Halloween 2020: Fun and Safe Ways to Celebrate

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns that traditional Halloween activities could put people at risk for contracting COVID-19. Activities like trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treat events, indoor haunted house events, hayrides, and crowded parties should be avoided. That's not to say that Halloween should be totally canceled this year — we've all had our fill of canceled events and activities in 2020. It's still ok to have fun.

The Halloween and Costume Association's Halloween 2020 website provides an at-a-glance look at COVID-19 levels throughout the country. The site is designed to help families decide whether or not trick or treating is safe in their community. Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red tiers are based on COVID-19 infection rates by county. Each tier comes with its own set of corresponding safe Halloween activities.

"We are on a mission to ensure the safest Halloween celebration possible this year and want to make sure families and communities have access to the best, up-to-date guidance that prioritizes community safety," Halloween & Costume Association Chairman Kevin Johnson said recently in press release. "The color-coded map developed by the Harvard Global Health Institute, along with our guidelines and additional website resources, can help ensure families find fun, yet safe ways to celebrate this season."

Following Halloween safety guidelines may help make the season fun for both kids and parents, this year, despite being vastly different from traditional celebrations. The CDC suggests you participate in lower-risk activities such as carving pumpkins with members of your household, virtual costume parties and Halloween movie nights. If you do decide to go out trick-or-treating, follow safety guidelines.

Do NOT hand out candy or go trick-or-treating if you have been exposed to COVID
If you do plan on providing Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters, safety should be a top concern. The CDC urges anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19, refrain from handing out candy or going door-to-door trick-or-treating.

Participate in "one-way trick-or-treating"
Use individually wrapped goodie bags and leave out for kids and families to "grab and go." The bags should be left where it is safe to still practice social distancing, like at the end of your driveway or away from your door in the yard.

Pick a costume with safety in mind
CDC guidance also includes Halloween costume safety tips for kids and parents. The agency warns against using a costume mask as a substitute for a double-layer face mask. Costume masks should include two layers of breathable fabric that cover both the nose and mouth. The CDC, however, advises against wearing a Halloween costume mask over a cloth face covering so as not to restrict breathing.

Keep gatherings small
While the CDC recommends you only gather with people within your household, they indicate that a small outdoor costume party — with proper social distancing — falls within the moderate-risk tier. If you do host a small gathering, follow these safety tips:

• Hold the event outdoors with opportunities for social distancing
• Wear a proper mask or cloth face covering
• Keep plenty of hand-sanitizer available
• Provide wrapped goodie bags instead of loose candy

Mom Laura Sampson suggests a socially distant approach to Halloween while still making the night fun for her family. "We'll probably put out a bowl of candy for anyone who stops by they can help themselves. We'll make something fun and spooky for dinner, and we'll definitely be making these super-easy spider web donuts," she told Mom.com.

The CDC considers these activities high-risk and should be avoided:

• Traditional door to door trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treat meet-ups, indoor costume parties or indoor haunted house events

• Hayrides with groups not from your immediate family

• Traveling from an area with a high community spread of COVID-19 to festivals or events in other communities

If you're looking for Halloween safety tips that do not involve trick-or-treating, there are options. Consider a lower-risk way to celebrate Halloween like a socially-distant pumpkin carving party with family and friends outdoors or a Halloween "scavenger hunt", where kids have a list of items to look for while staying socially distant — leaves, carved pumpkins, etc. — while walking around your neighborhood.

Shaye Wylie shared how she and her daughter will be celebrating Halloween all month long. "Lately, we've been having weekly family movie nights, and in October we're making them Halloween themed! I've got a list of movies my daughter can pick from and we'll watch one each weekend cuddled up under a blanket, with popcorn until the month is over," she told Mom.com.

"Last year was her first year trick or treating and I'm sad she can't do it again this year, but for now, we're staying safe inside with lots of movies and snacks," Wylie said.

Other ways to safely celebrate Halloween in 2020

• Visit a pumpkin patch or corn maze and adhere to social distancing

• Attend a drive-thru or outdoor haunted house

• Settle in at drive-in for a horror movie marathon

• Take to social media for a virtual costume party or Tik Tok challenge

Halloween, much like everything in 2020, will look a lot different than it has in the past. We've learned over the last several months, that collectively, we change and adapt as necessary. If that means implementing some the funny Halloween candy safety tips like crafting a candy slide that recently went viral, pass the glue gun.