Would You Leave a Bowl of Candy Out?

We leave a bowl and a note all the time. We live in an apartment building though, so less likely to be facing break ins. We are not willing to man the fort and all go trick or treating.

Best,
F. B.

Many houses in my neighborhood do this. Some kids may take a handful (like 5), but no one is going to the dump the bowl in their bag and nearly all kids will take the 1-2 pieces. I would leave some candy out!

Some of my neighbors do this. When I go around with my kids, we've never encountered a completely empty bowl.

Go for it but don't bother with the "studying" sign (though I'd put out a sign saying please take one) and be sure to use a basket or unbreakable bowl. We have done this in the past and it was fine and like someone else posted, we've even come home to some candy still left in the bowl. We, like you, don't have a ton of kids who trick or treat at our house.

We've done this before, but just left a little sign saying "Happy Halloween" Our house has never been vandalized and we've even come home to leftover candy! It's good to know there are some honest kids in our neighborhood!

Leave the candy :)

Every year I take the kids out trick-or-treating and my husband has to work. I usually send a bowl of candy over to the next door neighbour and put a sign on the door telling the kids to go next door for candy. Last year my neighbours were out on H'ween so I put out a bowl full of treat bags with a sign saying "Take One". There were still a couple left when we got home, but we did check on it half way through the evening to make sure we hadn't run out. If we had I probably just would have refilled it from my kids bags. We usually find at least three or four help yourself bowls out on H'ween because a lot of people like to go out as a family and no one stays home.

Updated

Every year I take the kids out trick-or-treating and my husband has to work. I usually send a bowl of candy over to the next door neighbour and put a sign on the door telling the kids to go next door for candy. Last year my neighbours were out on H'ween so I put out a bowl full of treat bags with a sign saying "Take One". There were still a couple left when we got home, but we did check on it half way through the evening to make sure we hadn't run out. If we had I probably just would have refilled it from my kids bags. We usually find at least three or four help yourself bowls out on H'ween because some people like to go out as a family and no one stays home.

I would have no qualms about leaving out a bowl (make sure it's non-breakable). If the first kid takes it all, c'est la vie. It's not as though the subsequent kids are going to die of hypoglycemia if there's no candy left when they get to your house.

Lots of people in our neighborhood do this. Especially if there is one parent and they are trick or treating with their child. HOWEVER - most of the time, the signs says take TWO (or sometimes 3) pieces. Have fun.

In my neighborhood if I left a bowl out the first kid would empty it. We live in a nice suburban area but get a lot of kids from the city that come here because they think we give out better candy. Sorry to say that, but it's true.

Lots of people in our neighborhood do that. Just with a bowl out front that says, "Take one!" - and surprisingly, most kids do exactly that. (I'd have thought they'd take a handful, but no, most don't.)

We do this every year. Hubby and I both like to go out trick or treating with the kids so we leave a bowl and a sign. Because of the way our neighborhood is set up and the route we take we are able to stop in a couple times to check it and refill if necessary. I figure any kid with a parent is going to follow the rule and take just 2. I am sure there are kids that take advantage but I wouldn't feel right about having my kids out collecting candy from neighbors and not giving any out myself. So for me leaving the bowl is the best solution that I have come up with.

Don't worry about the "Studying for Exam" part... just put the "please take 1"... or you can find a cute poem online.

My kids like looking at the decorations and love being ooh'd and aah'd over... but they're never disappointed when we come to a house with a bowl to help yourself.

We're never home on Halloween... we always put a bowl out... but living in an apartment, we would always come home to an almost full bowl. We're in a duplex this year, so we'll see how it goes!

Yes I would.
If you're afraid of advertising the house is empty? Porch light off could mean the same thing.
You don't have philosophical differences with Halliween, right? And if there was no party--you'd be participating.
I've seen MANY houses with a "Happy Halloween, please take O. (or two)" signs out with a candy bowl. I've never seen a kid empty the bowl!
I've seen MANY kids smile, take O. & move on.
Just because someone "might" do or think something doesn't motivate me.
I'd leave a bowl with a sign. Simple.
Many people don't like to sit out or answer the door all night so they do this too.
Have fun at your party!

