Halloween communication board: free trick-or-treat printable

Who it’s for

Children who use pictures to talk, children who freeze or go quiet at a stranger’s door, and children who find the noise, the dark and the masks a lot. It also helps brothers and sisters and the grown-up walking with them. Nobody has to say the words out loud: showing a card is a real way of saying “trick or treat”.

How to use it on Halloween

1. Practice at home first. Knock on a bedroom door, point to trick or treat, get a treat, point to thank you. Do it a few times.
2. Pick the door card the night before. “Trick or treat!”, “I talk with pictures”, or “No candy, please”: whichever fits your child.
3. At each door, show the card or point to the board. Most neighbors will understand straight away. You can add one sentence: “She’s saying trick or treat!”
4. Check in between houses. Point to How is it going?: more, all done, too scary, I need a break.
5. Go home when they say all done. Three happy houses beat ten hard ones.

It fits any costume

The board doesn’t depend on the costume. Point to I’m a, then write the costume in the box next to it, or on the I’m a… door card: a dragon, a firefighter, a cat. Punch the hole in a door card and tie it to the treat bag with a ribbon, or fold the treat bag strip in half and hang it on the handle, so the words are always in reach and both hands are free.

Instead of candy

Not every child eats candy. Some have a food allergy, some can’t chew it, some just don’t like it. The Instead of candy row and the No candy, please door card let your child say so politely: a sticker, a toy or something else is great. And no thank you is a fine answer too. If your child has a food allergy, check every treat yourself before it’s eaten.

What’s on the board

At the door

• trick or treat
• happy Halloween
• thank you
• hi
• bye
• ring the bell

Halloween

• costume
• candy
• pumpkin
• treat bag
• flashlight
• dark

Instead of candy

• no candy, please
• I have a food allergy
• a sticker
• a toy
• something else
• no thank you

How is it going?

• more
• all done
• too scary
• I need a break
• help
• wait

Printing tips

• Print on card stock and laminate it. October evenings can be damp.
• Write the costume with a dry-erase marker, so the board works next year too.
• A flashlight helps your child see the board in the dark. Reflective tape on the treat bag helps drivers see your child.
• For a break on the way, the break cards and wait cards work outside the house too.