At what age should kids stop trick or treating?

Should kids stop trick or treating at a certain age or do it until they get sick of it? Here at Grandma's house, we leave it up to the kids, who usually make sensible decisions. They're pretty level headed, as are most young people, if you give them a chance. But what about other folks? How do they decide when their kids are too old to trick or treat? A random cross section of parents across the country had this to say:

Debbie, Las Vegas, NV:

"Wait a minute...I am 40 does that mean I am not allowed to trick or treat anymore? Actually, I think anyone under the age or 18 should be allowed to. My older kids and their friends always used the excuse of taking the younger kids so that even if their friends didn't think it was "cool," they still had an excuse to go and get candy."

Reena, Herndon, VA:

"I think it's fine until the kids realizes he/she needs to stop. That may be 12, 18 or 40!"

Karen, Seaside, Oregon:

"Anyone under the age of 18 should be allowed to trick or treat. Let kids enjoy their childhood for as long as possible, and they'll decide when the time is right to end it."

Linda B Florence, SC:

"Around 10 or so, depends on the child and the neighborhood. Some kids love to dress up."

Randy, Claremont NC:

"I think they should stop trick or treating when they turn 13. If they want to dress up they can go to a party."

Deb, Runnemede, NJ:

"I think they should stop at the age where they aren't willing to put the effort/fun into it. My dad always kept 2 bowls of candy. One was "the good stuff" for the cute kids; the other was the "dum dum lollipops" for the teenagers who threw on a flannel and some face paint."

Kate, Lock Haven, Penn:

"Ten is a good age. Our 12 year old wants us to drive her 200 miles to our old town to go trick or treating, with 2 friends. Come on, time to grow up." -

Angie, Cincinnati, Ohio:

"I think we need a "when is it too early to trick-or-treat" article. As far as when to end it, I believe 17 is the top number. I also believe that if kids are trick-or-treating at any age, they should be accompanied by an adult. For the young ones, it's for safety. For the older ones, it's to make sure others are safe from them. An accompanying parent may cause the kid to decide to drop trick-or-treating early."

Michele, League City, Texas:

"Never!" (No age limit)

Sandy, Two Harbors, MN:

"This year my 15 year old daughter wants to go trick-or-treating dressed as a Japanese geisha. The party scene isn't something she's interested in. She is thinking of asking some of the parents with younger children if she could go with the elementary age kids to be sort of a chaperone in lieu of the parents having to go."

Tammy, Marion, IL:

"I don't feel like there is a set age limit. I love dressing up with my kids when they trick-or-treat. I think that when my kids decide they're not going to trick-or-treat then that's what age they should stop."

Ashli, Galesburg, Illinois:

"I don't think there should really be a limit. Everyone likes candy and I think that as long as it is a family thing people should be able to go out at all ages. I know that I liked dressing up and everything until I was sixteen but now that I have a daughter I love to dress up with her and do it again. Do I think its a little weird when a twenty year old comes to my door just on his own for candy? Sure, but it's his or her choice as long as they're not being stupid about it."

How about you? When do you think kids should stop trick or treating? Feel free to leave a comment!