# Poll: When Should Kids Stop Trick-or-Treating? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-when-should-kids-stop-trick-or-treating/558304 "2010-10-25T17:39:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sparkina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@Sparkina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparkina)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-when-should-kids-stop-trick-or-treating/558304/81 "2012-03-10T23:07:39Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Lose interest? In free candy? Around the teen years, many young people become conscious of their figures and appearance and become more responsible about what they eat and are not about the sweets so much anymore ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-when-should-kids-stop-trick-or-treating/558304/82 "2012-03-11T10:55:34Z")
In Vancouver there are certain neighborhoods that are insanely well decorated, and inundated with people. As a result, the whole atmosphere becomes more of a street fair than your average Halloween-y street. Adults will devise complicated costumes and roam the roadways, often without kids, just adding to the atmosphere - they don’t, often can’t due to costume size, go up to the doors for candy. They’re not really trick or treating, but they’re still dressing up, and definitely adding to the experience. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-when-should-kids-stop-trick-or-treating/558304/83 "2012-03-11T12:46:22Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > It’s a moot point for me, as I don’t have kids and I live out in the sticks where nobody trick-or-treats. But I’d say as long as they’re willing to wear a costume, yell “TRICK OR TREAT!!” when I open the door, and say “Thank you” when they leave, they can trick-or-treat until they’re 137. > > Unfortunately, several years ago when I helped my townie friend distribute candy, I didn’t see much evidence of this from any age cohort. Another childhood tradition down the tubes. It violates the whole idea of “trick or treat” to say “Thank you” and it always surprised me when kids did it. I certainly never did, but I stopped after about 10 or so. I think 12 is a reasonable cut-off. I am kind of revolted by teen-agers trick or treating. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-when-should-kids-stop-trick-or-treating/558304/84 "2012-03-11T12:46:46Z")
Why do you feel the need to micromanage this sort of thing? Do you also determine which flavors of ice cream they are allowed to like? Kids should trick or treat or not based on their own desires. I think I might have stopped in high school. But a group of us went one year in college just for retro fun. I can’t imagine any harm that could come from trick or treating “too old”, or why a parent would want to make a rule about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-when-should-kids-stop-trick-or-treating/558304.md?page=4)