Thread: ToT idea, for your perusal

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This is something I've been doing for a while, and suddenly realized that I'd never mentioned it, and have never seen anyone else mention it.

One thing I have done for the last five years, which seems to bring a few more ToT's around and looking around a bit longer, is to give one of them ONE (minor) prop of their choice. It's been a fascinating experiment... I tell the ToT's to walk around the whole haunt, to pause and look/listen to everything, read all signs, tombstones, etc., and then to come back to me at some point during their visit and whomever can correctly answer the most from a list of 20 questions about the haunt, they can pick out one of my props (previously chosen by me to be give-able and kidsafe)... only one year ('03) did I have two kids each answer every question, and I gave each of them a foam skull and a set of foam chains, a layout of about $15 altogether from my budget. Candy for a dozen kids and their folks costs that much already.
At any rate, it's easy and cheap to come up with a giveaway prop intended for the grand prize of this little experiment, and it adds some challenge to their night.
It also guarantees parents will remember your haunt, and the kids will talk about it to their friends at school the next day (unless they're going to Catholic school like I did and always have Nov. 1st off!) and thereby garner you more ToT's.
And the looks on their faces is priceless.
And for YOU, it adds some magic to your night as well; it's one thing (and noble enough) to labour hard and give a night of fun and spookiness to your neighborhood, but you will find that it's another thing to actually be able to hand over a physical symbol of that labour, passing on a bit of yourself, while making sure the ToT's get the full effect and intent of your haunt.
Anyway, just a thought. Has anyone else done anything like that?

Mike C.

I once had a costume contest, advertised it everywhere, first place prize-$300.
I saw about 25 people compete.....
The next year I didn't work like crazy promoting(to give away MY $300!?)
and only three people showed up to fight over the prize money!!????

That's crazy Gym, no accounting for smarts!!

Wow, wish I was talented and could afford to use part of my budget that way - it definetly sounds memorable! This year we gave away 2 candies and a small trinket type toy per kid - they were pretty psyched!

I didn't mean to suggest you give away something really valuable or expensive. I do mean cheap when I say cheap! :-)
But giving anything away that's a bit more than candy or something does light their faces up, doesn't it? A cool feeling!

Mike C.

Mike C.
I think that's a great idea of a contest/quiz/prize to have the ToTs become more observant and more involved. I'll bet the ones that become future prop builders will always remember their first prop from Mike C. I think I may try something like that next 31.

This year I had many NEW young ToTs, 4-5 year Olds, 1) due to word of the haunt spreading. 2) a lot of new development in our area = more young ToTs. Some of the little ones were so scared they refused to come down the driveway. I noticed this early on and quickly made up a sign and placed a bowl of treats at the beginning of the drive. The parents really appreciated that. Funny thing was, parents would take turns watching the little ones then come in to explore the haunt themselves.

Originally, for best costumes, I had special treat/prize bags made with all sorts of goodies.....large candy bars, Halloween novelties, some had a few dollars, etc. The little ones that DID muster the courage to make it to the door also got the special treats and their faces did light up when they saw all the cool stuff in the bag.

Didn't start out with props that intense to scare the H out of little ones, but over the years as MY kids grew older, they wanted more so the display grew as they did.

Oh, am I rambling again.....sorry

I live in a fairly small town, (less than 10,000 people). I try to aim our display at the teenagers who'd usually be up to mischief. This year we had an alien theme (nothing much by this forum's standards) - 5 pool noodle aliens, a small moving spaceship and my husband's prized MGB were involved. One of the best props was a "photo op board". I painted some aliens on choroplast (sp?) and cut out their heads. All of the kids seemed to get a kick out of posing as aliens. (I couldn't get over the number of kids with cameras on their cell phones!) Note to self for next year - - get some sort of step stool to hold up the really little kids, after a night of picking up some of them my back was sore! (And why did the chubby little ones want to be the tall alien?) Next year we're doing a clown theme again - did it 5 years ago, so I've already ordered clown noses and picked up some clown wigs to give out to the teens who arrive without costumes. Zellers (a Canadian dept store) is going out of business so I picked up 25 clown wigs at 25 cents each! I'm so excited about Halloween already!

Loved the idea having the TOTs answer questions - gives them a chance to really look at the stuff and not be so scared of it. Also gets them to stay longer and they (and parents) appreciate the effort you put into it.

I had most of the neighborhood kids help set up a couple years ago and took their pictures (and with some Photoshop effects) created wanted posters to put up on the "Wall of Infamy". Really became a source of bragging for the kids to come up and show their friends being included on the wall.

Also got some oriental trading skull necklaces and gave out to some TOTs. The ones who asked questions, were really scared, I liked their costumes, or just because in addition to the candy.

Again, really like your idea of invovling the TOTs - may do something like that this year. (Get all those Brits hanging around longer!)