Halloween is Saturday, and for a lot of Calgary kids, the hard part isn't the costume. It's the stairs up to the door, the candy they can't eat, or a porch with a fog machine and a screaming skeleton.
A few small changes at your door can help. Here's how.
Bring the treats to the sidewalk
Front steps can keep kids who use wheelchairs or walkers from ever reaching your door. Treat Accessibly, a Canadian campaign, asks people to hand out treats at the end of the driveway, on the lawn or in the garage instead.
The campaign says it has given out more than 230,000 free lawn signs that tell families your home is set up for it. You can print your own from its website.
Have something besides candy
Kids with food allergies often have to hand back most of their haul. Food Allergy Canada asks households to put a teal light on the porch and keep candy alternatives at the door. Others paint a pumpkin teal for the Teal Pumpkin Project, that has grown internationally.
Non-food treats can be as simple as stickers, glow sticks or temporary tattoos.
Keep it calm
For kids who are sensitive to noise, lights or crowds, a quieter doorstep helps. Goodwill Industries of Alberta suggests clearing anything kids could trip over and not making anyone say “trick or treat” or wear a costume to get a treat. A guide from Calgary home care company HeartNest Care adds steady lighting and calmer decorations.
Start early
Goodwill also suggests handing out treats before dark - the sun sets just after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
HeartNest Care's guide says the busiest stretch runs from about 6 to 7:30 p.m., and suggests families who want quieter streets head out around 5:30.
A daytime option
The Calgary Police Discovery Centre, at 5111 47 St. N.E., is holding Ready Set Halloween on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's free and drop-in, with candy stations, safety tips from officers and a light for kids to wear after dark. The event is listed as wheelchair accessible.
