Safe Ways To Celebrate Halloween In The Midst Of COVID-19 (And What To Avoid!)

Are you wondering what to do with your kids for Halloween this year? Check out these ideas for safe ways to celebrate Halloween in the midst of COVID-19.

I was asked the other day what we were doing with our kids for Halloween this year. And I honestly didn’t have a great response. (Shame on me, I know!). Every other year, we’d be going trick-or-treating store-to-store at a local outdoor mall. Then, we’d follow it up with trick-or-treating a few blocks around our neighborhood. Between October and November, we’d also be going to the Annual Fall Festival held nearby.

But COVID-19 changed ALL those plans!

So, we have to be a little creative this year, and I hope your family is, too.

Here are a few safe ways to celebrate Halloween in the midst of COVID-19 (all are CDC-approved):

1. Carve pumpkins (safely!)

An oldie but still a goodie. Be creative and do it yourself, or shop around for a pumpkin carving kit. Just be sure your kids are supervised around sharp objects. You can even have a pumpkin carving/decorating contest, which we’ve done in the past in our house. Girls against boys – see who wins! When you’re done, put them out for decoration. The good thing is they can last for a little while after Halloween, as fall decorations.

2. Make Halloween/Fall crafts

Keep your kids occupied with this long list of Halloween crafts you can make together.

3. Decorate your house

Load up on Halloween and Fall decorations to help your family get in the mood. Use some of the Halloween crafts you created in #2 as decorations, too. The “season” is definitely NOT cancelled!

4. Have a scavenger hunt

Create a list of Halloween and fall-themed objects your kids can look for throughout your house or as you walk through your neighborhood. You can also use this time to just “take in” all the decorations around. (Of course, wear your masks and stay 6 feet away from other people while you’re out).

5. Have a virtual Halloween costume contest

Connect with other friends and family members via FaceTime or Zoom, dress up in your favorite costumes, and have a costume contest. You can also just have fun, connect, and take pictures to remember this crazy time. Just because you aren’t going anywhere doesn’t mean you can’t dress up!

6. Have a family Halloween movie night

Pick a few favorite (not-so-scary) Halloween movies, pop some popcorn, and enjoy a night with your family. A favorite series in our house is Hotel Transylvania!

Other activities that pose a medium risk:

(Masks should still be worn and social distancing practiced to keep your kids as safe as possible with any of these activities)

1. One-way trick-or-treating where goodie bags are safely created (with clean hands) and placed out for kids to grab and go outside your house
2. Outdoor costume contests or parades
3. One-way haunted forest or pumpkin patch
4. Outdoor movie night

Activities to avoid this year:

1. Traditional trick-or-treating
2. Trunk or treat events
3. Indoor costume parties or parades
4. Indoor haunted houses
5. Fall festivals

Please do what you can to keep your kids safe this Halloween!

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Do you have any other ideas for safe ways to celebrate Halloween in the midst of COVID-19? I’d love to hear them – leave them in the comments below!

If you love these tips, be sure to check out my 170+ page digital library, filled with step-by-step instructions and  the tools you need to create effective routines, manage your time, prepare meals,  clean your home, care for your kids – and so much more!