There is something that's always just plain adorable about hearing a little voice calling out "Trick or treat" and then finding a tiny princess or dinosaur or firefighter eagerly holding a bag out for a piece of candy. Unless someone is a real Halloween scrouge, we all enjoy seeing little kids going out of their minds with candy-related joy. But what about when the person saying "Trick or treat" is a bit older and is starting to grow a mustache?
The question of how old is too old to go trick-or-treating is something that comes up every year and is always a controversy. Some people take to social media to complain about teenagers showing up for candy, not even in costumes, and other people fire back to defend the rights of bigger kids to keep having Halloween fun. Although some towns actually have rules about age limits for trick-or-treating, most places don't regulate it, leaving parents to make the call for their older kids. We talked to moms around the country to find out where they fall on the great Halloween age debate, and some of the answers were a little surprising.
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Halloween Is for Teens
"Halloween as we know it was literally invented to keep teenagers out of trouble. I worried when I was a teenager age about going, but I soon realized that even adults love Halloween and don't mind "older" kids going. I never had someone turn me away and I literally went until I was 18. With a group of friends that were the same age. I still love those memories!" – Cory K., Michigan
Middle School Is the Limit
"Middle school is my limit for my kids. Once they are in high school and old enough to have a job, they can afford to buy their own d— candy." – Gayle M., Arizona
Just Don't Be Late (or Rude)
"My big thing is that I turn off our light and shut down the candy early. I go to bed at 8:15 p.m. because I have to get up at 3:30 a.m. for work. The only thing that bugs me about older trick-or-treaters is that they’ll come knock on the door at 8:30 or 9 p.m., even if the lights are off. That’s just rude." – Renee F., Florida
No Gatekeeping
"I'm giving away candy. All comers get some until I run out. I can't imagine gatekeeping that.. I even offer candy to the adults who accompany their kids. Who doesn't want a chocolate bar or a bag of Skittles?" – Pammie R., Washington, DC
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Stop Shaming Tall Kids
"I got turned away by this old lady when I was 11 because I was really stinking tall. I still remember how crushed I was, I stopped after that year even though I wanted to keep going and love everything Halloween. So I will NEVER shame an older kid or a teenager for trick-or-treating." – Dana S., Illinois
Parental Mooches
"I’m fine with teens trick-or-treating (though I do wish they would be dressed up) but I get annoyed with the parents walking around infants. Ma’am, that baby has no teeth. Why are you mooching candy from your neighbors?" – Carrie W., West Virginia
A Good Sibling
"My 21 year old son loves to take his younger siblings trick-or-treating. It is one of their special traditions and has been since he was in high school. I love it for all of them and he isn't mad that people still give him candy too." – Rachael E., Texas
Please Wear a Costume
"In my gated community no one over 13 was officially allowed to trick or treat. But some communities just tend to stop trick or treating after age 13 or 14 and shift into parties, which is also OK. My one thing is that my requirements for the quality of your costume go up significantly for every year after 10. Roll up in just jeans and a sweatshirt? One piece of candy and not the good stuff for you." – Olivia T., Arizona
Joys of Childhood
"Why should people care how old the trick or treater is? Our world is so busy trying to make our kids grow up too fast. We forget to just let them be kids and we should just let them enjoy the joys of childhood until they decide to opt out." – Teena C., California
The Compact
"Trick or Treating is a compact of sorts: Adults agree to give out candy to kids who dress up and yell “Trick or Treat!” at their door. Part of the thrill for those little kids is seeing everybody else in costume. Roving bands of preeteens and teens, too cool to dress up, diminish it for kids.
"I’ve carved a pumpkin, set out reflective decorations, have a broomstick flying through the air, and bought a boatload of candy. The least you can do is dress up. Put a little effort into the fantasy, I say. Teens to adults do cosplay; dress it up on Halloween. I won’t deny candy, but I will suggest they dress up next year." – Marie D., Michigan
More for the Teens
"I save the big candy bars and the larger handfuls of candy for the older kids/young teens. If they come with manners or a really epic costume, I double down. I'm never stingy with my candy, but at that age there's many worse things you could be doing. I commend you for choosing the better path! Enjoy your trick or treating dude!" – Beth A., Minnesota
Hate the Teens
"The high school kids that trick or treated at my place last year came back and smashed all the pumpkins on the block and vandalized the same houses that just gave them candy. (We saw them on the Ring cam.) I hate the teens on Halloween. My husband and some other dudes on our block are going to be waiting for them with paintball guns this year. Not a fan." – name withheld by request
It's Not That Deep
"It's not that deep! If you're young enough to be in school, you're young enough to trick or treat. But honestly if a 45 year old showed up to my door in a costume, they would be getting candy and a high five from me! The more the merrier!" – Laurel K., Idaho
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Give Them Some Sass
"Costumes are the only real requirement! If a parent can wrestle a toddler into a costume, a teenager can figure something out. The teenagers who don't bother to wear a costume get a little sass from me. I still give the candy, though, but I don’t give them the full-sized one. I’m a little petty." – Annie E., Vermont
More for the Littles
"If you are old enough to drive yourself to the store to buy a costume, you are too old to be trick-or-treating. Does that make me seem mean? I just think it is more for the littler kids, truly." – Irene V., Texas
Don't Be a Jerk
"I think the guiding rule is 'Don't be a jerk.' Teens who trick-or-treat should be polite, dressed up, and kind to the little ones out there (stealing candy or smashing pumpkins is never OK!) and adults who get older trick-or-treaters should be just as nice to them as they would be to a cute little toddler." – Carolina R., Kansas
