Hi Parents,
Is this your first time experiencing Halloween in a foreign country, or have you been celebrating Halloween since childhood? For those of us who grew up trick-or-treating, this Halloween tradition feels like a safe and fun thing to do. We enjoy watching kids run around in costumes because it brings back memories from our own childhood.
Not all parents are familiar with this tradition, though. Many ESL parents in my neighborhood aren’t comfortable with Halloween. Some don’t send their kids to school with costumes. This may be because of religious reasons, or because they don’t know enough about the tradtion. Others allow their kids to dress up for school, but they don’t take their kids out trick-or-treating. Some people do not feel comfortable with the idea of children knocking on strangers’ doors.
I have met ESL parents in my neighborhood who think Halloween looks fun, but don’t understand how trick-or-treating works. Are you one of these parents? Don’t be afraid! Here is a step-by-step list you can follow if it’s your first time taking your kids trick-or-treating. The two English phrases your kids need to practice are “trick or treat” and “thank you.”
How to Go Trick-or-Treating
1. Make, borrow, or buy a costume for your child(ren). Make sure it’s safe, warm, and easy to walk around in. It doesn’t have to be scary. A silly hat is enough!
2. Give your child a pillowcase, bucket, or grocery bag to carry.
3. Wait until it is almost dark outside on the evening of October 31.
4. Go out into your neighborhood and find houses that are decorated for Halloween. If you live in an apartment, residents may have candy for kids, too. If you want to see jack-o’-lanterns, find a nearby neighborhood to trick-or-treat in.
5. Go up to a door with your child. Tell your child to knock on the door. Choose homes that have pumpkins or other decorations outside. There should also be a light on. (People usually turn their lights off when they run out of candy.)
6. When someone comes to the door, your child should shout, “Trick or treat!” (You can practice at home first. I practiced with my kids the first time I took them out.)
7. The person at the door will put candy into your child’s bucket or bag. (People who don’t celebrate Halloween usually won’t open the door on the evening of October 31.)
8. Remind your child to say “thank you” after they receive candy.
9. Visit a few more houses. When your child gets tired or the bag is full, it’s time to go home!
10. Back at home, inspect your child’s candy to make sure that it’s safe. Don’t allow your child to keep anything that is not wrapped.
If you aren’t comfortable trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, many shopping centers also hand out candy to kids in costumes. If it’s the candy you’re worried about, consider inviting the “Switch Witch” to your house.
I first heard about the Switch Witch from a friend who is worried about food coloring in her children’s food. She told me that the “Switch Witch” was visiting her house this year. The Switch Witch is a good witch that visits on Halloween night after the kids have gone to bed. The Switch Witch exchanges some (or most) of the Halloween candy with a toy. (In reality, you are the Switch Witch. You ditch the candy by donating it, throwing it out, or putting it away for later to decorate cakes and cookies. Some dentists will even buy it!) 
When I got home, I did a little research about the Switch Witch on a website called Mama Natural. I wish I had heard about the Switch Witch when my own kids were younger! (They’d never fall for her trickery now.)
If you have more questions about Halloween, here is a Halloween FAQ.
Happy Halloween!
Tara
Glossary
trick-or-treat (verb): to go from house to house (in costume) collecting candy
“Trick or treat!” (expression): the words that children shout on Halloween while trick-or-treating
stranger (noun): a person who you don’t know
jack-o’-lantern (noun): a carved pumpkin with a candle inside it
run out of (verb): to not have any more of something
inspect (verb): to look at or check through carefully
ditch (verb): to throw away or dump
fall for (verb): to be tricked
Be sure to try some of Sprout English’s Halloween activities with your children, including this week’s featured lesson “Find the Halloween Objects.”
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