Last year Siya Taneja, freshman, joined her little sister Syna at her Wild Horse Elementary school for their annual Trunk or Treat event. 

“It was just fun to walk around and then I’d see one of my sister’s friends, and we would scream at each other. It was a really cute bonding moment,” Siya said.

Siya was able to meet a lot of her sister’s friends, and take pictures with them.

Every year elementary schools like Wild Horse, Westridge and Ellisville, host Trunk or Treats. Kids walk around the school’s parking lot with their friends and family, stopping at each car to collect their candy.

Although Siya and her family have never decorated their own car, Siya said decorated cars can help bring a positive environment to Trunks or Treats.

“If you go up to a car and they just have candy, you don’t really talk to the person, you just grab candy and go to the next car,” Siya said. “If you see a more decorated car, you’re more likely to go there and get candy from them.”

While most students focus on the candy aspect of Halloween, many parents like Nicole Scherder, language arts teacher, look forward to the social aspect.

“Everybody knows everybody, so you’re just hanging out and socializing. It’s kind of like a big party,” Scherder said.

Scherder and her kids, Charlie, 7, and Evie, 5,  attend St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Trunk or Treat event every year as well as their neighborhood Trick or Treat. 

Regular Trick or Treating tends to be more relaxed as they go quickly from house to house, while during Trunk or Treat it’s a more social activity, Scherder said.

“I think it does make regular Trick or Treating not as exciting because you’ve already done other stuff, and kids have already gotten candy, so they’re not as excited,” Scherder said. ”It kind of makes me sad for actual Halloween.”

Owen Sattler, senior, has always enjoyed Trunk or Treats. Running around with his friends and decorating his car with his family were some of his favorite childhood memories, Saddler said.

“It really helps bring in the fall and Halloween spirit, you know, it’s getting colder and you can connect with friends and family. It’s a really fun experience overall, Saddler said. 

Rockwood Early Childhood Trunk or Treat was run by their Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), and was held last Sunday, Oct. 27.

The PTO had to figure how many cars could fit into the parking lot and used their PTO newsletters to spread information about the event, Cindy Kessler, PTO president, said.

“I have really enjoyed watching the kids come through and just get so excited about all of their trunks, and their own costumes,” Kessler said.

Families must pay $25 if they want to decorate their trunk and pass out candy, and sponsorship trunks had to pay $100. 

The money earned from this event is used for the supplies needed for Trunk or Treat, and it also goes to their Student Teacher Grants, grants that help supplement the educational supplies used for students, Kessler said.

The Rockwood Early Childhood PTO only has four members, so the MHS National Honor Society (NHS) partnered with the PTO and offered members volunteer hours to help set-up and run the event.

“The volunteers really made this event, and we could not have done it without them,” Kessler said.

Sydney Hombs, junior, was one of the NHS members that signed up to volunteer at the event. Hombs said she enjoys working with kids for community service.

“I liked talking to all the kids as they were going in, and them telling me about their costumes,” Hombs said.