COVID-Safe Ways to Celebrate Halloween This Year

Halloween 2020 is on our minds, especially regarding how to safely celebrate during the COVID pandemic. 

While the CDC has labeled trick-or-treating as a high-risk activity for spreading viruses, people are coming up with innovative ways to keep up the holiday spirit while protecting themselves and others.

There are plenty of outdoor activities and decorating you can do to make Halloween 2020 a wickedly fabulous one, all while taking necessary safety precautions.

Painting or etching pumpkins

These methods put a fun twist on the classic carved Jack-o-lantern, without the mess and intense cutting. 

If you are part of a quarantine pod, set up your outdoor living area with washable paints, supplies, and pumpkins (or other gourds of your choice) and let your pod paint away!

Etching requires sharp tools, so take care with children, but you can create beautiful, detailed pumpkin displays without the strenuous carving.

Halloween at-home

 

Invite your quarantine pod over for a mini get together that encompasses all things, Hallows Eve. 

Fire pit season is in full swing and gives everyone a chance to relax outdoors and de-stress. You can even decorate your gas-powered pit for Halloween by adding colored Fire Glass to match your spooky decor. 

Set up a movie projector for a socially distanced Halloween movie in the backyard. Hand out treat goodie bags and make crafts, such as painted pebbles.

Landscaping stones work best, because they are smooth and flat, which is ideal for painting. If you have a bag of leftover garden pebbles in the shed, you can add them to your craft table and paint Halloween themed stones for your garden (this is especially fun and easy for little kids to do).

Mini Trunk or treat

Trunk or treat is a popular way to hand out candy, especially for families. Traditionally, groups gather in a central location and hand out candy from the trunks of their vehicles. 

This year, you can downsize to have a mini trunk-or-treat with your quarantine pod or family.

Keep it in your driveway or set up stations in your backyard. Make sure that masks and gloves are worn while following sanitation guidelines.

Safe trick or treating

If your neighborhood is allowing trick-or-treating, you can safely partake with a few easy tweaks. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

• Make treat bags ahead of time and place them on a table outside your door.
• Wear gloves and a mask at all times.
• Give out treats that are factory sealed.
• Make a socially distanced candy chute, like this one: