What Will Trick-or-Treating Look Like In 2021?

According to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky, kids should be able to go trick-or-treating this Halloween. “If you’re able to be outdoors, absolutely,” she said on CBS’s Face the Nation. “I wouldn’t necessarily go to a crowded Halloween party, but I think that we should be able to let our kids go trick-or-treating in small groups.”

For a quick refresher, the CDC has issued some guidance on how to stay safe when going about daily living, celebrations, and gatherings.

• Get vaccinated. If you haven’t, you can find a local vaccination site.
• Wear a mask in public indoor spaces (even if you are fully vaccinated).
• Though wearing a mask in outdoor public spaces is not required, you should wear a mask if you’re in an area with high COVID cases or will be engaging in activities that include close contact with others who aren’t fully vaccinated.
• If you have a compromised immune system, you may not be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Please take all the proper precautions and wear a well-fitting mask.

Note: During COVID-19, guidelines for celebrating the holidays may be changing due to new studies and information. Please check with your doctor and your local state, county, and city laws to make sure you’re following the current health and safety protocols.

Of course, guidelines from the CDC are well and good, but what does that look like in real life? How can you create a fun and safe trick-or-treating experience for your children this year (especially if you’re worried about the Delta variant but don’t want your kids to think you’re a killjoy)?

Surround yourself with vaccinated family and friends
If you’re throwing a Halloween party or gathering, make sure all of the attending adults and kids 12 and older are fully vaccinated. Provide masks for children 2 and older who are not fully vaccinated.

Tomika Bryant is doing a “trunk and treat” with some of the other moms in a nearby parking lot. “The older kids are going to serve as host,” the mother of teens told Mom.com. “Everyone must wear a mask and show vaccination cards where possible. Each family buys candy and we will use gloves to dispense. Hand sanitizer and Lysol are on deck.”

Take and provide proper safety precautions
As Bryant mentioned above, use disposable gloves while handing out candy or treats, wear masks (even when outdoors), and provide hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol content. If you are indoors, open windows, wear masks, and consider operating window fans to refresh and circulate the air.

Consider porch pickup
Many neighborhoods are doing porch pickup this year and using the threat of being caught on camera to deter kids from taking more than their fair share. “We’re trick-or-treating with some close friends, and I will leave candy and an allergy-friendly option on our porch when we leave,” Kendra Loven Darr told Mom.com.

Get creative
Just because we’re trying to be safe doesn’t mean we have to be boring. Mom Jacqueline Cromwell shared this unique non-candy idea with Mom.com. “I am going to string up rubber duckies that the kids can untie and take,” she said.

Even celebs are playing it safe. Today Show host Carson Daly posted his candy chute on Instagram — it’ll allow him to be socially distanced from trick-or-treaters as he puts the candy in on one end while kids can safely pick the candy up from the other.

Since most of this trick-or-treating business is for kids, here are some tips to help keep your children safe.

Have adults or vaccinated teens hand out candy
Instead of having kids dive into the candy bowl in a candy free-for-all, consider having an adult hand out the treats. Bonus points if they’re wearing disposable gloves and masks!

Incorporate their mask into their costume
Halloween is the perfect time for your child to dress up their mask as part their costume. The mask will help protect unvaccinated children and decrease the chance of them catching COVID-19 all the while enjoying Halloween.

Trick-or-treating alternatives
Look, we get it. Some of us just aren’t comfortable with our kids going trick-or-treating while still in a pandemic. That’s totally OK! Your kids can still have fun — even if they’re not going to a party or socializing with other kids.

Mom of two Larisha Bernard is going to place a bowl of candy on their porch in case someone stops by. “We are doing a scavenger hunt like we did last year around our house, where each stop holds more candy and a big prize at the end!” Bernard told Mom.com.

You can also still participate in the neighborhood and community by leaving treats at your neighbor’s front door after ringing the doorbell. Include a note so your neighbors know it’s from your family!