I get so few trick or treaters I'm thinking about handing out arduino kits or something similar to kids 7+.
I'm trick or treating in YOUR neighborhood next year!
We were gone for the early hours of prime time this year, but the cameras showed that we missed only one group of kids. After we got back, we had only one group actually. And that was at about 9:30pm, and was high school agers. They'd have probably been thrilled with arduino kits instead of the boring candy we had for them.
Our neighborhood has few young families. But where I work happens to be in an area that used to be way out in the boonies, but which has become surrounded by new houses in the last few years. So there are lots of young families in those new neighborhoods.
As I left work, it was early, and light out. There were many groups of kids with their parents going door to door. As I drove a few blocks through the new neighborhoods, and then entered the older part of town, the number of kids out dropped off to none. It really depends on the neighborhood.
And people don't let their young kids go out alone, especially after dark, the way they did when I was a kid back in the early'60s.
But from what I've read, abductions and the like are actually less likely these days than back then. But its sensationalized in the media far more now, so people have the perception that these crimes are more prevalent now. So they keep their kids in or accompany them, etc.
I remember being warned, in school, about "strangers with candy" when I was in grade school. So its nothing new. But our parents let us trick or treat alone, after dark, in our area.
They let us ride our bikes and dirt bikes without direct supervision, too. And play outside alone, unsupervised and build dangerous things using junk we found, power
tools, etc. If we got hurt, it was part of growing up and the learning process.
I'm not saying kids shouldn't be protected. But I also think kids develop common sense when allowed to do things on their own more, and gain confidence and self esteem when allowed to do, and are trusted to do, somewhat dangerous things while unsupervised.
When I look back on things my friends and I did as kids, we never had any serious injuries. But some of what we did then, that was accepted, would get you kicked out of school and land you in jail these days. Not because anyone was being hurt, or property being damaged, but because of how laws and perceptions have changed.
How does a kid grow up to be a scientist or engineer of any sort these days? Just try building a home made liquid fueled rocket nowadays! You'd probably be hauled off to federal prison!