This year will be our 3rd annual Trunk-or-Treat event. It has grown each year. We end up with about 500 or so kids. The first year we bought trick-or-treat bags (orientaltrading.com) for all of the kids, offered free hot chocolate, and gave a prize for the best decorated vehicle. The second year, we did the same as above and added 2 more vehicles for the best decorated, sold kettle corn (prebagged from a local company), and had a pumpkin patch (local Albertson's sold us pumpkins at cost). This year, we're still doing the above and adding a bake sale and selling glow bracelets & necklaces and having a pumpkin decorating contest for the kids. They may bring their decorated pumpkins to the designated table at the trunk-or-treat event (no candles lit). We have prizes for the 5 best decorated and a little something for everyone who participates. We also get bags of candy donated and we give one to each vehicle for decorating and handing out candy as a "thank you". We do send home flyers with an RSVP for the vehicles that are coming and to get a guesstimate for how many kids to expect. This year we did make sure it states that this is a family event and trunk-or-treaters must attend with an adult/parent. Also a suggestion, we state on our flyers that the decorated vehicles and costumes must be "G-Rated" since this is a school function. The same as when they wear their costumes to school...no weapons.
I'd be happy to share our flyers if you email me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
hey! It would be fine to just do the trunk or treat. You could also ask local business for donations and then have a raffle at the same time. You could also sell hotdogs and chips and a drink.
Hi I am going to be doing a trunk or treat for the first time, The PTO has put together goody bags for all the kids.
We are also giving away a prize for best decorated vehicle.
But I sort of need some more ideas for events during the trunk or treat. Is it okay just to do a trunk or treat? We are working on avery small budget only a few hundred dollars ( the fundraising money will not be in until November)
Our school and 2 towns that it's comprised of are very politically correct. So we can have "Fall" or "Autumn" parties, but not specifically Halloween. I suggested "trunk or treat" to a friend on one of the town's rec committees and we got it going on the town common.
You wouldn't believe the uproar this idea created!! People felt that children would think it's now okay to take candy from someone in a car if we held trunk or treat! So they require people to bring a card table to set up near (but not too close!) their car and must include their name and address at the table for safety reasons! It seemed like such a simple idea and it got very complicated.
We've been doing this for 3 years now and it's finally catching on. BTW our town is about 900 people.
Michelle, I too am going to coordinate the "trunk or treat" event for our school this year for the first time(with this alternative event), and I am in search of some ideas! We are going to be encouraging parents to decorate their cars, we are in rural Wisconsin, so we hope to coordinate a hay ride, and possibly a bon fire. We will be having minimal snack, donations from the local "Coca-Cola" plant and pop-corn from our machine. I have also asked for High-school volunteers from an art class to come and do face painting. I provide the equipment, and they donate their time. The high school students really enjoy being involved in the festivities! I have our PTO meeting tonight to pitch all of the ideas, and get a bunch of new ones, I hope! I'll let you know how it goes! Tracey
