With the impact of COVID on Halloween still up in the air, parents are already busy planning what-if scenarios in case trick-or-treating is canceled. Here are some great ways to celebrate while maintaining social distance:
1. Hold an Outdoor Pumpkin Carving Party
Gather up the safety knives and patterns and head outdoors (six feet apart, of course) to carve pumpkins together. Cleanup is a breeze when pumpkins are carved outside. Younger children could paint theirs instead — take a look at these no-carve pumpkin ideas for some inspiration.
2. Have A Virtual Halloween Party
Just because you won’t be inviting the entire neighborhood inside your home doesn’t mean you can’t gather online to show each other your costumes and eat treats together.
If you gather on apps such as Houseparty, you can even include virtual games. Host a costume contest while you’re at it with prizes for scariest, funniest or most original.
3. Tell Ghost Stories or Read Scary Books
Family members can take turns telling scary stories. Alternately, check out some Halloween-themed books from the library like The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.
Older kids might enjoy starting the Bunnicula chapter book series by James Howe or the My Undead Life series by Emma T. Graves.
4. Make a Socially Distanced “Haunted House”
Setting up pretend spider webs, skeletons and even old dolls and fake blood can make your front yard into a haunted house for neighbors or friends to enjoy one at a time. Put a treat bowl at the end.
