Parenting Pointers: What Age Do Parents Let Their Kids Go Trick or Treating?

What age do parents let their kids start trick or treating without someone older watching over them?

By far the most common age is 10, according to a new poll by Let Grow.

"I wish we knew what age kids had started trick or treating a generation ago, because my guess is it was younger," says Lenore Skenazy, founder of Free-Range Kids and President of the new non-profit Let Grow. "In fact, I don't remember ever trick or treating with my parents at all. It was strictly a night for kids, costumes and candy."

The unscientific Facebook poll of 421 parents showed age 10 followed by ages 9, 12 and 8, all almost tied. Another 5% of those taking the poll said they wait until their kids are 13 before they let them trick or treat unchaperoned.

The holiday itself has changed over the years. Today, many parents drive their kids door to door. Even when they don't, trick or treaters are subject to a number of restrictions, with some towns regulating the hours kids can ring bells, some schools prohibiting "scary" costumes, and many communities offering "trunk or treats" or parties, to keep kids "safer."

While these are lovely, they are completely different from the freedom that Halloween once represented, says Peter Gray, a Boston College Professor Emeritus of Psychology and board member of Let Grow. "On Halloween," he points out, "kids get to dress up like adults, go out in the dark, and even talk to strangers -- all experiences that let them feel a little older." 

When those elements are removed, all that's left is the candy with none of the "work" of getting brave, growing up, and getting to know their neighbors. For the record, he recalls trick or treating at age 5 with his younger brother, 4, and their neighbor as the "big kid." She was 6.

Tracy Tomasso, Let Grow's executive director, remembers she'd just turned 9 and her brother was 6 when they went out dressed in long cardboard tubes (with armholes). They were Crayons. Joining them were their neighbors, 7 and 8, and the 7-year-old was a Crayon, too. "We got into trouble when we hit the big hill in the neighborhood and my brother tripped and rolled all the way down it! We all ran after him, but only the 8-year-old – Pippi Longstocking -- could pick him up because neither I nor the 7-year-old could bend over in our tubes."

That's a Halloween to remember.  

Many parents fear Halloween because they think strangers hand out poisoned candy. "They're surprised to learn that's a crime that never happened," Gray added. The real key to Halloween safety is teaching kids to look both ways before crossing the street, and having them wear something light or reflective.

"We think we're making kids safer by watching over them all the time," says Skenazy. "In fact, we are taking away their opportunities to face some challenges and fears – a key to confidence and the deeper safety that comes from street smarts and self-reliance." 

Let Grow is a non-profit dedicated to restoring childhood resilience by fighting the push to overprotect...including on Halloween.