COVID-19 update, October 30th

Halloween Edition: Options for a safe, fun, and Happy Halloween

Halloween is tomorrow and many people are still undecided on how and if to celebrate. I have gotten a few inquiries so I thought I would share a few tips. There are three basic categories of people for Halloween: 1) those trick or treating 2) those giving out candy and 3) those doing neither. So we will address each individually.

But first, remember, like everything else you want to identify your personal risk for severe COVID as well as the risk that you may give it to someone else. Weigh that risk against the benefits and decide what is best for you. This will be different for everyone. Some kids are struggling and need a little night of “normal” they need some time off from the virus and the restrictions. Some do not. So again, you have to evaluate you and yours and do what is best for you without putting others at risk.

Trick – Or – Treating during a Pandemic – Here are some things you can do to make Trick-or-Treating a little safer.

1. Limit it to younger kids if you can. Remember, those under 10 are far less likely to develop serious COVID issues.

2. Go to houses of people your kids know and already interact with. Like families they go to school with (if they are face to face) people you interact with at work or family members who live in the area. These are people you are already exposed to, so it keeps the risk lower.

3. Trick or Treat in your own neighborhood or inside your school district. Staying in the area where your kids go to school (if they are going face to face) will mean they will encounter more people they have already been exposed to – or those their classmates have been exposed to. So, if feasible, stay close to home.

4. Shorten the amount of time you are out. Trick-or-Treating is outside which helps reduce risk but limiting the amount of time you are out trick-or-treating will help further reduce risk. Try just an hour or so.

5. Be sure to wear a mask – a COVID mask not a costume mask. (we care about what it is made out of, plastic vs cloth, and how many layers it is).

6. Take hand sanitizer and use it between houses.

7. Leave plenty of space between your group and others.

8. Trick-or-treat with a small group of people you have already been exposed to.

9. Don’t go inside buildings or haunted houses. The issue here is both ventilation and screaming (in haunted houses) because screaming propels those little viral droplets.

10. Don’t crowd the door or the person giving out the candy – they could be infected, think about that each time.

11. AS is always the case, don’t eat anything while you are out – take it all home and check it first. And watch for cars (the mother in me couldn’t resist)

Giving out Candy during a Pandemic – If you are giving out candy here are some tips for keeping yourself and the Trick-or-Treaters safe.

1. If you are a high-risk individual you will want to forgo handing out candy this year.

2. Prepare goodie bags and leave them on the porch for trick-or-treaters to take. But just know that some kids are going to take more than one. You have to be ok with that. I do NOT recommend leaving a bowl of candy, for one thing, it won’t last long but more importantly, it requires hand after hand to go into it creating a bit of a petri dish of potential disease.

3. Use a candy chute! This is a fun option for those who can do so. Using big PVC pipes create a candy chute that is at least 6 feet long. Kids stand at the end, you stand safely at the other end and “shoot” the candy down the PVC pipe and into their awaiting hands/bag/pillowcase. This is a fun option that enforces distancing, reduces risk, and…well it’s fun. But you do need the means to buy the PVC pipe and make the chute. Google it for some design options!

4. Use something to mark out 6 feet from your door (or wherever you are going to give out candy from) to the end of your walkway. Glow in the dark paint is one good option. You can put fun signs/messages so get creative but spread out the Trick-or-Treaters, or at least provide them what they need to spread themselves out. You want to provide this but don’t try to police it.

5. Wear a mask. A COVID one, not a costume one. This may be a great year to be a mad scientist!

6. Keep hand sanitizer close by and use it between each group.

7. Create a situation in which kids don’t have to ring the doorbell or knock. You do not want all those hands touching the same surface because, well, kids aren’t great about washing their hands.

8. Limit how long you are giving out candy. Be generous if you can but cut it short – even consider coordinating with neighbors so that some streets are doing the first hour, some the second, and so on. But less time is better, consider turning your porch light off after 2 hours max – preferably less.

9. Keep everything outside and avoid any “walk-thru” type experiences this year.

10. Finally, enjoy the night and resolve to help the trick-or-treaters to do the same.

Enjoying Halloween when not doing the Traditional Things – for those who are looking for something a little less interactive/high risk, here are some ideas of how you can still celebrate while keeping your risk relatively low. These options have varying degrees of risk and are really just a starting point to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Halloween hunt – hide candy all over your house (kind-of like Easter eggs) and have your kids dress up in their costume and search for it. Use lighting, music and move your Halloween decorations indoors to make it have an eerie feel. This is a particularly fun option if you have little children. Carve pumpkins, roast the seeds, bake cookies - there are lots of fun options.

2. Spooktacular evening at home – just because you don’t go out and celebrate in the traditional way doesn’t mean you have to skip Halloween. Put on some Halloween music, lay out a spread of creepy Halloween themed food, wear costumes and celebrate with the members of your household. Games, scary movies, and plenty of treats can make this a fun night.

3. Invite over a few friends from your inner circle. By now you should have a well-established social circle of people you have been interacting with. If you don’t – you really need that. Invite them over for dinner and a movie – or go to their place. Not into scary movies? Watch a funny one – there are even a few funny “Halloween” movies. Make it a themed night where everyone dresses up as one of the characters in the movie. Prepare food from the era or that is in the movie. Pick an old black and white “monster” movie from the day. Just keep the guest list small and stick to people you already interact with regularly.

4. Murder mystery party – again, keep it small and include people you already interact with, but there are lots of murder mystery party games out there that can guide you through a great night you will remember.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Traditions are wonderful things; my family has plenty of them. But when things disrupt your traditions you can do alternatives fully acknowledging the moment. In years to come your family photos will have pictures of all of you wearing masks (at least I hope you are taking some pictures where everyone is wearing a mask) – and you can regale the “whippersnappers” of the great pandemic of 2020. Embrace the history of it all – it makes it a little easier. Most importantly communicate openly and honestly with the members of your household regarding options and plans for how to spend this holiday. Have a happy Halloween.