Skipping trick-or-treat doesn’t mean your kids’ holiday has to be canceled.

By: Susan West

“Can we have Halloween this year?”

That’s a question every American child has been asking, and parents across the country are struggling to come up with an answer. And it’s complicated: Kids want to dress up and score candy, and adults need to keep them safe. One fact is clear: Coronavirus illnesses are on the rise. So in 2020, “having” Halloween will take on a different meaning. 

First, the bad news, kids: The CDC advises skipping traditional trick-or-treating, as well as festivities involving crowds—these are high-risk situations that could lead to infection. But there’s also good news: If you and your family are creative, you can all still have lots of fun.

“Though many traditional Halloween activities can put you at a high risk for virus transmission, there are plenty of safer ways to enjoy the holiday,” said Guy Triano, CEO of Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania. “Consider participating in spooky activities with members of your household, or having others join in on the fun virtually.”

Below are the CDC’s list of activities to avoid, and some ideas for safer alternatives.

AVOID THESE HIGH-RISK ACTIVITIES

• Traditional neighborhood trick-or-treating, where treats are handed to children
• “Trunk-or-treat” events, where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
• Indoor haunted house events, where screaming people may be in close proximity
• Hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
• Indoor costume parties, especially ones involving alcohol, which can cloud judgment and invite risky behavior
• Out-of-town fall festivals, especially if you live in an area with community spread of coronavirus

CELEBRATE WITH THESE LOWER-RISK ACTIVITIES

• Pumpkin day! Get together as a family to carve or decorate a jack-o’-lantern, or do it outdoors, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends.
• Decorate your porch with scary cobwebs and other Halloween themes.
• Instead of roaming the neighborhood on Halloween night, plan a “treat hunt” in and around your home, using puzzle clues you’ve written on slips of paper.
• Have a virtual Halloween costume contest by inviting the neighbors to a Zoom call.
• Send the kids on a Halloween scavenger hunt: Give them lists of spooky things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house checking out Halloween decorations from a distance.
• Plan an scary movie night indoors with the people you live with, or outdoors with local family friends (A bed sheet hung on the side of the house is your screen!). Space people at least six feet apart— or more if you expect the spookiness to elicit screams!

These are your safest alternatives. If you are willing to act as “social distancing enforcer,” you could hold an outdoor, open-air costume parade so everyone can show off their costumes. Keep everyone at least six feet apart, and remember that a Halloween mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask. In fact, masking of all parties is critical, and it’s an extremely effective way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. According to Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC, “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus.”

While planning your outdoor, socially distanced activities, use the free app Emergency for weather alerts and to let others know you are safe if severe weather occurs. Find this and all the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross. or going to redcross.org/apps.