Practicing for Trick or Treat
Halloween will soon be here. Whether your family goes trick or treating in your neighborhood, at an organized trunk or treat community event or at a party, it’s always a great idea to prepare your child who might be new to trick or treating or who has speech-language delays.
If you think it about, trick or treating goes a little against what we typically teach our children. It’s not every night that kids are outside after dark going up to strangers’ homes.
Give your child a practice run of what to expect by role playing the process before you actually trick or treat.
What you’ll need
- Treat bag – You can use your child’s actual treat bag/pumpkin or use simply use a grocery bag for pretend purposes.
- Door – This could be your front door, a door inside your home or that of a friendly neighbor
- Treats – Small toys or actual Halloween candy to pass out
Trick or treating can be broken into four smaller steps. Practice each step so your child knows what to expect.
1) Practice ringing the bell or knocking
Have your child be on one side of the door and practice knocking or ringing the bell with their treat bag in hand.
If you’ll be going to a trunk or treat, then have your child practice walking around a room to different stations.
2) Trick or Treat
When the door is opened or when you arrive at a new station, prompt your child to say “Trick or treat!”
Have the person at the door or station place treats in your child’s bag
3) Thank you
After the treats are given, prompt your child to say “thank you.”
Close the door.
4) Leave
Once the door is closed, have your child leave the door.
Will this ensure an ideal Halloween night that is warm, free of costume malfunctions, and full of cheerful children? Maybe not, but we sure hope it helps one bit of your night go a little smoother.
Jann Fujimoto, MS CCC-SLP missed Lake Country trick or treating her first year here, because she didn’t know each community determines determines it’s own schedule. She is a speech-language pathologist and owner of SpeechWorks LLC, a provider of on-site speech therapy in Delafield, Dousman, Hartland, Watertown, Oconomowoc, Waukesha, and Pewaukee. SpeechWorks helps children become confident and competent communicators.