I don't think you are being goofy. They don't need to know you aren't home. Leave some lights on and a TV or radio.

This will be our 3rd Halloween here. We have left our bowl out and it was almost empty when we got home. I don't remember what our sign said last year, Tyler made it.

Well, you know your neighborhood best.
We get no trick or treaters since we moved out into the middle of a soybean field.
At our old house we were never home since we went to the towns Halloween parade (everyone got plenty of candy there) so the lights would be out and we didn't put anything out.

i would leave out the bowl of candy. i wouldn't say why. not only is it unnecessarily dishonest (i get the reasoning, i just don't subscribe to 'little white lies'), it's simply not needed. if they're larcenous little schmucks they're going to take it all whether you're studying or not (they're disguised, and you're not right there looking at them) and if they're nice kids (and most of them will be) they'll just take a piece or two without the implied oversight.
worst case scenario, you get cleaned out on the first pass. the other trick-or-treaters who show up will immediately know what happened and not feel slighted by you.
but the more likely scenario is that the kids will behave and a good time will be had by all.
i love living in the sticks, but i miss trick-or-treaters. we had hundreds- literally- in our old neighborhood but not a single one here in over a decade. i'll have a small bowl just in case, and my lit jack-o-lantern on the porch, but i'm anticipating an evening on my own, communing with the ancestors.
enjoy your party!
:) khairete
S.

I would leave a bowl out and make a cute sign.There are lots to choose from online.

Here is one I have done recently:
Happy Halloween! Sorry, trick-or-treaters... the witch has stepped out for a moment. Please help yourself to a few treats, if it's okay with your mummy.

We have left a bowl out several years and never had it emptied by one kid. We do usually try to check on it at least once during the night.

I've seen it a lot, I don't think nothing of it, other than take one piece of candy and move on. However, sometimes there is no candy left and you know the neighborhood wasn't that busy. But oh well, the trick-or-treaters will be thankful.

We have and will do so again. We've seen it and it didn't seem to be chaos at the watering trough. Some bowls have signs and others don't. It's self evident to only take one or two pieces but a festive sign can't hurt.

In our previous neigbhorhood it didn't work. The first pack through took it all as per our nosy neighbor. You know what, though, I didn't care. I did my part and I'm not about to pass judgement on kids. This year we are in a new neighborhood and we'll try again. All of our new neighbors assure us this is standard operating procedure and no one takes more than they should. Shrug. Either way it's no skin off my nose if kids take more than they should. It's supposed to be fun not drama. Good luck whatever you decide.

There was only 1 year we were not home for Halloween. We turned our lights out and asked a neighbor to please hand out our candy. They were happy to do this. They had young children so they actually handed out our candy. They told me the next day that they helped me with my candy!

So cute.

I insisted on leaving candy out one year when we went to a party. My husband gave me a hard time, saying (like several others here) that the first kid would just take it all. I left it out anyway. The next year we went around with our kids and saw several bowls...and saw children taking a few and moving on! I was totally vindicated :)
Even if we come across an empty bowl, I always tell the kids that the people in this house tried their best!

I have done this before. I see no problem.

I think it's a fine idea. Just be sure that whatever you put in the bowl is sealed well and won't attract ants. We did that one year and left the bowl on the step (not elevated enough apparently) and when we returned home a few hours later it was filled with ants.
Most of the candy was fine, but some of it was little Hershey miniatures, and they are not actually sealed like most things... just wrapped with foil. Not sealed.

Be sure what you put out is in sealed wrappers.

If I weren't going to be home, I would just keep the lights out so it is clear that we were not participating this year.

By having lights out it does not mean you are not home, just you are not participating. It would keep the traffic out of your yard and probably limit any tricks or someone taking all the candy.

Our neighborhood has a huge turnout and we usually have van loads of kids from God knows where dropped off. I would not leave a bowl out because even when I am home and giving out treats, there are a lot of people around that I don't know on top of the 200 or so kids who come from my neighborhood and the elementary school.

Have fun at your event!

