For most, fall means pumpkin spice lattes, golden leaves, sweater weather, pumpkins, and harvest time. For kids and parents, fall means Halloween. But because of COVID-19, the prospect of Halloween may be extra scary this year.
Is it safe to celebrate Halloween? Should we cancel Halloween? Parents, you’ve probably heard these questions a lot recently. Here at The Traini Counseling Group, we agree that it’s incredibly important to stay safe and healthy during this national pandemic. We also want to stress that it’s important to make the most out of stressful situations, stay mentally healthy and find creative ways for you and your children to still enjoy fall holidays.
So, without further ado, here are 10 way you can still celebrate halloween and stay safe amidst COVID-19
- Decorate inside and outside.
Deck the halls with… spiders? Decorating is a great way to get in the spooky spirit, especially if your child has been remotely learning and don’t have the usual fall decorations surrounding them. There are thousands of fun Halloween crafts to try online and plenty of inspiration to draw from.
- Work a mask into your costume.
From the basic black ninja mask to masks that look like snarling, toothy jaws, dazzling head scarves to western bandanas, masks that we wear everyday to protect ourselves and others can easily be worked into your Halloween 2020 costume. Get creative!
- Watch a movie.
While some of us already do this on Halloween, it can be a new, exciting tradition for youngsters. Make some spooky treats, pick some family friendly Halloween movies and snuggle up to some good (and maybe some corny) flicks.
- Try a Halloween Egg Hunt.
If you have toddlers or younger children and feel safer staying at home, pick up some Halloween colored Easter eggs, some candy or small toys (or maybe one toy for finding all the eggs.) Hide the eggs instead or outside, play some ghoulish tunes, have the kids dress up and go hunting!
- Practice safe trick-or-treating.
Practice safe trick-or-treating with the following ideas:
- Reverse trick-or-treating: Have kids stand outside their houses in their costumes while neighbors take turns driving by and throwing candy. This minimises close contact and everyone still gets to “get out.”
- Social distancing treat-or-treating: Set out a bucket, table or other creative container with treats on the driveway for trick-or-treaters to pick from. Kids can also use handy “no-touch” candy grabbers like these. Costume gloves are also a good idea.
- Trunk or Treat: It’s the trending to-do this year! Organize this event in a church or school parking lot with other families. Parents decorate their car trunks in the Halloween spirit and hand out candy to children as they walk from car to car. Parents are in charge of dispensing candy and hand sanitizer.
- Hold a spooky bicycle parade.
If the weather is favorable, grab your costumes, saddle up the bikes and tour around the neighborhood. This is a great way for adults and kids alike to show off their Halloween costumes and enjoy some time admiring Halloween decorations.
- Go to a pumpkin patch and carve a Jack-o-Lantern.
If you and your family feel like a trip out of town, a walk in a corn maze or pumpkin patch might just be the ticket. Be sure to check websites to see what regulations or precautions certain farms or businesses may have before visiting. Here are few local corn mazes and apple orchards near Flint, MI and around Genesee County.
As a bonus, check out the Halloween Ghosts & Goodies 2020 Drive Thru at Crossroads Village!
While Halloween may be different this year, that doesn’t mean it has to stink. We understand that things are a little unnatural, but that doesn’t mean this season has to truly be scary. Know that The Traini Counseling Group is here for you and that we wish you a happy and healthy Halloween! Be creative, make it fun and remember to stay safe!