How to Have a Fun and Safe Halloween in Kansas City

Halloween is an extremely festive and fun time of year for children and adults alike, but it also is important to be cautious and keep little ones safe during this thrilling holiday.

Safe Alternatives to Traditional Trick or Treating

We will talk a little bit about safe door to door trick or treating, but first, let’s look at some fun alternatives to this tradition going on around the city. Click here to view the entire KC Kids Fun activities calendar for the month of October.

Pumpkin Hollow

Pumpkin Hollow is a great Halloween activity at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. Kids can ride the Pumpkin Hollow Express, find their way out of a corn maze, climb a hay pyramid, play in the corn box, and slide down the giant hay slide. The best part? Each member of the family gets to pick their own pumpkin to take home at the end of the visit! Pumpkin Hollow is open 10am-3pm M-F; 10am-4pm Sat & Sun. through October 31st.

Glow: Jack-O-Lantern Festival

Looking for a little pumpkin carving inspiration? Then the Glow: Jack-O-Lantern Festival is for you! This fall festival has tons of carved pumpkins and a variety of family-friendly activities, including jack-o-lanterns and fantastic pumpkin sculptures, hayrides, a fire-pit, food vendors and a tent featuring master pumpkin carvers. This event is Saturday, October 20th from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Boo at the Zoo

Calling all little animal lovers! The Kansas City Zoo is having an event called Boo at the Zoo where kids can come and trick or treat at the zoo! They will have tons of kid-friendly Halloween activities and yummy treats to take home! The activities are not scary, so you don’t have to worry about your little ones getting frightened. This event is Saturday, October 27th from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Kid Safe Halloween at Shoal Creek Village

Trick or treat door to door throughout Shoal Creek Village without worrying about the dangers that come with traditional door to door trick or treating. This will be held on Saturday, October 27th from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. View this event for more information.

Night of the Living Farm

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is offering something for everybody after dark with their Night of the Living Farm event. They will have scary and not-so-scary activities for the whole family! Enjoy mad science experiments, a fairy princess party, fortune teller, flashlight scavenger hunt, hayrides, marshmallow roasts and more! This event will be held on Saturday, October 27th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Trunk or Treat Events

A lot of schools and other establishments host Trunk or Treat events in their parking lots. These are a safe and fun way to get a great candy haul and dress up in that cool costume! Keep an eye out for Trunk or Treat events in your area!

Our Safe Trick or Treating Tips

If you do decide to do traditional trick or treating this year, take a look at some of our tips to help keep the kiddos safe:

Only Trick or Treat at People’s Homes That You Know

We suggest sticking to homes where you know the residents. Your kids may want to hit every house in the neighborhood, but this can be risky and put them in danger-even if you are with them. We also suggest taking a look at the sex offender list in your neighborhood and avoiding those houses at all costs.

Make Sure You Can See Your Child

We cannot stress how important this is. If your child chooses a cool, all black ninja costume it will be hard to see them when the sun goes down. Add reflectors to dark costumes and candy bags, so you know where your child is at all times.

Check Your Child’s Candy

Contrary to popular belief, it is pretty uncommon that candy is tampered with, but we do suggest checking your child’s candy anyway. If someone you do not know well gives your child homemade treats, throw them out. If candy wrappers seem compromised, throw that candy out. Let your child have a piece or two out of your candy bowl at home while you check their bag to avoid meltdowns.

What are your Halloween plans this year? How do you keep your kids safe while trick or treating door to door? Let us know in the comments below!