Tips for Halloween Night 2020

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One of the best things about Halloween each year is the trick-or-treating. In our family, my husband or I (usually him) would take our kids out each year. However, when my son decided he was too old for costumes, he committed to taking his younger sister out each year.

It wasn’t all altruism, though. He got a LOT of candy from people who were proud of him for taking his sister out. So it was a win-win!

This year, trick-or-treating is going to be different for our household as well as for the world. Our son is at college in Miami so that tradition has been halted for now, and we have to determine if and how our daughter will manage this year. But the entire tradition is at risk right now because of the pandemic. What can you do so your kids can still celebrate the holiday but remain safe?*

Here are some suggestions for Halloween night for your kids

Treasure Hunt at Home

Don’t want to venture out on Halloween night? Consider a treasure hunt at home! You can utilize the entire house and yard or limit it to one area — depending on the age of your participants. You will need some Halloween-themed clues and prizes to make the night complete.

A search on Pinterest or Etsy for themed clue cards should direct you to some ideas. Stock up on Halloween candy or themed toys for your scavenger hunters’ prizes!

Have a Halloween-Themed Game Night

One great idea you can try on Halloween is to have a fun game night. This involves putting together some different Halloween-themed games that the kids can play instead of going out trick-or-treating. Try to have plenty of candy around the house to enjoy Halloween just as much as if they were going out for candy. You can even have candy-themed games, such as a Halloween piñata or giving out candy as a gift for winning certain games. There are plenty of different ways to do this.

Watch Halloween TV Shows and Movies

This is good if you want more of a quiet night at home. You will find a wide range of television shows and movies for Halloween that are appropriate for kids of different ages. For younger kids, try The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, then get movies like Hocus Pocus and Coraline for your older kids and teenagers. Make some spooky treats and sit down to watch movies all night.

Halloween Costume Parade

A Halloween costume parade would be a good option if your kids want to dress up. You would have to work with others in your neighborhood ahead of time to plan the date, the theme, and other details for the parade. Some people plan car parades but you can also plan a bike parade — this would give your kids more of a chance to show off their costumes!

Set up a vote to pick the best costume. Make sure everyone will be outside to cheer and wave and make sure there are lots of pictures! You can set up socially distanced ways to give out individually wrapped candy or other goodies and the kids ride or walk by each house. Or as a finale, you can plan a socially distanced gathering to give away candy to the kids. There are a lot of options!

Socially-Distanced Trick-or-Treating

In communities that allow it, some people will still go trick-or-treating. There are ways to make it safer.

Use Halloween-decorated tables. Set up a folding table and make it festive. Have individually wrapped candy bundles that the children can grab on the table.

Candy wall. You can create a wall decorated with attached (clipped) candy and other Halloween decorations — you can drape a cloth on your porch railing or you can build one. Allow one family at a time to come to pick a few pieces from your wall.

Imaginative ways to deliver candy. I have seen pictures of people creating interesting ways to deliver candy — like building a chute that the candy can drop down through. if you are handy, maybe you can build one for yourself!

Safe Trunk-or-Treating

Trunk-or-treating has increased in popularity over the past few years. You can still participate in this tradition this year, using social distancing. You can use the driveways in your neighborhood for the celebration or you can use a parking lot with the cars spaced out.

Decorate the trunks, individually wrap the candy bundles, and allow one family at a time at each car.

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*Remember to obey the laws and rules of your particular area. Some places have placed restrictions on trick-or-treating so be aware and follow your local guidelines. And follow the CDC guidelines as well.

Loving Life — The Reboot!

Dominique