Halloween will be different this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises skipping traditional trick-or-treating and other festivities involving crowds — which are high-risk for spreading the virus. However, there are some low-risk activities you can do instead.
8 Ideas for a Safer Way to Celebrate Halloween
- Have a family scary movie marathon.
- Host a costume contest with friends and family. Keep things outdoors, in small groups and socially distanced or try a virtual or drive-by contest.
- Hide treats around the house or outdoors for your kids (or other adults) to find. You can even try a spooky scavenger hunt.
- Have a family pumpkin-carving contest. Keep things outdoors and socially distanced or have a virtual contest.
- Have a family Monster Mash Dance Party (with costumes!). Consider inviting others to participate virtually.
- Have small-group trunk-or-treat style trick-or-treating with friends and family. Think about having a virtual costume parade, too.
- Avoid indoor trick-or-treating settings or events that typically draw larger crowds where it could be hard to stay six feet apart.
- Call ahead to check COVID-19 precautions if you plan on going to Halloween activities, like at haunted houses, farms, pumpkin patches or a corn maze.
While planning outdoor, socially distanced activities, use the free American Red Cross Emergency app for weather alerts and to let others know you are safe if severe weather occurs. Find this and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.