How To Go Trick-Or-Treating As An Adult

Trick-or-treating as an adult can be pretty iffy. All of the circumstances have to be just right so you aren’t either making a complete fool of yourself, or scaring the crap out of neighbors (which could come back to haunt you later in the year). The good thing is, there is a way you can totally pull off trick-or-treating as an adult without being that creepy neighbor.

I’ll admit, I really miss trick-or-treating, and not just for the candy (though that’s a pretty awesome part of it). I loved getting dressed up in my costume as a kid, hanging out with all my friends, and getting compliments on how scary or how pretty I looked all night. It was even more fun wearing a mask and making my neighbors guess which devilish child I was. If it was a neighbor I didn’t love, I may have lied about who I was and stolen all their candy… I might have been a bit of a wild child.

Though the wild child in me has settled down as an adult, trick or treating is one of those Halloween traditions I can’t give up. So I did my research, compared notes, and asked around to figure out just how I could pull it off as an adult. If you are able to follow the guidelines below, then grab your costume and get ready for the candy to come pouring in. This is how you do trick-or-treating, adult style.

1. Bring Kids

This is the easiest way to get out of being the creepy adult who is demanding candy from his or her neighbors. So grab your kids, your younger cousins, your little brother’s friends, or whoever else you can find. Heck, you could even get away with dressing up your dog or cat and trick-or-treating with them! Everyone will be oooing and awwing over the pets, so they won’t notice when you take an extra handful of candy.

2. Let The Kids Go First

You’ve already had your childhood trick-or-treating time, so be sure to let other kids have the same experience! There’s no need to block kids from getting candy and enjoying their Halloween. Take a step back when you see a big group coming through, let them pass, and then go in for your turn.

3. Bring Treats For The Adults

Of course, you’ll probably want to bring your own travel mugs full of cider or hot toddies, but consider bringing some extra with paper cups to hand out to your neighbors giving out the candy. I know getting a cocktail in return for handing out a little candy would be a welcome reward in my book!

4. Don’t Go By Yourself

Grab a friend, a significant other, or even make a fun first date out of the experience. Besides, you don’t really want to go alone do you? If so, maybe consider retiring from trick-or-treating altogether.

5. Go At A Decent Hour

We’ve all experienced the jerks who show up at 11 o’clock at night demanding candy on Halloween. That is not the kind of trick-or-treater you want to be. Go at a decent hour, just like everyone else does. Besides, why would you want to miss out on all those crazy kids in adorable costumes anyway?

6. Dress As Something Cute & Fun

There’s no need to terrify the children or the adults on Halloween. Yes, I know Halloween is about all things scary, but it’s very different to see a young child dressed up as a scary clown versus an adult. You’re already fighting an uphill battle with trick or treating once you hit age 16, so don’t make it any harder on yourself. Bonus points if you can figure out a pun costume or something only adults will understand, but isn’t offensive.

7. Stay In Your Neighborhood

Good practice for an adult trick-or-treating on Halloween is to stay in an area where you actually know the people you are receiving candy from. If they know who you are, chances are they will be much more accepting. Strangers are more likely to get completely freaked out by the unknown adult dressed like a witch demanding free candy. Don’t know your neighbors? Well you just found the perfect way to introduce yourself, didn’t you?

8. Arrange A Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Party

Ready for one of the best trick-or-treat experiences ever? Reach out to your neighbors ahead of time, and set up a trick-or-treat house crawl. You can stop by each house to grab a drink and some candy, chitchat for a bit, and then move onto the next house. Everyone hosts, and everyone can join in on the fun as an adult. Think of it as extended trick-or-treating! I did this once, and it was the most fun I’ve had trick-or-treating as an adult.

Hopefully I’ll see you hitting the streets on Halloween! Let’s meet up and compare our loot afterwards, OK?

For more Halloween ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.

Images: AForestFrolic; Steven Depolo; Steven Depolo; Didriks; Ms Tiesha Donyell Perry; Eli Christman; vmiramontes/Flickr