Halloween Isn’t Cancelled: How to Trick-or-Treat From 6 Feet

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Halloween 2020

Halloween is the perfect kids’ holiday. It has: dress up, parent-sanctioned staying-up-late, candy, arts and crafts, and a chance to see parents joining in the creativity. So as the pandemic drags on and October 31st approaches, I’ve worried that we will have to call off the trick-or-treating. Then again, this holiday is all about creativity, so here are 6 ways to trick or treat from 6 feet:

Talk to your neighbors

Wandering around won’t be much fun if you don’t know which houses are have a trick-or-treat distancing plan. So talk to some neighbors, you can even share this blog post with them to start the conversation. Be sure to reach out to people who don’t have children too. Many older folks thrive seeing the creative costumes at Halloween, and these ideas can give them a chance to connect. Then make a plan to have the kids visit a select number of houses, you could make a map or give them a list.

If you live in apartments try meeting outside or at a park at a set time. You can use hula-hoops or caution tape to set up stations. The kids can follow a path to ‘trick or treat” at each family’s station. This also works if you don’t know your neighbors, invite a few parents from your kids class to meet at a park.

Set up your distancing system.

As we’ve all heard from Dr. Fauci, and the CDC pandemic safety is (mostly) about keeping a distance from others, so you’ll need a system. Don’t worry the internet has exploded with great options, and here are 6 ideas:

    1. Treat slide: You can use anything from a folded piece of cardboard to a stretch of gutter, as long as you have 6 fit of length. You can rest the slide on a railing, the backs of chairs, or any type of “stand” you may have on hand. For our slide we cut up amazon boxes and taped them together to make a long V. We used strips of masking tape across the top help it keep it’s shape. Then we taped it to kid-sized chairs. By keeping it low our kids can send candy down the shoot themselves and it’s easy for little ones to catch their treat at the bottom.
    2. Bucket on a pulley: What’s up moms has a great video on how to make a spookey treat bucket on a pulley. This is a bit more involved, but could be great fun for trick or treaters!
    3. Candy grave-yard: This is quite simple and requires no interaction with trick or treaters. Just tape pre-wrapped candy to bamboo skewers (the kind you use for bbqs). And place them around your yard, or if you are in a park, around your “station”. Kids can come through one at a time to pick them up. To add a spooky twist make these look like grave markers. A similar strateg y for a park or if you don’t have skewers lets you put those old amazon boxes to use makeing little “haunted houses.” Set them up like a town and place candy at each one.
    4. Candy tube-slide: Some people have taken this to the max like this mummy-style slide, but you can also just ziptie or pvc pipe to your railing.
    5. Haunted treat tree: If you happen to have a tree in your front yard with low branches, you can hang up candy. Use string or clothes pins so trick or treaters can pull candy off the branches.
    6. Barrier with candy toss: Any kind of barrier will work to keep trick or treaters away from your door. For example, a sign on a string can be taped across your banister, or taped to two chairs. Once you’ve established a safe distance. The person handing out candy can plan to toss the candy to trick or treaters. If you pitched softball this one may be for you!

Have fun trick-or-treating!

Don your costumes, and take the kids out to knock on doors and vist at a distance. At a time when so many of us need social connection this is a great opportunity. Enjoy the costumes and creativity and take time to talk with your neighbors! Remember to tell us about which one you’ll try in the comments!

Other ways to celebrate instead of trick-or-treating

  1. Carve pumpkins. This should be pretty self-explanatory and remember you can even order a pumpkin from the local supermarket.
  2. Decorate and enjoy decorated houses. Walking around to look at the creative decorations other people have in windows and yards is a great way to get the kids out for a walk. And makeing your ownr decorations is agreat rainy day activity for kids. What ever you create may bring joy to others! Check out this great guide for a spooky window hunt.
  3. Make Halloween themed treats, like these cookies, kids love to cook and these are easy enough for them to help with! Or, since who needs more sugar, try these healthy-ish treats.
  4. Watch a Halloween themed movie from our Halloween movies for kids list.

How are you celebrating? Let us know in the comments bellow!