large bucket of chip bags, and a kids cooler (waters, juice and capri suns- I like that the no-cans means they aren’t confused with beers/sodas for adults). Then on the other side of the driveway we had a fire pit and the adult cooler. In between were some camping chairs so we could sit out with neighbors. We like keeping the fire pit to one side where people can still warm up if needed, but kids don’t accidentally get too close.
Here are some of our considerations
- Don’t have a garage or a ton of extra storage space
- Could run an extension cord out if we need electricity
- Love a theme approach
- love a way to let kids both choose what candies they want, while also not having a free for all on a tray of full sized candy bars when groups come up
- we’re in NC so it can either be very hot out, mild or cold depending on the year.
- The driveway is relatively flat, and is about 2 car widths across closer to the house but tapers to one car width where it meets the street. From the street it’s about 2-3 car lengths long.
- I’m not a big Halloween person (just giving out candies) so we don’t do other decorations and I don’t like the bloody/scary Halloween decor
Could you give us suggestions on a theme set up for future years as well as a way to hand out full sized candies one at a time that feels fun rather than nagging children to not grab a handful of full sized bars?
I’ve seen people do fun things like this fish market set up (I love that the candies also tie in and that the house doesn’t need to be decorated too much either. ) but what could we do rather than a straight copy of them?
This year (and last) on our driveway we set up a few small tables on one side to hold a tray of candy bars, a large bucket of chip bags, and a kids cooler (waters, juice and capri suns- I like that the no-cans means they aren’t confused with beers/sodas for adults). Then on the other side of the driveway we had a fire pit and the adult cooler. In between were some camping chairs so we could sit out with neighbors. We like keeping the fire pit to one side where people can still warm up if needed, but kids don’t accidentally get too close.
Here are some of our considerations
- Don’t have a garage or a ton of extra storage space
- Could run an extension cord out if we need electricity
- Love a theme approach
- love a way to let kids both choose what candies they want, while also not having a free for all on a tray of full sized candy bars when groups come up
- we’re in NC so it can either be very hot out, mild or cold depending on the year.
- The driveway is relatively flat, and is about 2 car widths across closer to the house but tapers to one car width where it meets the street. From the street it’s about 2-3 car lengths long.
- I’m not a big Halloween person (just giving out candies) so we don’t do other decorations and I don’t like the bloody/scary Halloween decor
Could you give us suggestions on a theme set up for future years as well as a way to hand out full sized candies one at a time that feels fun rather than nagging children to not grab a handful of full sized bars?
I love giving out trick or treat: 1, 2 for some pre sourced thoughts for you to consider.
I am a very lazy woman who doesn't enjoy laboring, especially outdoors, so while in theory I'd love to be the theme house guy, I know it could never be me. So I go whole out on the treats.
It sounds counterintuitive, but to ensure kids grab fewer things, you can encourage them to grab two things. For example, one candy bar, and one sticker or small toy. Have these at separate tables. Knowing they have to make choices, plural can help to engage them productively (assume they're hearing "just take one!" all night like the wah wah of a Charlie Brown adult).
Watching this thread with interest 👀👀👀
posted by phunniemee at 7:48 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]
I am a very lazy woman who doesn't enjoy laboring, especially outdoors, so while in theory I'd love to be the theme house guy, I know it could never be me. So I go whole out on the treats.
It sounds counterintuitive, but to ensure kids grab fewer things, you can encourage them to grab two things. For example, one candy bar, and one sticker or small toy. Have these at separate tables. Knowing they have to make choices, plural can help to engage them productively (assume they're hearing "just take one!" all night like the wah wah of a Charlie Brown adult).
Watching this thread with interest 👀👀👀
posted by phunniemee at 7:48 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]
This is not a direct answer to your question, but I have heard a rumor that houses which give out Little Debbies (or I imagine twinkies, etc) are extremely popular with children.
posted by Frowner at 7:54 AM on November 2
posted by Frowner at 7:54 AM on November 2
Projector lights are a super easy decoration that provides a lot of bling for the buck. I got an $8 bat projector from Aldi and shined it on my blinds from inside a dark room, but you can also shine it on your house from the outside. It will be hard to get known as a good house if it's not visibly advertised at least a bit.
