DENVER — As millions of children across the country prepare to trick or treat this Halloween, a familiar topic is back in the cultural conversation.
How old is too old to go trick-or-treating on Halloween?
Are teenagers too old to trick or treat?
More than one quarter of adults believe that children are never too old for the tradition, according to a 2021 YouGov survey. And 46% of parents agreed in a "Today" survey.
In the survey, 16% percent of adults felt kids should stop trick-or-treating around 17 or 18, while 19% said age 15 or 16 is the stopping point.
"There is no age when kids 'should' stop trick-or-treating, but after graduating high school many enjoy other ways to celebrate Halloween," 9NEWS parenting expert Sheryl Ziegler said. "The decision to stop is based more on behavior than age."
Ziegler acknowledges general concerns about older kids pounding the pavement on Halloween night. However, Ziegler says kids of all ages are capable of such behavior and offers "common-sense solutions."
"If you're the parent of young kids, you can trick or treat earlier in the evening and if you have older kids, remind them to be mindful of their bodies and manners," Ziegler said.
Also, many older kids are responsible for taking their younger siblings trick-or-treating.
"We don't want to shame them for wanting to spend time with their brothers and sisters," said Ziegler.
In some places, there are laws discouraging certain age groups from participating in the Halloween tradition.
Chesapeake, Virginia, limits trick-or-treating to kids 14 and under. The city of Bathurst in New Brunswick, Canada, passed a law to prohibit kids 16 and older from ringing doorbells.
Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey, has had request that trick-or-treaters to be 12 years old and under, but a spokesman told "Today" that there has been no enforcement or penalties.
