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Throwing together a last-minute Halloween party is one alternative.

^{Posted by: ShortOrderMom}

Several years ago we attended a church that frowned upon Halloween and Trick-or-Treat  and after that we lived in an area that was not exactly kid-friendly, so Trick-or-Treat was something we needed alternatives for. We did our own thing at home, calling it a "Fall  Festival", where I would cook up a storm filling the house with pumpkin, spice and apple laced goodies.

Now that we're back to Trick-or-Treating, I haven't had to think much about what we'd do on that night of the year. Many people still fall into the realm of those who don't or can't Trick-or-Treat and these ideas are sure-fire winners as alternatives.

1. Host a Halloween Party for the kids with elaborate decorations, fun food, a Halloween themed scavenger hunt and lots of candy!
   
2. Check out your local mall. Many malls have a trick-or-treat night where stores participate by handing out goodies to kids dressed for the holiday. There are no weather problems or lighting worries.
3. Be the "best house on the block" giving out candy. This is especially helpful with little ones that are too young for trick-or-treat and for kids who are too old to go. Decorate creepy or cute, and go all out. My  toddlers always enjoyed helping to hand out candy and seeing all the different costumes kept their interest up.
4. Have a spooky sleepover. Get the kids together to watch scary or Halloween themed movies like Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie or Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and have  creepy treats like Edible Eyeballs and The Spurting Spider cake. Stay up until midnight (if you dare!) and see who can tell the scariest story.
5. Trunk-or-Treat. I've seen this just about everywhere recently. People get together in a large parking lot and decorate the trunks of their cars just like they would their front porch and fill the trunk with goodies. Kids then dress up and walk from trunk to trunk instead of door to door. Parents can keep a close eye on their kids and extra fun is added with a costume contest and baked goods served afterward.