If you want to go all out on drinks, you could have mulled wine and hot cocoa in hot pots or thermoses.
Kids on the street were abuzz with talk of the house that had packs of ramen. It doesn't have to make sense, kids love something unexpected and off-beat. You can also explore non-candy treats like stickers or bouncy balls and other party-favor like cheap toy.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:57 AM on November 2 [3 favorites]
If you want to go all out on drinks, you could have mulled wine and hot cocoa in hot pots or thermoses.
Kids on the street were abuzz with talk of the house that had packs of ramen. It doesn't have to make sense, kids love something unexpected and off-beat. You can also explore non-candy treats like stickers or bouncy balls and other party-favor like cheap toy.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:57 AM on November 2 [3 favorites]
We carried this over from Covid-- buy one or two plastic 8' gutter, set it tilt down from porch steps, a step ladder or sturdy table (need a good degree of tilt so candies slide down easily), decorate sides with pumpkin stickers etc if desired. I fashion a receiving tray out of shallow rectangle boxes but an under bed storage box would work too. Our current house steps are shallow and rickety so this is great to keep folks from having to come up the stairs and ring the bell; we sit in chairs at the top of the steps and slide candy down (when the magic words are spoken). Adults love slinging candy down the slide, the kids grab it from the tray. Portion control is easy.
The plastic gutters can lean against a building or along the ground when not in use, hosed off when needed.
They're cheap at big box hardware stores, and light enough to carry home if you don't have a vehicle.
posted by winesong at 7:57 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]
The plastic gutters can lean against a building or along the ground when not in use, hosed off when needed.
They're cheap at big box hardware stores, and light enough to carry home if you don't have a vehicle.
posted by winesong at 7:57 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]
1. Movie theater snack bar. You could dress the part and also borrow or buy a popcorn machine to provide popcorn for the parents if you have a couple adults working the table.
2. You could get a fill in the blank carnival style prize wheel and list the types of candies or treats you have so the kids spin the wheel to find out what they get. Could also keep a mystery space or free choice space on there.
3. Old fashioned candy shop style with a fancy desk in front of you and a bookshelf with candy behind you. Dress like willy wonka or something.
4. If you have multiple adults in the house you could all dress up as baseball snack vendors each with a different candy.
posted by donut_princess at 7:58 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]
2. You could get a fill in the blank carnival style prize wheel and list the types of candies or treats you have so the kids spin the wheel to find out what they get. Could also keep a mystery space or free choice space on there.
3. Old fashioned candy shop style with a fancy desk in front of you and a bookshelf with candy behind you. Dress like willy wonka or something.
4. If you have multiple adults in the house you could all dress up as baseball snack vendors each with a different candy.
posted by donut_princess at 7:58 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]
Pick some other Halloween-adjacent theme that results in stuff you wouldn't mind having in your house or closet? Fairy tales, a period of history (medieval, Victorian, the 1920s, etc.), artificial or real fall flowers, forest/forest animals, Alice in Wonderland/Wizard of Oz/Lord of the Rings/??, Venetian masquerade, a favorite film or anime, science fiction/futuristic, crystals and tarot (or y'know, geology)...there are a lot of directions you can go and you don't have to spend a lot of money, depending on your approach.
Anything that lights up will help draw people to you. With color-changing LEDs you don't even have to limit yourself by buying orange or purple bulb strands!
posted by wintersweet at 9:09 AM on November 2
Anything that lights up will help draw people to you. With color-changing LEDs you don't even have to limit yourself by buying orange or purple bulb strands!
posted by wintersweet at 9:09 AM on November 2
Response by poster: (Just jumping in to say that 2 years of handing out full candy bars, chips and drinks and the campfire out front has resulted in enough attention. I’m not worried about enough kids showing up , we had about 90-100 candy bars and they all got handed out so decorations are just for fun, not needed to draw people in. Thanks!)
posted by raccoon409 at 9:16 AM on November 2
posted by raccoon409 at 9:16 AM on November 2
We bought a claw machine this year. The kids went nuts.
posted by bowbeacon at 11:29 AM on November 2
posted by bowbeacon at 11:29 AM on November 2
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posted by raccoon409 at 7:24 AM on November 2