Celebrating Halloween During the COVID-19 Pandemic

60% of people I surveyed on Facebook say their family will be trick-or-treating this Halloween. It's an annual tradition that's really important to a lot of kids, so I understand wanting to give them some sense of normalcy during the coronavirus pandemic. Kids have had to give up so much this year; many parents don't want them to have to give up Halloween too. On the other hand, 40% of those surveyed feel trick-or-treating isn't worth the risk of contracting COVID-19. My son Trace LOVES Halloween! We will be celebrating, but we're doing it at home and online this year.

Experts say you don't have to give up Halloween; you just need to make some adjustments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during Halloween celebrations. They categorized common activities as either low risk, moderate, or high. I've listed a few activities in each category below. What Halloween activities do you and your family plan to participate in? What's the risk?

LOW RISK ACTIVITIES

1. pumpkin carving/decorating at home

2. scavenger hunt or trick-or-treat-style search at home

3. virtual costume party

4. Halloween movie night at home

MODERATE RISK ACTIVITES

1. grab-and-go trick-or-treating (wash hands thoroughly before eating treats)

2. visit pumpkin patch with masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing

3. attend small outdoor gathering with masks and social distancing

HIGH RISK ACTIVITIES

1. door-to-door trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children

2. attending crowded costume parties indoors

3. going to a crowded indoor haunted house

I love this Candy Slide that engineer Chris Minor built for socially distanced trick-or-treating!

For more Halloween safety tips, check out this article from The New York Times.