4 Tips for a Pandemic Halloween that’s fun and safe

I love Halloween and have put on major productions and parties for decades. But this year, celebrating Halloween during a pandemic will take some creativity. Kids like to dress up, get tons of free candy, play games, and eat sweet treats – right? So you can make Halloween even MORE fun during a pandemic. Here’s how:

1. Rice Krispy Treat Witches
Everyone loves Rice Krispy treats! The ooey gooey marshmallow concoctions are irresistible. Make 4-5 batches with your kids and sculpt a witch’s head. The kids can roll witch’s fingers and cut out fruit roll-up nails. Make this the weekend before Halloween for decorations and tempting sweets all week.

2. Costume Planning
Brainstorming and designing costumes are just about as exciting as actually wearing them. Look online to get ideas about costumes the kids can make. Start 2-4 weeks ahead of time so you can buy accessories and have everything you need by Halloween. You can also save shipping boxes and have the kids design costumes out of things you have around the house.

3. Trick-or-Treat Treasure Hunt
Instead of going door to door demanding sweet treats on Halloween, hide miniature candies – the same kind of candies they would get going to neighbors’ homes – all over the house. Place them in pockets, under cushions, on top of books, inside shoes, in the yard, and in flower beds. Count the candies before you hide them so the kids know how many candies they need to find. This can take hours and it’s sure to be a lot of fun. Think: Easter Egg Hunt! My kids used to love this so much they would play it several times, and then hide the candies for us!

4. Costume Parade
On Halloween night, your kids can stand in front of your house on a make-shift stage wearing their costumes. As people drive by, they can wave and say “Trick or Treat!” You can encourage neighbors and friends to participate by posting a sign on your lawn – “Drive by to see our Halloween costumes at 7:00 pm on Halloween!”
Talk to your kids about how they want to celebrate a pandemic Halloween this year. Mark your calendars to give them plenty of time to design costumes, make Rice Krispy Treat witches, create a platform and signage for the costume parade, and layout rules for the treasure hunt. You may start a new family tradition this year, and you’ll certainly create memories!