There’s just something about Halloween: spooky decor, themed food, and a certain magic in the air. Parties are often on the calendar, but sometimes it’s just as much fun staying home and interacting with the neighbourhood activity as the streets buzz with costume-clad fun.

Trick-or-treating comes from the tradition of ‘guising’ when people would wear costumes door-to-door, reciting songs in exchange for food during Samhain. Therefore, it’s now the modern tradition to have a Halloween sweet platter of treats on hand for when ghoulish little hands come knocking. Here are some ideas for how to be the most popular stop on the block!

Put together your Halloween food platters

An exciting selection of Halloween handouts will evoke that joy and delight on little faces you want to see on Halloween. There are three types of treats to give to trick-or-treaters at your door: traditional, store-bought lollies; homemade treats (which we’d recommend giving out only to people you know, and who know you); and non-edible treats for kids with allergies or whose parents want to tone down the sugar! It can be nice to give kids and their parents the choice of more than one type so everyone can feel included.

When dispensing store-bought sweets, have a selection ready for kids to choose from – we suggest having control over the handing out of the treats, not leaving an unattended bowl as a free-for-all. Make it fun by displaying them in Halloween-themed bowls or Halloween party platters, or wrapping a few individual lollies into netting or cellophane as little packs.

If you’re too busy getting everything else sorted for Halloween, an incredibly easy option is to order our Mixed Lollie Party Platter – a colourful and enticing array of lollies, chocolates and biscuits that can be delivered straight to your door ready and waiting for scary visitors. For any treats that aren’t individually wrapped, simply make sure everything stays hygienic by dispensing them with a pair of tongs – bonus points if you can find scary ones!

Halloween handouts with a more homemade feel can be a fantastic treat for kids you know, especially if you feel like baking or being a bit more imaginative. Some homemade Halloween food platter ideas you could offer might be gingerbread men iced with mummy-like bandage strips; chocolate bark studded with lollies and popping candy; strawberries dipped in white chocolate to look like ghosts with little chocolate chips for eyes; homemade toffee apples; or little bags or jars of popcorn mixed with candy corn.

As well as our Mixed Lollie Party Platter, we also offer other sweet spooky treats perfect for popping on your Halloween snack platter for the little (and big) kids in your life: Halloween donuts and pumpkin mousse popsicles. And why not feed yourself, family and friends on-theme while you celebrate Halloween at home with our savoury Halloween collection, which includes crab, pumpkin and beetroot sliders, both served on charcoal and red slider buns; and green, orange, and black coloured finger sandwiches.

Don’t forget, we can also supply the rest of your beverages along with your Halloween catering delivery.

Non-edible Halloween handouts

You can have separate containers to offer when the trick-or-treaters knock and the non-food items (shops sell cheap toys specifically for Halloween) will be the preference of some parents and kids who may have allergies or want a break from all the sugar. If you’re considering passing on the lollies and giving an alternative treat to your trick-or-treaters, here are some ideas:

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• Glow-in-the-dark slime in jars (you can buy this, or it’s easy to make your own)
• Halloween stickers
• Sticks and necklaces that glow in the dark (fun for the kids to play with, and have an added bonus of extra visibility as it starts to get dark. Just make sure you let each child know not to put these in their mouths).
• Spider rings, spooky necklaces or other spooky tokens.

Halloween decorations

When the kiddos creep up to your front porch as ghouls and goblins, you want to give them a little wow factor. If you’re not dressed up (even though it’s more fun if you are!), your porch or entryway can be. Go creepy, or rustic – just go all-out!

The first step in being the best trick-or-treating house on the block is to make it very clear you’re offering up Halloween treats. Make sure your porch lights are bright and on, DIY or buy signs or wreaths that make it obvious you’re open for lollie business!

Creepy props and old furniture make for that abandoned house feel, and just like that, your house is transformed to “the haunted house down the block.” You could even project a scary movie onto the side of your garage, or add interactive elements like motion-activated scares throughout the garden, or a laptop in your shed playing creepy sounds.

Otherwise, to get that warm, golden glow, add jack-o’-lanterns alongside bales of hay or corn stalks. These carved little fellows make for a porch that’s less creepy and more classy, and make your house look inviting.

It’s not required that you dress up, but it adds to the experience (both yours and the families that come to your door!). Dressing up in a costume will put you more in the spooky mood and depending on what you choose to dress up in, could help you be a memorable house on the block this year and next.

Ordering catering this Halloween is both a trick and a treat! Get in touch now to discuss how we can help.