ETA: Glo it sounds like we are in the same boat as you are. I know most of the 200 or so kids from the elementary school and neighbors and then about 2 hrs into the event when most of the neighborhood children are heading home, the van loads arrive. I have a table set up outside so my doorbell is not constantly going off. Last year as I was passing out candy, 1 kid (old enough to know better) managed to sneak behind me and started emptying one of my bowls. My hubby happened to see it, came out and ripped him a new one. I hate it when the vultures come through.... that is when I shut everything down.

I would do it...I would leave out the Studying for Exam part though. It's worth a try! I've seen houses that do this and our kids both pick one.

LOL! Don't be surprised if they're all gone in 20 minutes. Unfortunately, that's what happens when we try it. We tried putting a bowl of zombie fingers (no - not edible) out as a decoration, with a clever sign asking people not to take them, and that didn't work, even though we were at home. One kid watched for me to close the door and then ran back to the porch and grabbed a couple and ran. Little scamp!!

We won't be home either and aren't leaving a bowl out. We will either give the candy we bought to neighbors who can give it out for us or bring it to the house we are joining for the night.

We have noticed that when people leave bowls out, the first groups of kids take it all...

The first kids there that don't have parents right there will dump the bowl in their bag and run off laughing. Don't bother doing this.

I've seen this done and have done it myself. We came back to a totally empty bowl so I don't know what happened to it. I know last year we went with a group of people and I had to holler at my nephew for trying to take way too much out of the unattended bowls. My kids know better and they take what it says to, but he was grabbing handfuls and giggling about it. But its kids and candy so I guess what do you expect. We used to go out earlier since the kids were younger and then we would hand out candy to whom ever remained out and about and we would also buy cases of Ramen and put a few in the bowl at the same time. I'll tell you what the Ramen goes way faster than the candy and they are always like "oooh ramen awesome" its always good for a chuckle.

We live in a neighborhood that gives out mostly the "good" candy, chocolates, and get a lot of kids from other neighborhoods. We easily have 200-400 kids. So if we set out a bowl, pretty sure the first group would take it all, and I wouldn't really blame them. lol I guess just do what you feel you want to do. Good luck.

Okay I thought of something different with your title.

I have had this happen. I was in hospital and hubby left a large bucket on the porch and the kids helped themselves. There was a bit left in the bucket when he got back but most of it was gone. Good because we didn't have to eat the left overs.

Don't put studying on the sign, just make it festive and go on about your business. Some will still ring the bell but if they see the candy they should grab some and go.

Good luck on your exam.

the other S.

PS I thought you were talking about leaving candy in the house with kids to see and eat before dinner or something. Then I would have said not a good idea.

I would not leave anything. In our area, most parents hang back and let the kids race from house to the next. Little kids can't read and it would all be gone fairly quickly and then you would be left with a bowl and a sign and some upset kids (and in our area, the teenagers seem to like to come out too!).

I always leave a bowl out when I cannot be there. I do not even leave a sign, just a bowl with candy and everyone knows what to do.

Nope. Just leave the porch light off.

We've always done this while we were out with our kids. When I lived in another town, the bowl would be gone (didn't put much out after that happened...but still did). In our new town, it's never gone when we come back. I do put up a sign to take only two...but that's it.

If you want, go for it...but expect that someone may spoil all the fun for the rest of the kids. But it is not necessary.

I personally do like your sign....shows that you just can't be interrupted 30 times an hour ;). May not be truthful, but I do think it would make most kids think twice if they were going to be sneaky.

Making me think I would love to put up a camera to see how it all plays out at my house ;)

I see nothing wrong with that! :)

We've done that many years. Only had a problem once when we found our bowl thrown on to our neighbor's lawn. I might add "we're not watching to make sure you only take one, but Santa is".

I would not leave the bowl. I would give out to the early birds before I leave for my party and if I get home early, I would give to the late trick or treaters.

haha, I tried it once, and my neighbor reported that the 2nd kid to come to our house took the entire bowl. So the next year I asked that same neighbor if they would mind handing out some extra candy on our behalf. I gave her our bowl, and then she just let kids grab from both her bowl and mine! We were in a townhouse neighborhood and were already friendly with that neighbor, so it was a good alternative for us. I also get all guilty b/c we want to participate in handing out the candy, but don't want to miss out on getting to walk our kids around either!

Just leave your outside lights off and people will know you're not participating.