[HalloScream]

What is the earliest time that tots come to your house? I plan to be ready by 6pm. Before 6pm is too early imo.

 

[boo who?]

I don't like daylight/early birds- but 6PM is the start of TOT in my neighborhood. I can see parents of little ones wanting to start and finish early. But most of the TOT's arrive at or near sundown. What I really have to watch is the kids that show up first thing- and then try to make a second visit when it gets dark and busy.

 

[Saruman of Many Colours]

Last year, I had some parents show up with toddlers starting around 4:00 PM . . . Somewhat inconvenient, as I was still putting the finishing touches on a few elements.

 

[huchon]

Normally get the first few between 5 and 6 and the last few stragglers around 9:30

 

[kloey74]

It's supposed to start at 6 so I try to be ready by 5:30.

 

[mariem]

I get my first TOTers at about 3 pm. There is a school right across the street and many kids come over before they catch the bus since they have just had thier costume party at the school. It starts early like that every year and runs until about 9:30 or 10 pm. You would be surprised how many little ones are still getting driven around that late.

I am usually still setting up my cemetery when they start coming around. Makes it hard to get things done but can't send them away. They get so excited.

Marie

 

[Shadowbat]

The "scheduled" time starts at 5, but it's not uncommon to get early birds a half an hour before. By the time kids get home from school and get ready the bulk don't usually show up till 6.

 

[GobbyGruesome]

We usually get a couple at 5, which I think is way too early. And then I get ticked because we have a huge lull between them and the next group and I start thinking that's all we're gonna get. : p Mom always said no Trick-or-Treating during the supper hour so these folks would have recieved her evil glare!

 

[Skeletoncrew]

Normally we will start getting the little ones trickling in around 5 pm or a bit after, it's just a few though.

 

[carolann]

For the past 6-7 years that we've dealt with TOT hours, we get them right at the start time. 11 years ago when I still lived at home, I remember answering the door between 3:30-4:00 to the really tiny TOTers.

 

[Blarghity]

Elementary schools get the kids back into the neighborhood by 3:30PM, so about 5minutes after that. I'm just glad the older kids prefer to ToT after dark, because they get home as much as 90 minutes earlier than the elementary kids.

 

[jdubbya]

Our set TOT time is 6-8 p.m. Anyone who shows up before then waits until 6 or until we are ready. We've had parents and kids show up at 5:45 a couple times and we simply tell them they need to wait or come back at 6. Invariably, no matter how well prepared we are, we are still doing last minute things right up until 6 p.m.

 

[Scatterbrains]

I'm busy up until 6:00...so they can show up sooner, but there's no one handing out candy.,

 

[DaveintheGrave]

Usually right when I'm sitting down to eat dinner after setting up the yard all day. Argh......

 

[kittyvibe]

the earliest Ive had them was 6:30 but most start trickling along after 7:30. Majority is between 7:30-8:30 with stragglers around 9pm, but by then its pretty much over.

 

[Boone6666]

hmmm never really paid attion, but i'm allways wondering when are they going to start.
and this year I have to wonder when and how many as the church down the street and over the hill is holding a trunk or treat.
should swing in there and see what that is all about.

 

[zombieprincess]

They normally start around 5pm here. Sometimes we get a few earlier than that. I have "dinner" ready for my kids when they get home from school so they can go ahead and get dressed up. We're normally still putting last minute touches up when the first few arrive. So far the latest we've had are between 9 and 9:30 but we are almost always out of candy by then as it's just a few stragglers. Since Halloween is on Friday this year I'm not sure how late they will show up.

 

[MonsterMike]

They can start at noon as far as Im concerned and go to midnight. I'm doing all this for them to begin with.

 

[Jerseyscare]

3:00 when the elementary school lets out. I'm on a dead end behind the school where many parents park, dropping off and picking up the K-3grade.
So they have watched the yard for 2 months (since the fence went up), so right after school, in costume, before driving home, they come to my house.
I take the day off, to be almost ready!

 

[hauntedgraveyard]

I have never had kids before 6pm (well, once a little girl about 3 years old came here with her mum at 5:45pm). I am in Ottawa, but it was the same in Toronto too. Always after supper. Most folks put their lights out at 8, we put ours out about 8:30 or a bit later.