For many people – children and adults alike – Halloween is one of the most festive and enjoyable holidays of the year. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing us to get creative with our Halloween celebrations this year. Social distancing has made many typical activities such as costume parties, trick-or-treating, and concerts a non-starter. That being said, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the Halloween season.
Keep in mind that CDC health recommendations are constantly evolving. We encourage everyone to visit the CDC website before organizing Halloween events to ensure they comply with health guidelines for remaining safe during the pandemic.
Pumpkin carving is a holiday tradition that can easily continue during the pandemic. Your children will have a more festive Halloween with jack-o-lanterns, and this can be a great way to make their 2020 Halloween experience feel more normal. We recommend the following tips to ensure your pumpkin carving event remains safe during the pandemic:
Adorning your house with Halloween decorations will provide a fun, safe activity for your kids. You can buy decorations at a local store, but it may also be fun to encourage your children to create their own decorations. If you want to invite other children in your social bubble to participate, make sure the decorations are made in an outdoor, socially distant environment and follow the same safety tips recommended above for pumpkin carving.
Trick-or-treating may not occur this year, but your kids can still enjoy some tasty Halloween treats. Let your children pick a few fun Halloween-themed recipes to make at home. Easy options include:
If your children prefer candy to home-baked treats, you can hold a scavenger hunt instead of trick-or-treating. Hide individually wrapped candies throughout your house and yard. Then create clues for your kids to use when they try to find the candy.
Getting dressed up in costume is one of the most fun ways for children to celebrate Halloween. While they may not be able to go trick-or-treating or attend a Halloween party in costume, there are still ways for your kids to get dressed up and socialize with their friends.
You can organize an outdoor costume parade so that your children and their friends can show off their costumes. Make sure everyone remains at least six feet apart during the parade to adhere to social distancing guidelines. You can even create prizes for the best costumes to make the parade more fun.
Scary movies are a classic Halloween tradition. You can still watch these at home with your family. If you want to include others in your social bubble, hold the movie night outside and space out the seating to remain socially distant. Encourage your children to come to scary movie night in costume for a more festive experience.
If you prefer to avoid in-person events with others outside your household, you can host virtual events to make Halloween more social for your children. Many of the activities listed above can be done virtually via a video chat app, including:
Unfortunately, we aren’t able to host in-person trick-or-treating events or an in-person costume contest this year. However, there are still several ways you can celebrate Halloween with our community:
Virtual On Havana Street Halloween Costume Contest – Our costume contest is still taking place this year, but it will be held virtually. You can enter anytime during the month of October. Click here to view details.