KidStrong Staten Island

Trunk or Treat

Read the host guidelines

Pick your spot

Tap an open car to claim it. Every trunk opens onto the walking path.

Who's bringing what

    Host guidelines

    Thank you for hosting a trunk. You are the reason this night works: the decorated cars out front are the first thing every family sees. Here is everything you need. It is short, and none of it is complicated.

    The short version

    • Arrive 4:30 PM. Parked, decorated and lit by 5:45. Families start arriving at 6:15.
    • Bring candy for about 150 kids, plus a handful of non-food treats.
    • Bring your own light. There is no power in the lot and it will be dark.
    • Once you are parked, you stay parked until 8:00. No cars move while kids are out there.
    • Every child will be wearing a wristband. No wristband means they have not checked in yet. Send them inside first.
    • Dress warm. You will be outside for three and a half hours in late October.
    Where you will park

    We are setting the trunks up in a loop in the side lot so families can walk the path and nobody has to cross a drive lane. Pick your spot on the map above. When you arrive, a coach will direct you to the spot you picked.

    • Back into your spot so your trunk faces the walking path.
    • Leave your car doors closed on the drive-lane side once you are set.
    • If you need to leave early for a genuine emergency, find a coach in the lot first. Nobody drives out of the trunk area without a coach walking in front of the car.
    Decorating

    The theme is entirely yours and you should go as big as you want. A few things to keep in mind:

    • Keep it friendly. Our youngest members are barely walking. No gore, no jump scares, no strobe lights, nothing with a mask that a two-year-old will find upsetting.
    • Keep it secure. Anything hanging, trailing or inflatable needs to be tied down. It gets breezy in that lot, and a decoration in the walking path is a tripping hazard in the dark.
    • No open flame. Battery candles only: no real candles, no fire, nothing that heats up.
    • Nothing stored on the ground behind your car where a kid could step on it.
    Light it up

    This is the one non-negotiable. The sun sets just before 6:00, so we open in the dark.

    • Battery lanterns, string lights, LED strips, or simply running your headlights all work.
    • There is no power available in the lot. Everything you bring needs to be battery powered.
    • A trunk with no light gets walked past. Nobody trick-or-treats at a shadow.
    Candy
    • Plan for about 150 kids. If you run low, tell a coach in the lot and we will top you up.
    • Hand each child a piece rather than letting them reach into a shared bowl. Faster, cleaner, and you get a second with every kid.
    • Please bring a few non-food options too: stickers, glow bracelets, small toys. We will have a teal pumpkin table inside for allergy families. If you will have allergy-friendly treats, tick that box when you claim your spot so families can find you.
    The wristband rule

    Every child at the event will be wearing a wristband: a KidStrong one if they are a member, a blue one if they are a guest. They get it at check-in inside the center.

    If a child comes to your trunk with no wristband, they have not checked in yet. Please do not hand out candy. Point them toward the front door, or flag a coach and we will walk the family in.

    It is not about being strict. Check-in is how we know who is on site, and for guests it is where the waiver gets signed. It takes about thirty seconds and then they are back out to you.

    What else is happening that night
    • A KidStrong tent outside with face painting and balloon animals
    • Local vendors set up inside the lobby
    • The Blue floor open all night with coaches running Explore & Play
    • Four raffle baskets

    Bring your own kids, obviously. Trade off with whoever came with you so everyone gets time inside.

    If it rains

    We make the call by 1:00 PM on Thursday, October 29 and text every trunk host right away, so nobody spends Friday morning wondering.

    If we call it off outside, the trunks come down and the whole event moves inside. The night still happens. You just get to be warm.

    What to bring, what we handle

    You bring

    • Your decorations
    • Your own battery lighting
    • Candy for about 150 kids
    • A few non-food treats
    • A chair, if you want one
    • Warm layers. Seriously.

    We handle

    • Your parking spot and the layout
    • Cones and a lit walking path
    • Signage directing families to you
    • Two coaches in the lot all night
    • Extra candy if you run low
    • Hot coffee for our hosts
    Claim your spot by Friday, October 16 so we can lock the layout. Questions about your spot, your theme or whether your inflatable dinosaur is too big? Find one of us at the front desk.