In America, it’s a worrying fact that a child is twice as likely to be injured or killed by cars on Halloween night than any other day of the year. The dark clothing worn by children is the cause for of many of these accidents, drivers are unable to see children until it is often too late.
A novel idea to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and to help keep children safe is starting to take hold – it’s known as “trunk or treat”.
‘Trunk or treat’ has grown in popularity across the United States in the recent years. At ‘Trunk or Treats’, costumed children can walk through a cornered off parking lot, stopping at cars that have decorated trunks and receive candy.
It’s a safe, fun environment for children and they are at all times under the supervision of an adult.
Here’s our “How to guide” so you can help organize a ‘trunk or treat’ event in your area
- Scheduling
The event can be scheduled in any setting that is safe and well lit for children. School parking lots are a great example of a common meeting place where parents can park up and be comfortable knowing their children are in a safe environment. Once permission to use the space is granted, it’s time to spread the word to all parents. - Planning
Parents planning on decorating their cars should register in advance. This will give you an idea of how much space you need to reserve for the vehicles. Provide instructions and guidelines to those registered in advance of the event. If you have a particular theme that night be sure to communicate this with all attendees. - Set up
Allow an hour for the participants to set up before the event begins. Have wardens on site to direct traffic to their parking spaces. Have all cars registered for a particular spot in the parking lot. Leave an empty space between vehicles to help space out the ‘trunk or treating’ crowd. - Fun and games
Have games organized and ready to go at the parking lot before the ‘trunk or treaters’ arrive. A good idea for the parking lot may be to have a snap apple dunking contest and ring toss. You could also host a competition for the parents, giving out small prizes to the winners of each game. An overall prize should be given to the best decorated vehicle on the night. - Food
It may be worth looking into providing food for the ‘trunk or treaters. If somebody can volunteer to cook some burgers and hot dogs on their grill this may be worth doing. Provide water so that the children can stay hydrated on the night. - Clean-up
Provide trash cans in different locations across the parking lot. Require those who have parking spots to clean up their own space after the event is finished.
We hope you have a very fun and safe Halloween.
From the team at LotusWorks