Thread: Successful ToT give-out idea to share...

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Last year we bought balloons and balloon sticks from Oriental Trading and they were a huge hit with the kids. Many of them literally squealed with delight when we handed them one. It's a cheap give-out with great success. OT sells a gross of balloons for $12.95 and the sticks are the same price.

Another give-out we did last year were glow bracelets. We were at Target and they had packages of 15 glow bracelets for only $1! So you may want to check your local Target next Oct if you're interested. They were definitely packaged for halloween as the tubes were orange with a spooky house graphic on the label. They were located in their sale isle near the front door where almost everything is only 1 or 2 dollars on the isle.

And another upside of these two give-outs is that they both made the little ones much more visible to car traffic.

Needless to say, the glow bracelets were a huge hit as well as the balloons. And I have to admit, we got a charge out of seeing the kids marching up and down the block carrying balloons and sporting the glow bracelets.

Just thought I'd pass the info along to you all

Great thread, Cassie. We did have a "glow bracelet house" this past year, but we also had a house that the kids still talk about 6 months later. The lady was giving out the usual sugary fare in the middle of the yard, and on the driveway, the man of the house was grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for all of the TOTers AND their parents. I guess he could have used the opportunity to SELL these morsels, but he gave every one of them away for free. Our street were PACKED on Halloween, so I know this was no easy task on his part. He kept a steady flow of food coming off the grill, and had a big table set up with all of the "fixins". He had packets of everything as opposed to bottles for sanitary reasons, and you just walked up to Frankie (he and his wife were dressed as Frankenstein and his bride), and he would fill up whatever type of bun that was presented to him, then you would prepare your own stuff at the table. He also had a huge cooler full of water and diet sodas. There had to have been at least three hundred people in our little six-or-seven-street neighborhood, and that intrepid fella' fed every last one of them

I'll have to keep thinking about what we can do this year, but I would never have the time, patients, or FUNDS to take on something like that..

Yeah, with the earlier time, I've been considering hot dogs myself. But, that would mean I'ld have to be grilling instead of spooking. So, that's a no-go here.

I've been doing the glow bracelets for 3 years now. Can't remember where I found the tubes of 50, but it was years ago and I bought thousands. (this will be my last year's worth) And last year, someone else was giving them out as well, so maybe it's time to change it up.

Balloons wouldn't work here. They don't like freezing temperatures much. Maybe the mylar suckers on the sticks.

Hot chocolate has been another one I've been kicking around. And will eventually get to, once I get the new area built next year.

My mom handed out Kazoos (spelling?) last year and took pleasure in the pleasant sound of many a goblin marching around blowing the things...and knowing she wouldn't have to hear for long as they were marching AWAY.

Cassie I think its fun to give the kids something different, they really get a kick out of getting something like that.

Oh Rookie......I would love to BBQ on my driveway! When we had the diner in Nebraska we use to go on the cattle roundups & cook out of a real chuck wagon that was pulled by 2 horses. I swear it was the most fun we ever had. We use to do several of those thru the season. Jerry would grill big 1/2 lb. burgers for those cowboys & they loved it. I would love to do smaller burgers & hot dogs for my TOT's.

That why I started baking, it was just to see if the people would feel comfortable eating in my house. We did not have problems with anyone declining what we had. This last season I did not bake cause I was sick & people were disappointed. We really wanted to offer a cup of chili one season & apple cider, but here in the south its warm for halloween most times, so chili isn't the thing. But the grill fired up & that smell it gives off......yeah I like that idea.......gonna think about that for 2009. This season we are doing the gothic wedding cake & punch for the wedding/funeral parlor scene.We have the treat bag for the kids & a big bag of freshly popped popcorn & the parents take bags too & then this year we will be handing out the little coffins I made for the parents filled with my gourmet chocolates.

It always scares me that there will be other activities planned in town for the kids & we won't get so many on halloween. I guess I have to get over that cause with the way things are going & the fact that we add more each year I guess the kids would not stand for not coming to our house!lol

I know for sure Jerry would love to be grillin' on Halloween ........we love to feed people!!lol

the Muffster

We don't get Tot's because we're out in the sticks, but I rented a big popcorn machine last year for our party and it was (surprisingly) a huge hit.

Boo Berrie ...thats what we have ...its a huge commercial popcorn machine from when we had the restaurant......and ours too is a big hit. Jerry gets bags of popcorn ready ahead of time cause when we get hit ya gotta be ready. But he pops corn all thru the night...we buy a 50lb. bag of popcorn. The house smells so good all night & parents along w/ the kids really enjoy it.

Muf

At my haunt every year I usually have grilled hot dogs and the fixings, of course I am wanting a donation to the March of Dimes, so I am feeding from 200 to 300 people. I also like feeding people! I have enjoyed this thread because this year I want to have good treat bags for all the children who come.

Muffy, how are you doing your coffins for chocalate? I was wondering if I should order treat bags from Oriental Trading as well as some prizes, but interested in your idea of a coffin container.

I did glow bracelets last year. I ordered in bulk, so it averaged about 7-cents (US money) a bracelet. The place I ordered from sent them very fast: Illuminationz - Wholesale distributor of chemical lights glow sticks led lights

I made bags and stuck a bunch of things in them too... bat rings and temporary tattoos (non-Halloween ones since they'd be wearing them after Halloween) from Oriental trading.

Target has the best things to hand out, I've discovered. Here are a few things I passed out last year:


I got Play-Doh at CostCo for fairly cheap.




This year, I'm looking into lanyards.... but it doesn't seem to be cost effective. Though, I did find a place where I can get 100 for $40... so I might roll with it. I was going to make Mad Science visitor badges to hook to the lanyards. I've also moved since last year... into an evil gated community... so I've no idea how many things I'll be needing. =/

The glow bracelets are always a hit. We've been handing them out for years, but lately more and more other homes are doing the same, So we've been looking for somehting else, and balloons sound really, REALLY cool! Does anyone know how many helium balloons can be blown up from one of those cannisters at the party store?
Cassie, were the stick balloons you bought decorated for Halloween? That really is a great idea, thanks so much for sharing.

Peeweepinson - I'm making these coffins for the adults, its their TOT. They are coming along fine but very time consuming to assemble plus the cost of the ink to print them out. Below is the link to the pg. in my web site where I am still adding photos & instructions on making them. Once you get the knack of putting them together it goes pretty fast but I know when I made the 1st one I thought forget it this will take forever. But after getting done with a few I knew I was gonna make them cause they are just so cute.


papercoffins

WOW!! I can't believe you make hot dogs for that many people!! How do you do it? I mean do you cook yourself or have someone do the cooking? For me offering food is something I have always done. We had the restaurant & were always having doings there so its pretty natural for me to be able to feed a lot of people and really we do enjoy it!

Jadewik - That is really nice looking stuff, I bet the kids love that stuff.


MUF