Door-to-door trick-or-treating is not for everyone. Here are six alternatives for Halloween fun.

Is trick-or-treating not tripping your trigger this year?

Maybe your children are getting too old for trick-or-treat. Or they’re just tired of the same old tradition. Perhaps you’re not keen on the idea of sending your kids out to take candy from strangers, or your neighborhood isn’t the safest place for knocking on doors after dark.

If the traditional trick-or-treating isn’t on your agenda this Halloween, consider some fun alternatives that keep the imagination and whimsy in the holiday.

1. Have a Halloween party

When the fun fizzles out of the thought of walking through the neighborhood knocking on doors, suggest that your children throw a Halloween party instead.

Make some fun, seasonal Halloween party foods and plan some Halloween holiday games and activities.

Have a costume party with prizes for funniest costume, most original, most creative, and best overall costume. If your party is for young children, you may want to ensure that each guest gets a prize.

Set a theme such as the 1970s or Favorite TV Shows and ask everyone to dress up to fit the theme.

For a teen Halloween party, buy a stash of gory Halloween makeup and have the kids make each other up as zombies.

Rent some classic scary movies (“Frankenstein,” “The Birds” or anything with Vincent Price) and watch as the kids get a kick out of how scary movies have changed over the years. Or rent some funny Halloween-type movies, such as “Beetlejuice,” “Scooby Doo,” or “Monsters Inc.”

2. Trick-or-treat for a charity

For more than 50 years, UNICEF has been raising money for children in developing countries through its Trick or Treat for UNICEF program. UNICEF youth volunteers go door to door on Halloween night and collect monetary donations for the international organization, which provides immunizations, food and clean drinking water for children in need all over the world.

Check out local non-profit organizations in your area and ask if there are any trick-or-treat for charity programs in place. Or organize your own youth group charity event centered around trick-or-treat alternatives.

3. Host a haunted house

Teens and kids of all ages will love setting up their own haunted house. Start early by planning the “rooms” in your haunted house and collecting materials.

Invite your children’s friends to help as actors in the haunted house.

Invite trick-or-treaters to stroll through when they come to your door on Halloween night, and issue invitations for others.

4. Have fun handing out treats

Kids inevitably get to an age in which they’d rather stay home and hand out the candy than go trick-or-treating.

Let them pick out the candy they’ll hand out, dress up in costume and decorate the porch or foyer where they’ll be greeting trick-or-treaters.

5. Have a scary sleepover

For older children and teens, host a pajama party full of thrills and scares. Watch a scary movie, make popcorn and cider, and have lots of candy to make up for what the kids are missing by going trick-or-treating.

Remember those old scary stories from camp when you were young? Things that go bump in the night are still scary to kids, so tell one of your old favorite stories in the dark.

Don’t plan on getting much sleep . . .

6. Look for community and church events and activities

Many churches take a stand against trick-or-treating and offer parties and events as alternatives. Check out your community bulletin boards to see what your town has going on October 31.

Check out more Halloween ideas in Suite 101's Home and Garden.