Going trick-or-treating is not the same as it was a generation ago. Then there were two nights – Begger’s Night and Halloween night, and often treats consisted of homemade popcorn balls and fudge along with store-bought candy bars (that were the size of our normal size candy bars of today).  Now, parents have to be more cautious, and a trick-or-treat night is not finished without a trip to the local hospital where candy is x-rayed.

For this reason, parents have to come up with inventive ways to allow their children to have the fun of an old-fashioned Halloween night, but without the dangers.

In Monson, Massachusetts the neighbors decorate their vehicles, line them up along the road, and let the kids trick-or-treat from car to car instead of house to house. This makes for a lot of fun for the neighborhood, and great family time. It's not as much walking as door to door and block to block, and the entire family can contribute to the decor of the vehicle.

Make it a block party, You can pass out apple cider and non-sugar treats (they will get enough sugar later), and if you wan to be creative, use skull goblets.

Don’t forget to include some activities. Hold a pumpkin carving, bob for apples and come up with other crazy games. Place votive candles inside the carved pumpkins and they can light the way to the trunk or treat. You can also place Spooky Spider candle lanterns or candy corn candles around to illuminate the surrounding area.

There is the old tried and true game of Bobbing for Apples, a fun activity for the whole family!

A scavenger hunt during your trunk or treat is ever so cool! Post simple riddles for items the kids need to find (example: have a black cat hold a rhyme like: To find a clue you’ll use your head. Flowers sleep in a colorful bed. (Place a staked sign with another clue in a flower bed). You can place clues. Mark off a perimeter so children don’t go past that area, and have parents keep the kids inside the area.

With a little creativity, and some help from your neighbors, a “Trunk or Treat” party will start a tradition that can be passed down.