Making the Most of the Covid Halloween

The holiday season is officially upon us, and I think it’s safe to say that none of us expected back in March that we would still be dealing with Covid during the holidays.  But, here we are.  And even though it’s not the situation any of us were hoping for, I think we can try to take advantage of this unique time to make this holiday season a really special one.  We also need to remember how much deprivation our kids have already experienced, and that attempting to maintain some level of normalcy will go a long way toward their mental and emotional health.

I’ve heard a lot of different perspectives on how to approach Halloween this year, and it seems like there are a few really fun, safe options.

1.  Modified Trick-or-Treating

We usually trick or treat in a popular neighborhood that’s decked out and doesn’t have massive hills like ours.  But it is crowded.  So I knew right away that our traditional trick-or-treating plan was a no-go this year.  And though we’ve decided to abstain from any trick-or-treating, experts are saying there are safe ways it can be done.  The primary concerns are (1) crowds, and (2) the face-to-face contact of going door to door.  Check out this New York Times article discussing the C.D.C’s guidelines, which list as a “moderate risk” “trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goody bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance.”  This will eliminate the close-up trick-or-treating encounters, and will reduce the rifling around of little hands in a candy bowl.  And maybe people could set out lawn chairs and watch the adorable little ones from a distance!  This would definitely require neighborhood coordination, but if you live in a close-knit neighborhood, maybe this is something to consider!

2.  Candy Hunts

For our kids, we’ve decided to do a candy hunt like we do for Easter.  We may even make it a scavenger or treasure hunt, but some sort of hunt is on the menu.  This way, we not only know who has touched the candy and when, but I also (for the first time ever!) get to have some control over the candy my kiddos get!  I have to admit I’m kind of happy about that part.  No more sifting through their bags and breaking the news that the weird little piece of  candy that looks half opened and from 10 years ago has to go in the trash.  I also plan to switch things up a bit and include Halloween stickers, tattoos, and other fun activities, so it’s not all about the candy.  A win for teeth!

3.  Socially-Distanced Neighborhood Fun!

We have awesome neighbors who happen to have kids around the same age as ours.  So we recently had a zoom brainstorm about some fun things we could do at a distance to ensure Halloween remains a social event for the kids.  So far, we’ve decided on (1) a neighborhood scavenger hunt searching for random things (a spooky decoration, a white pumpkin), which still gets the kids out and about in the neighborhood in their costumes, (2) a socially-distanced costume contest, where every kiddo gets to show off his or her costume to fun Halloween music and each gets a trophy for most original, most spooky, etc., (3) and a fun game of Halloween bingo.  On a typical Halloween, we go trick-or-treating and head home for dinner and a sugar overdose, so even though this year things will be from a distance, I think this may actually turn out to be the most social Halloween we’ve had as a family!  

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We haven’t yet missed a Halloween dressing up as a family, and I’m going to milk it for as long as our kids will let us, so that’s definitely still happening (Star Wars!).  And I’m really looking forward to this new and different Halloween with our neighbors.  Maybe if we approach this season with the attitude of starting new traditions instead of lamenting the temporary loss of old ones, we’ll all be in a better headspace.  And our kids, especially, need us to be as positive as we can, as they are struggling probably more than we realize in this uncharted, virtual world.

Here’s to a Happy Halloween!