Fun Ideas to Keep the Spirit of Halloween Going in 2020

It’s no surprise that Halloween is going to look very different this year.  With COVID still a present risk, it’s not realistic or appropriate to participate in traditional trick or treating.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the holiday on a smaller scale.  It’s important to keep holiday traditions, especially for our children who so look forward to them…we just need to do it a little differently this year.  Here are a few ideas of how you can celebrate Halloween with your family and friends.

BOO BUCKET OR BOO BASKET

The concept is similar to that of an Easter basket. You fill a traditional Halloween bucket or Halloween themed basket with little Halloween tricks and treats. You can give it to your child the night before Halloween or the morning of Halloween.  Or you can hide it with clues for them to find. Here are some ideas of things you can fill it with:

• Vampire Teeth
• Stickers
• Activity books
• Small games like Halloween Bingo or Jack O’ Lantern Knock Down
• Halloween Books; here’s a few cute ones I found:
  • Room on the Broom
  • Skeletons ARE NOT spooky! 
  • I Love My Fangs!
  • Bonaparte Falls Apart – we got this one in our Halloween YearCheer box!
  • It’s Not Easy Being a Monster
• Scavenger Hunt; click here for a great free printable 
• Lots of Halloween Candy of course!

SPOOKY SCAVENGER HUNT

Time to call in your Quaranteam! Pick out your orange and yellow Easter eggs and hide candy around your yard for your kids and their close friends to hunt. You can also buy black and orange plastic eggs as well as plastic pumpkins.

• Plastic Pumpkins “Eggs”
• Pumpkin Treat Pails 
• Black and Orange Halloween Eggs

COVID-CONSCIOUS “TRICK OR TREATING”

Connect with your neighbors to make a plan. In our neighborhood we designated the two main streets as “trick or treating streets” and we contacted each home to ask if they will be participating. If they respond yes, they are agreeing to:

• Distribute candy on a folding table at the end of their front path/driveway, away from the house.
• Put candy into individual disposable cups or bags (using rubber gloves). The cups are great because the children can take the cup, pour it into their treat bag and then dispose of it into a provided garbage can or recycling bin.
• Display a Ghost Sign in their window to show others that they are being COVID conscious and responsible.

Everyone participating in “Trick or Treating” is expected to wear a mask and remain 6 ft apart from other families at all times.