Beyond trick-or-treating: Safe Halloween fun during the COVID-19 pandemic – . Health Blog

Since the pandemic started, we've had to find new ways to do just about anything – and that goes for this year's Halloween celebrations as well.

Two mainstays of Halloween, trick or treating and Halloween parties, could be very risky this year. Walking house to house, putting your hands in bowls of candy that many other hands have touched, or being around people indoors or outdoors are all activities that can spread the virus. Even if people are completely comfortable, there is no guarantee that they are not sick and therefore contagious.

That doesn't mean we have to give up Halloween entirely. On the contrary, we need fun – and as much as we can we need to keep some traditions. We just need to make some adjustments so that Halloween is not only fun but also safe. The fact that Halloween falls on a Saturday this year helps: you can really turn it into a day and worry less about going to bed on time.

Have a fun and safe Halloween

When you're thinking about what Halloween is fun, get dressed and show off our costumes, carve pumpkins, get scared – and of course, eat sweets. With a little creativity, we can safely do all of these things.

The safest way to celebrate is at home with your family (or the people in your bubble). That way you don't have to take any chances. You could:

Make pumpkin carving a really big deal – or decorate it for those who can't or shouldn't use knives. Use markers, paint, anything you can find. Make photos. Have a competition.
Decorate your home and garden with scary things. You could build your own haunted house.
Wear your costume at home all day. Usually you only wear it for trick or treating or for parties. Make the day special by wearing everyone in costume (and pretending to be what they disguise) all day.
Have a virtual costume party with friends and family. If you can't organize that, video calls with every last person you can think of.
Don't hide the candy like a trick or treating, but like an Easter egg hunt in your home and / or garden. If you get it right, the kids can spend hours looking for it (and you will likely find it for months).
Make yourself comfortable and experience a scary movie night. Let the children stay up later than usual (this generally makes children happy).

Stay safe outside

When you leave the house, look for an outdoor community event or party that allows for social distancing. Be aware of the guidelines in your community that limit the number of people even at outdoor events.
Make sure you wear a mask – you could make it part of your costume. Remember, costume masks are not a substitute for the layered cloth masks that cover your mouth and nose.
Carry hand sanitizer and wipes with you.
When things get crowded and the social distancing gets tough, or people take their masks off or don't wear them at all, go. It's just not worth the risk.

This is really not the trick or treat year. Many areas have banned it. If you want to take this risk, all of you should be wearing masks as described above, confining yourself to a small number of homes of people you know, and staying away from them as much as possible. Wear gloves and wipe the candy wrappers when you get home.

You might want to discourage trick or treating in your house by turning off the lights or putting up a sign ("We're busy playing with ghosts this year – see you next year!" Or something like that). If you do decide to hand out goodies, be sure to put them in separate bags that are easy for people to grab and leave them in front of your door. You could sit outside with them and greet people, but do so from a distance (and with a mask).

For more information on how to celebrate Halloween safely, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites.

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