How to Safely Celebrate Halloween Amidst Covid-19

By Danielle Alexander

Thanks to the Jurassic Quest Drive-Thru at DTE this summer, I now have a dinosaur-obsessed son who is begging — every single day — for a Tyrannosaurus Rex Halloween costume. Considering the year we’re having, my first thought was, “What’s the point?” However, after more consideration, I ended up ordering that overpriced green and yellow costume. And then some. Our children have experienced enough let- downs this year, and while Halloween simply can - not be exactly what it has always been for them, there are still plenty of ways to make this holiday memorable, perhaps even starting new traditions.

Ways to Safely Trick-Or-Treat This Year

When selecting the winning dino getup and later my daughter’s butterfly costume, I made sure to choose ones with open faces, so that they could easily wear masks if we do end up going trick-or-treating. (A lot of costumes also come with gloves, which may be a good idea to avoid direct surface touching). My husband and I will also be wearing masks as well as keeping our distance from neighbors, and we definitely plan to limit the number of houses we visit. My children are still young, so even going to just a few houses will be exciting for them.

Bridgette Zakar Bakoss says trick-or-treating doesn’t seem like something parents need to take from kids this year, and she plans to celebrate Halloween as usual in her Macomb Township neighborhood, especially since this year Halloween will fall on a Saturday. There will even be a full moon!

“It should be very easy to practice social distancing as our neighborhood has large sidewalks on both sides, and all of the adults plan to wear masks while walking with our kids and also while passing out candy,” Bakoss explained. “They’ve already missed out on so much this year!”

Instead of using a large bowl to pass out candy, plan to use gloves to make individual bags or cups with several pieces of candy in them ahead of time, so that trick-or-treaters will not have to dig in the same bowl of candy that others already touched. Melanie Daoud of Shelby Township also mentioned the rising popularity of “Trunk-or-Treating” as a family activity, which is one way neighbors and friends can work together to make this year’s candy distribution safe yet still special for their children.

“Allow children to help decorate your trunk with you, and park your car at the end of the driveway, so everyone can stay socially-distanced,” Daoud explained. “Setup a decorated table where you are able to hand out individual portions of candy. You can set up hula hoops or cones to make sure children are keeping a distance when walking up. This keeps contact at a minimum while still being able to showcase decorations.”

A preschool teacher at St. Mary of the Hills in Rochester, Daoud said Halloween allows children to use their imaginations and engage in pretend play, and even though the world is going through difficult times, Halloween can still be a time that brings people together, creating lasting memories.

Outdoor Trick-or-Treating Alternatives

if you’d understandably prefer to keep the kids home for Halloween this year, there are a lot of fun and festive activities you can do right in your own backyard. Ghost stories at a campfire is always a good time, and although they do take some preparation, activities like scavenger hunts seem to always be a hit as you can tailor them to any age.

Daoud offers “Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunts” as something new and fun to try: “If you have old plastic eggs at home, you can allow your children to decorate those using stickers or markers. Once your children have decorated the eggs, you can add wrapped candy inside along with a mini glowstick for a fun night-time search. This activity will allow the children to be able to engage in a fun activity and collect candy all while staying safe.”

Indoor Trick-Or-Treating Alternatives

Regardless of COVID, there are years where the weather is so cold and/or rainy that we need indoor alternatives to trick-or-treating anyway. Halloween-themed baking, crafts and movie marathons are always good go-tos, but Ann Arbor resident Dana Denha has grander plans.

“My idea is to set up all the bedrooms and bathrooms (basically every room with a door) with spooky decor,” Denha explained. “Some rooms may have themes and some not, but they will all have candy and treats, and we will spend a little time in each room, reading and telling age- appropriate Halloween stories. My daughter will be dressed up like any other year, and at the end, we will go to the basement for a family Halloween party with music, treats and games (albeit a small party of three). I think this will be a really fun way to make the holiday safe and special for all of us.”

Denha said she and her husband typically carve 25 to 30 pumpkins for trick-or-treaters, but since she does not feel comfortable participating in a traditional Halloween and wants to put the safety of her family and others first, she’s putting all of her energy towards this new way to celebrate in order to make the holiday special for her four-year-old.

Things to Avoid

Regardless of how you plan to celebrate Halloween this year, be sure to avoid eating anything homemade, bobbing for apples, dressing children in costumes that prevent mask and/or hand washing, and attending packed get-togethers. Wishing you all a safe and happy Halloween!

Freelance writer Danielle Alexander’s goal is to make this Halloween so fun that her children forget about how it’s “supposed” to be. After all, we’ve waited six years for the holiday to fall on a Saturday again!