Blog Home   >   Trunk-or-treat is an alternative to trick-or-treat

Trunk-or-treat is an alternative to trick-or-treat

This year, it has become especially difficult to navigate “business as usual” with the threat of coronavirus (COVID-19) ever looming. Depending upon where you live, trick-or-treating may not be safe or even possible this year. There is an alternative to trick-or-treating that could give members of your house of worship a safe way to celebrate the fall—a trunk-or-treat event in your parking lot or a nearby location. At Church Mutual Insurance Company, we know how difficult it is to plan safe events during this time. We’ve created a guide to show you how trunk-or-treat can be a wonderful event for your house of worship.

There are two parts to a trunk-or-treat event:

  1. Participants decorate the trunks of their cars. You can establish a general theme for the event (such as literature or movies) or leave it up to your members’ creativity. When decorating, participants can choose to adopt a fall or Halloween theme, but it’s OK if their trunk has nothing to do with the season at all. You may decide to ask participants not to use scary items in their decorations.
  2. Children go from trunk to trunk, gathering treats such as candy and small toys. This part of the event lends itself particularly well to social distancing, because participants can choose to leave containers of treats in their vehicles while they visit the other stations. Therefore, there’s no need for children to have close contact with others while collecting their treats.

Not only do children experience the excitement of gathering treats, but they and their parents also can enjoy seeing others’ creativity in decorating their trunks.

Safety tips

  • Plan for appropriate security and safe areas during the event to address potentially dangerous situations, including protestors or an armed intruder.
  • Inspect the parking area ahead of time for tripping hazards such as potholes, cracks and unmarked curbs.
  • Schedule a time prior to the event for vehicles to arrive, so children aren’t walking around among moving vehicles.
  • Use volunteers to direct traffic.
  • Park vehicles every other stall/spot to allow plenty of space for social distancing.
  • Provide marks that are six feet apart for families to use as they wait in line to enter the event.
  • Create a one-way flow of families to move through the vehicle stations.
  • Only allow prepackaged treats for distribution, and gather candy/toy donations ahead of time so you can inspect everything that will be distributed.
  • If you decide to serve refreshments during the event, stick to prepackaged food and drinks to minimize preparation risks and prevent spread of coronavirus.
  • Clearly identify treats that have nuts or dairy so children with allergies can avoid them.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages mask wearing to prevent spread of coronavirus. Encourage participants to incorporate masks into their costumes and practice social distancing.

Not only is a trunk-or-treat event a safe alternative to trick-or-treating, but it’s also a great way to foster community among your congregation. Learn more about hosting safe events at your house of worship and find the insurance you need at Church Mutual’s website here