HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR FAMILY HAS A SAFE AND FUN HALLOWEEN IN 2020

For our children, holidays are some of the most important times of their lives, things they look forward to all year long. No parent ever wants to tell their child they have to miss out on holiday, but as October of 2020 draws near, many safety-conscious parents are worried that they may have to disappoint their little ones with news that trick-or-treating will not be possible this year.

Luckily for all our families, most medical experts are saying that the pandemic doesn’t have to mean a canceled Halloween. With the proper precautions in place, families can still experience the joy of trick-or-treating during this October season! Here’s how to do it safely:

TRAVEL WITH CAUTION

It’s a fact that COVID-19 spreads more easily in indoor environments. That’s why experts recommend only trick-or-treating outside, door-to-door, not inside apartment buildings or at any indoor events. It’s also still crucial to maintain social distance while trick-or-treating. Don’t trick-or-treat in large groups of other children or families. Additionally, doctors recommend sticking to your own neighborhood. Limiting your trick-or-treating circulation to just a few blocks will help limit any potential spread of viruses.

BE PREPARED

Being properly prepared is key to safely trick-or-treating in 2020. Have a bag ready with plenty of hand sanitizer and wipes. Make sure your family uses hand sanitizer after each house visited, and wipes down candy wrappers or gift bags. Make sure your children understand why social distancing and hygiene practices are important this Halloween. In the moment, they’ll likely get so excited that they may not be cautious with sanitizing candy or refraining from running to greet friends. You need to be sure they understand the seriousness of these practices before you go out trick-or-treating, to avoid potential conflicts, meltdowns, or anything else that might disrupt your spooky fun.

EMBRACE THE MASK

As we all know, masks are essential to curbing the spread of COVID-19. Sometimes, these necessary precautions can feel like a damper on other forms of seasonal fun. Luckily, wearing a mask isn’t a disruption to the Halloween tradition at all, and easily becomes part of the fun! Decorating masks together can also be a cute and festive activity that the whole family can participate in together. Parents all over the world are already getting creative with incorporating their kiddo’s masks into original costume ideas. Consider a grinning jack-o’-lantern, or replicating the mask of a favorite superhero! Or, see if your little ones would be interested in dressing up like our real-life heroes – doctors and nurses.

GET CREATIVE WITH CANDY AND THINK OUTSIDE THE WRAPPER

Trick-or-treaters aren’t the only ones who need to be more cautious this Halloween, those handing out candy are responsible for ensuring safety as well. If you plan on passing out candy, avoid grabbing candy out of a bowl then handing it directly to trick-or-treaters. Instead, package candy in individual bags that trick-or-treaters can grab from a tray when they come by your house.

Despite what many seven-year olds may tell you, Halloween is not all about the candy. If you have a high-risk family member or work in a high-risk field, you might very reasonably decide that trick-or-treating is not something that can be in the picture for your family this year. If this is the case, you can still embrace lots of other fun aspects of the Halloween season like decorating, carving pumpkins, and dancing to the Monster Mash during a private living room costume party.

2020 has required us to change the way we think about a lot of things, Halloween included. But this holiday is a great time to teach your family that different doesn’t have to be bad! With a little bit of creativity, Halloween 2020 offers all sorts of new opportunities to make joyful memories with your family.