10 ways to celebrate Halloween during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has required us to get creative with how we celebrate many occasions this year—and Halloween is no exception. While it’s important to follow Halloween safety guidelines including social distancing, hand washing and wearing a face mask, there are still plenty of ways to summon the spirit of the season. Here’s how you can celebrate Halloween safely while keeping it creepy.
 

1. Make a monster-ific mask

Traditional Halloween masks won’t provide adequate protection against COVID-19, but you can incorporate a protective face mask into your/your child’s costume. Start by creating a costume based on a face mask. If you already have a disguise in mind, make a custom face mask to match. You can choose from our selection of animal designs and scary patterns or design your own.
 

2. Get creative with the candy bowl

From what we know today, there’s little evidence that people can get COVID-19 by eating or handling food, including candy. (Just remember to follow usual safety tips like hand washing and inspecting wrapped candy before eating.) If you’d like to give out candy this year, leave a candy bowl out on your porch or set up a Halloween-themed table at the end of your driveway with individual treat bags for trick-or-treaters to take.
 

3. Host a haunted hunt

If trick-or-treating house to house isn’t on the agenda this year, a family candy hunt in your own backyard will capture the spirit. First, decorate the yard with spooky décor like fake tombstones, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons and anything else that gives you the creeps. Then, fill glow-in-the-dark Easter eggs with Halloween candy and hide them around the yard. For a truly haunted hunt, wait until it gets dark and give the kids flashlights and glow sticks for a nighttime search. Make a path using glow-in-the dark silly string to create a magical walkway.
 

4. Create a freaky photo scavenger hunt

A photo scavenger hunt is the perfect activity to entertain tweens and teens if a candy hunt isn't their thing. Make a checklist of Halloween decorations and costumes and challenge them to snap a pic of everything on the list. Give a prize to whoever finds the most things!
 

5. Paint your pumpkins

One good thing about quarantine: there’s more time for pumpkin decorating! Hit up a pumpkin patch for a fun day with the kids or find the perfect gourd at your local farmer’s market. Get creative with pumpkin painting or pick up a carving kit to sculpt a killer design. Raise the stakes with some friendly competition— challenge the fam to a pumpkin carving contest and give out prizes to the winners. And don’t forget to save those gooey pumpkin guts for delicious fall recipes like pumpkin bread or soup!
 

6. Trick-or-treat yo’self

Brew up some scary-good Halloween desserts and snacks to enjoy at home. If you have a backyard fire pit, toast S’Mores and tell ghost stories around the campfire. For healthy alternatives, dig in to these freaky fruit pops or chow down on any of these easy Halloween party snacks.
 

7. Watch frightening flicks

Gather the family for a night of Netflix and chills with a scary movie marathon. Screen some truly terrifying horror movies for adults-only screams. For the kids, choose from animated Halloween classics to bring just a touch of fear. Pro tip: Take the thrill factor up a notch by hiding fake spiders in the popcorn bowl.
 

8. Haunt your house

Go big on Halloween décor this year and decorate your house to the max. Get scary fast with a quick trip down our seasonal aisle—you’ll find everything from spine-chilling skeletons and magic potion bottles to light-up pumpkins and this year’s adorable Halloween Squad Squishmallows.
 

9. Do a DIY craft to die for

Add a unique touch by making your own Halloween décor. Try a DIY craft project with the kids like cutting out paper bats or spook-ifying plastic Easter eggs to use for a candy hunt. Gather photos from past Halloweens to create this creepy-crawly spiderweb photo display.
 

10. Dance the night away

Get the dance party started with the ultimate Halloween playlist. From horror movie theme songs to ghoul-approved radio hits, fill it with eerie vibes that make you wanna do the monster mash. Don’t forget to throw in some fang-tastically fun classics for the kids to make it a real graveyard smash!
 

With so many creative ways to celebrate at home, who says Halloween only has to be one day? There are no rules in quarantine (say it with us!) so make it a month-long celebration. However you choose to get in the spirit, make sure to do it safely.