Socially Distant Halloween

Halloween 2020 was always going to be special. For the first time in a long time the holiday landed on a Saturday during a full moon. Although recent events threaten to undermine this sentiment they could also serve as a catalyst to make this Halloween special in other ways. Rather than leave your kids hanging until next Halloween try these creative and safe ways to celebrate.

For kids the usual Halloween activities don’t shy too far from today’s pandemic approved activities. Most trick or treating takes place outside, kids tend to stay with their family units or small groups, and masks are encouraged. With some slight adjustments it may be possible to preserve the traditional Halloween experience for your family. 

Traditional Trick-or-Treating- Some local leaders have pushed to ban this year’s trick-or-treating over COVID-19 concerns so familiarize yourself with the rules of your area before planning your Halloween. If you have the green light to hit the streets do so while following the official CDC guidelines for safe trick-or-treating. These include staying six feet from others and distributing candy in individually wrapped bags. 

Scavenger Hunt-  Maybe going outside isn’t an option for your family. If that is the case just bring the fun of trick-or-treating in doors. Set up puzzles in your home so kids can hunt for their candy stash using critical thinking and problem solving skills. You can even incorporate your children’s costumes by adding a relevant theme to the game. Your child may be disappointed about trick-or-treating but at the end of the night they will still have a pillowcase full of goodies. Isn’t that what it’s all about? 

Halloween Parade- Get your neighborhood together for a mini parade. There are all kinds of creative ways to turn your car into a spooky Halloween float. A parade is the perfect way to show off your decorations and costumes without making contact with your neighbors. For extra fun, end the parade with a costume contest. 

Speaking of Contests- You don’t need to get together to compete for most Halloween spirit. Hosting a socially distant costume and decorations contest makes up for the neighborhood interaction lost by trick-or-treating restrictions. There are plenty of websites available to host your competition online. 

Virtual Escape Rooms- There’s no limit to the spooky activities you and your loved ones can participate in over Zoom. But one of the more interesting ones is the virtual escape room. Although some are a little pricey others are completely free to try. Find the best option for your family and turn Halloween into a fun critical thinking exercise. Of course the online escape room can be swapped out with any online video game you think fits the spirit of Halloween.