Once you hit high school, trick-or-treating doesn’t have as big of an appeal. That—and it’s just a bit awkward for a group of teenagers to trick-or-treat! But growing up doesn’t mean leaving fun behind; try out one of these alternatives to trick-or-treating this Halloween and see if you don’t enjoy it!
1 Party
I promise you that there will be parties of every variety going on around Halloween! If you’re a party person, this is the perfect substitute for you! Odds are you’ll still get free food and have a chance to dress up. Plus, from ragers to kickbacks, you’re sure to find at least one party that suits your taste. You also could host your own party, if you prefer, as long as you have your parents’ permission.
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2 Throwback Movie Marathon
If you prefer something more low key, propose a movie night to your friends. Our childhoods were filled with the best Halloween movies—Halloweentown, Twitches, Hocus Pocus— the list goes on and on! A throwback movie marathon with those movies will be a night you won't soon forget.
3 Haunted House
This one is just as much a Halloween tradition as trick or treating. Going out and getting spooked with your friends can be so much fun! You have a few options if you’d like to see a Haunted House this Halloween. You could search your town for Haunted Houses hosted in people’s houses, go to an amusement park or fair, or make your own Haunted House to open to the public! Any one of these options can be really fun! Just be careful and smart about whose house you enter or whom you let into your house.
4 Craft Night
Sure, making crafts isn’t the stereotypical way to spend your Halloween night—you definitely won’t see it in any high school movies. But if all you really want to do is spend time with your friends, a craft night could be the perfect way to do just that! Put on a classic Halloween flick, set out some candy and snacks, then get to crafting! You can do anything from knit scarves for autumn to make Christmas ornaments. It’s totally up to you! The whole point is to have fun and bond with your besties.
5 Horror Movie
An option for going out without “going out” is going to a movie theater to see the latest horror movie. There’s no shortage of choices for horror films at this time of year. So get your toughest—or most squeamish!— friends together for a horror movie night. (And make sure you sneak in some candy so you still get your Halloween sugar fix.)
6 Bonfire
Usually, bonfires are associated with summer. But there’s no rule that says you can’t have them in fall, too! Especially if you live in a warmer area, you should have a bonfire—complete with roasting marshmallows, singing your favorite songs, and, of course, ghost stories! If you live somewhere where it’s already too cold to sit outside at night, move the festivities inside and sit by the fireplace doing all of those same activities, but without freezing to death!
7 Just the Treats!
Let’s face it—no one ever “tricks” during trick-or-treating. You really just go for the treats! But you can make even better treats at home. So, have a bake night with your friends. Fill your house with warmth and a sweet aroma as you bake cupcakes, pies, brownies, cookies, and whatever else your heart desires! Feel free to decorate them in the Halloween Spirit and even pass them out to trick-or-treaters, if you feel generous.
You may be getting to old to trick-or-treat, but you're never too old to have fun! Of course, if trick-or-treating is what you want to do more than anything this Halloween, I won't stop you! But if you feel like it's time to grow out of that tradition, you should know that you can still have tons of fun. Which alternative might you try?
