Spooky season is well
underway. The crisp autumn leaves crunch underfoot and the sun sets earlier
and earlier. Pumpkin displays and the candy aisle have completely taken over
the grocery stores. Scary movies haunt the airways every night, and it’s the
perfect time to snuggle up under a blanket and spend time with people you love.
For many, Halloween is a time for dressing up, having fun, and expressing their
creativity, and this year doesn’t have to be that different. Here are 7 ways to
celebrate Halloween safely and successfully.
1. Decorate.
If you have small children at home, help
them make symbols of the season, and decorate your windows and yard. They can
color or collage cats, owls, pumpkins, and witches. For older children, papier-mache
crafts can spark their imaginations. You could also decorate face coverings
with fabric paint to help make wearing masks in public more fun.
2. Make a yard display.
Together you can design spooky
yard displays. Making a scarecrow is a fun activity and it is one way to
convince your children to rake up all the leaves that are falling. Though the
stores are full of Halloween decorations, you don’t have to spend a lot to make
your yard spooky.
3. Carve some pumpkins.
This is an age-old tradition
that is fun for everyone. The grocery stores and pumpkin patches are brimming
full of pumpkins right now. Everyone can pick their favorites, and carving
jack-o-lanterns is a fun family activity. If you have very small children,
painting pumpkins can be just as fun. Maybe you can organize a pumpkin decorating
contest on your street or among your children’s friends. Judges can walk or
drive around to vote, or you can upload them online and use one of many
internet programs to tally the votes.
4. Make Halloween treats.
Making Halloween treats is always a fun time and you can make a small batch or make more and have your children package some up in festive bags to share with neighbors and friends. Here are some party treat ideas for older and younger children alike from our friends at Delish.
If you are looking for a low-stress activity that doesn’t involve a lot
of preparation, make your favorite Halloween treats or a bowl of popcorn and
settle in for a movie marathon. Older children might be able to handle some of
the scarier movies, but there are plenty of Halloween-themed films for the
younger ones. This might also be the perfect opportunity to get teenagers to
watch the movies they loved when they were little for a fun walk down memory
lane.
6. Make a scavenger hunt.
If you want to celebrate within your own family group or
pandemic pod, you can create a spooky scavenger hunt for your children in your
house or your own yard. Many creative people have uploaded scavenger hunt ideas
with free printable clues for you to use or to inspire your own scavenger
hunts. Here is an example of scavenger hunts for younger children.
7. Trunk or Treat.
If you want to maintain social distancing but still allow your children some trick-or-treating fun, you can organize a trunk-or-treat in a parking lot with a community you belong to. This could be at your child’s elementary school, at your house of worship, or with the people on your street. The adults agree to wear masks and use hand sanitizer to hand out candy to the children. Masks can be a required part of every costume and you can hand out prizes for the most creative masks.
