My Dh and I would love to go really scary with our decor, but keep it pretty PG on the exterior as we have toddlers and babies (in strollers... with mommy getting the treats) that ToT.
*siderant*I get kinda annoyed with the parents that are dragging their newborns around ToT, as you know that they are not doing it for the kid, and they don't even bother to wear costumes... *end of siderant*
All of you that go gruesome and even have the haunted houses, how do you avoid scarring (and scaring) the very little? I would hate to think I terrified a kid so much that they hated Halloween.
Also, what about the insurance risk in having an "attractive nuisance" haunted house? In these days, I'd be afraid of having a walk-thru due to the sue-happy mentality out there.
I guess it would help if we actually knew our neighbors, but it's pretty much waves to neighbor if you see them on the way to the door/car, and no talking. (and Dh and I are kind of antisocial anywhoo)
Thoughts?
__________________ I'm a Halloween Bride! 10/31/2002
Where there is no imagination there is no horror.
~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
We have had 3 garage walk-throughs, from a simple in-and-out to a complex 7-room maze which continued through the house & out the front door. My wife handed out candy at the exit, but would treat those too timid to walk through as well. As far as liability, I guess we just take our chances. I guess I am naive in thinking that anyone who enters the maze understands that it is going to be scary (hopefully) and that they will probably be running before they get through (also, hopefully). I suppose I could get everyone to sign a waver, but I suspect a 10-year-old's signature wouldn't hold up in court. Bottom line, if people start suing, we stop building. Everyone loses.
i have a yard haunt that isn't gory, but can be big on the scares. i LOVE to set up atmosphere, then some creepy things like ghosts and scarecrows. i try for realism, even though what i display isn't real. then i try to hit with a HUGE scare after they get their candy. one year was an 8 foot gargoyle costume, another was someone jumping out of a coffin with a horrible shriek from a speaker. this year will have a spider victim that talks to TOTs and an animated spider. maybe something else if i have time. plus the loud and scary ambient sounds all adds up.
but i like to have the big scare AFTER they get their candy so i can gage if we should scare or not, or if we can but just tone it down. sometimes the graveyard, static props, fcg, and sound is enough to frighten the youngins.
sometimes, rarely even, but it happens, when they are too scared to even get halfway up the driveway, we send someone out with candy and no mask to give them treats for their valiant efforts.
i also tell all scaractors to be prepared at a moments notice to rip off any mask or scary item if someone is really freaking out. it's the only time we break character. we've had to do it maybe only 4 or 5 times withing the last 4 years. but it's necessary to ease and usually converts the scared into a calm "it's not real it's just for fun mood". the second year we had one of these situations. the next year he came back all puff chested, trying to scare his buddies. the kid had to have been only 6 or so. he was so proud, like he knew the secret and his friends didn't: that it's not real =)
as for the attractive nuisance i guess an "at your own risk" sign might help? =/
and for the walk troughs or bigger haunts, i know some people make a specific kiddy section just for the little ones.
__________________
"Trick or treat" is not a greeting, it's an ultimatum ~ Spats
I haven't done a walk through haunt in years, but the suggestions so far are great. If I see a kid coming up to my door that I know is about to pee in his Superman costume, I usually open the door way before he gets up there and have a seat on the stoop - I try to let him see my body language change, like I'm just hanging out - not all stiff and scary and creepy (I don't wear a mask, I've always painted my face, so it gets tough to 'get out' of character -- that's where the body language comes into play).
As far as liability goes, you could post a sign next to your haunt saying you aren't responsible for yadda yadda. I'm like Scott, I'm naive to that sort of thing during Halloween.
I always have my wife stationed in plainclothes in case we get the wee ones that are too scared to venture up the walkway. One year, I dressed up as Michael Myers and stood on our porch roof. They were so fixated on me being on the roof, nothing else bothered them! I guess they thought I couldnt get to them!
On rare occasions one parent will stay with the child while the other one comes up to get the candy for him/her! That cant be fun!
I've never tried a walkthrough maze yet...although I have wanted to.
I always worry aboout the very little ones except my son who was born into it. I have always had toddlers that are basically scared well sh**less so what I do is strip down off my costume and make a conscious effort to explain to them that its all just pretend. 1 they always get extra candy andd 2 a big hug
Unfortuately, this is the sort of thing that "outgrows" the little guys. You certainly don't want to display anything "childish", there's nothing worse than a bunch of teenagers yelling, "Boor-rriing!" outside your house. See you end up ratcheting it up to real Horror Experience, and miss all the little kids. In Canada, we'd end up with nothing but the adolescent to adult crowd (and a LOT of Adults, I might add) and precious few "Real" TOT's.
If I could do it over again, we'd have a table handing out treats down at the end of the Driveway for the hundreds of small tykes too scared to come up to the House.
We have had 3 garage walk-throughs, from a simple in-and-out to complex as well, we just warn the parents, then they get to decide if they want they're children scared, it seems to always work out pretty well for us.
I go for horror and gore ,but If they are too small or young and timid (you can usually tell) I'll just walk up .If they start to freak, I'll take off the mask or such so I and the parents can show them its not real .Don't want to scar them . p.s. I'll get them when they get older! lol
We have two candy "stations." One is located in the front of the house, where the graveyard is set up. It's a fairly static display, and while the atmosphere is spooky, it's not meant to be terrifying. The walk through is designed to be more intense, and we tell people with small children that it might be too scary for some. We'll give out candy to little folks in the front, and the older kids at the end of the walk through. Most parents appreciate the heads up, but there are some that literally drag their kids through the walk through, all the while saying "oh don't be scared" or some other crap. Meanwhile the kid is screaming or crying. We do tone it down a bit for the little kids that are forced to go through because of some insensitive parent. I personally don't want anyone to have a bad experience, and want them as repeat visitors each year.
Ever worry about the very little ones?
*end of siderant*
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