Every year, students at Grand Valley State University get ready for Halloween festivities during the last weekend of October. While Halloween can bring out ghouls and goblins, it also brings out some of the “littlest Lakers” for trick-or-treating.

The Children’s Enrichment Center at GVSU puts on a trick-or-treating event every Halloween for the children to dress up in their costumes and collect candy from various departments around campus.

“(The kids) really look forward to it every year,” said Sarah Lord, program administrative lead teacher at the Children’s Enrichment Center. “They’re always excited to go on campus, so with trick-or-treating it’s a bonus for them.”

Trick-or-treating begins around 9 a.m. where the children will travel around GVSU to departments including Student Services, the Women’s Center, Housing and Residence Life and others.

Lord said the trick-or-treating event can be a great alternative for student-parents who do not have much time to go trick-or-treating at night or for those who’d like a safer alternative. Parents are welcome to join their children during the event as well.

Andrea McConnell, a student-parent at GVSU said the event is exciting for her son and provides a sense of community.

“I’m glad the center puts on the Halloween celebration, the fact that my son can go and trick-or-treat on campus and that the GVSU faculty welcomes them is amazing,” McConnell said. “It feels great to know that we are part of such an awesome community and campus. I feel like it’s more fun for the kids and offers a safer option for trick-or-treating.”

The Children’s Enrichment Center offers childcare for GVSU student-parents, faculty and staff and is also open to the West Michigan community.

Student-parents said they chose their childcare here because of its close proximity to campus and the instructional time the children get while there.

Lord said the children are exposed to a vast majority of the resources available on GVSU’s campus, which they use as part of their instructional lessons.

“We take them to classrooms for demonstrations, we also take advantage of the fields on campus as well,” Lord said.

Lord added the children get comfortable and accustomed to the campus environment and enjoy the atmosphere.

GVSU students receive a discounted rate on childcare at the Children’s Enrichment Center, which is located on West Campus Drive.