How To Celebrate Halloween Safely During COVID-19

Spooky season is upon us, but one of the spookies things of all- COVID-19, is something none of us want to mess with. There are still fun ways to safely celebrate Halloween with the kids that don’t involve getting up close and personal with the virus. Gather up the family and give these 10 activities a try.

You can’t have Halloween without pumpkins, and this outdoor activity allows you to safely social distance while still having fun. Most pumpkin patches have strict guidelines in place to keep their customers safe, like wearing a mask and only allowing a certain number of people into the patch at one time.

Next to pumpkins, apples are the quintessential fruit for fall. This is another outdoor activity that the whole family can participate in safely. You can also get the kids involved with putting those apples to good use once you get home by making some homemade applesauce or apple pies.

Hang outside and practice some team-building skills with your kiddos by venturing out to a corn maize. Most have the participants solve riddles and look for clues to help find the end of the corn maize. You can get the kids active and boost that Vitamin D exposure with some fresh, country air, all while having fun.

Once you’ve picked pumpkins, it’s time to carve them! You can come up with your own designs, or download printable designs to really up your pumpkin-carving game. Make sure to save the pumpkin seeds to bake afterwards for a healthy, homemade treat.

Instead of traditional Halloween parades, many towns are holding drive-thru parades. Check your town’s website to see if there’s one in your area. The kids can wear a costume and load into the car for a fun drive-thru experience where they see characters dressed up and Halloween light displays. Some parade organizers even hand out a treat bag at the end as a special surprise.

In-person costume parties are a no-go this year, but, like everything else in 2020, they’ve gone virtual! Ask some of your child’s friends to dress up in costume and hold a Zoom or Google Meeting where they can all show off their costumes. You can even designate a judge to vote on the best costume and award a virtual prize to the winner.

 Instead of taking your kids trick-or-treating this year, create a Halloween Scavenger Hunt in your house for them to find candy and other special treats. You can put on some spooky music in the background and have them dress up in costume to add to the fun and excitement.

There are plenty of non-scary movies that the entire family can enjoy for movie night. Pop some popcorn and set out your favorite candy treats and settle in for a night of classics like, “Hocus Pocus”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, and “Casper”.

In years past, your child’s school has probably held a costume dance party, but that’s not a possibility this year due to social distancing guidelines. You can bring the party to your house by having your kids dress up in costume and playing some spooky hits like, “Monster Mash”, “Thriller”, and “Ghostbusters”.

You’ve seen the Halloween baking competitions on television, now bring the fun right to your home by hosting a Halloween Baking Challenge with the members of your family. Young kids may need an adult to supervise their cooking, but kids can make pumpkin cut-out cookies, candy-corn marshmallow treats, Halloween cake pops, and more. The best part is the tasting after the baking!

These are just a few ways you and your family can enjoy the holiday safely. With a little creativity and an open mind, Halloween during COVID-19 can be just as fun and memorable as any other time. Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Halloween!