Many parents have reservations about trick-or-treating on Halloween this year, due to COVID-19. If your family has opted out of traditional trick-or-treating, have no fear: There are many ways to celebrate this holiday while maintaining a physical distance from others!
Here are 13 alternatives to trick-or-treating to safely get your scare on this year.
Watch Spooky Movies
Hotel Transylvania, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and The Nightmare Before Christmas might be good not-so-spooky animated flicks for younger kids. For older kids, use this as an opportunity to introduce them to creepy movie classics from when you were a youngun’, like Gremlins, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice or The Addams Family.
Host an Outdoor Pumpkin-Carving Party
Grab some pumpkins, paint and carving knives, and head outdoors to decorate pumpkins and create jack-o-lanterns with friends outdoors. Make sure to sit at least 6 feet apart!
Hold a Virtual Costume Contest
Invite your friends to dress up in their Halloween costumes, gather around the computer and hold a costume contest over Zoom or Facetime.
Make Halloween-themed Treats
Eyeball cake pops, caramel apples, candy corn-studded treats, vampire cookies — there are many ways to get spooky in the kitchen!
Let Someone Know They’ve Been “Booed”
Sneak a bag or basket filled with Halloween goodies onto your friends and neighbors’ porches to let them know that they’ve been booed! Instructions and ideas here.
Create a Spooky Sensory Bin
This is the perfect time to play with slime — and make it extra creepy by adding toys like plastic spiders. Or create a “worm” bin with cooked and colored spaghetti (CLCK HERE) or make edible eyeballs with Jello (CLICK HERE).
Tell Ghost Stories
This list of kid-friendly spooky campfire stories might do the trick to give your kids a bit of a scare.
Read Halloween Books
Pick up some fun Halloween-themed books, such as Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds or Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton.
Paint Your Face
Buy some face paints (make sure they are formulated to be used on your face) and let your imagination go wild! The great thing about using your face as a canvas is that you can paint it, then wash it … and then do it all over again!
Hunt for Candy at Home
Create a scavenger hunt by hiding candy all around the house and yard. Have your kids grab their trick-or-treat buckets and try to find them all!
Do a Halloween Costume Parade
Decorate your bikes, wagons and strollers, put on your Halloween costume, and parade around the neighborhood with your friends and neighbors. Be sure to stay 6 feet away from people who are not in your household!
Head to a Drive-In Theatre for a Halloween Movie
Drive-in movies are making a comeback, and many are showing Halloween-themed movies this time of year. They’re a great way to get in the spirit of the season, but also stay physically distanced from others! Check your local theatre to see what’s playing near you.
Try Your Luck with a Virtual Escape Room
Solve a mystery in the comfort of your own home with a virtual escape room. It’s a fun way to entertain the whole family and work together as a team. Check out some ideas here.
