By now, nearly everyone has heard that the CDC is discouraging traditional trick-or-treating practices this year. Even though we can’t do the usual door-to-door routine, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate. After all, Halloween is a time for connecting with your community, and there is certainly more than one way to do that!

Here are a few of our ideas to celebrate: 

Host a socially-distanced neighborhood pumpkin carving contest

This is inspired by the Neighborhood Art Walk that one of our agents, Joilyn Anderson, hosted back in April. Create a flyer for everyone in the neighborhood inviting them to carve a pumpkin. Invite them to set up their pumpkin at the end of their driveway or sidewalk on a certain day and time, and neighbors can then walk down the middle of the street to see the art pieces while maintaining social distancing. 

Another idea with this same concept is a door decorating contest, where each of your neighbors is invited to decorate their door with Halloween themed decorations. 

One-way trick-or-treating

If you’re not quite ready to give up on the concept of trick-or-treating, you can individually wrap goodie bags and line them up on a table at the end of your driveway or yard for families to grab and go with zero contact.

If you want to monitor your table and converse with those who stop by, make sure to wear a mask and social distance. For an extra level of protection, provide hand sanitizer on your table as well. 

Monster Egg Hunt

Photo from TingedBlue.com showing some ideas for monster eggs.

Take a tip from the Easter bunny, and turn your Easter eggs into little monsters and other icons typical of Halloween.

Fill your eggs with candy, and hide them around the house for your kids to find. Let them dress up and then send them searching throughout the house. They get all the fun of finding the goodies while remaining safe and socially distant. 

Find some inspiration and ideas for decorating with these spook-tacular egg designs. 

Scavenger hunt

Easily give your family a way to get outside and look around at Halloween decorations, while remaining safe by creating a scavenger hunt. Give your family a list of Halloween-themed items to find, and check off a list as they admire from a distance. 

Open-air costume party

You don’t want to miss out on the fun of dressing up for Halloween, so get dressed in your Halloween finery. Part of the fun is seeing everyone’s reactions to your costume, right? 

Bring your friends and family together in a spacious outdoor area that allows for social-distancing, and have a fun time dancing, talking, and adopting the mannerisms of your characters all night long. 

This idea can easily be moved to a virtual event if you and your family are at higher risk. 

Outdoor spooky movie night

A favorite pastime of many Halloween enthusiasts is watching as many scary movies as possible during October. Others watch Hocus Pocus on repeat. 

No matter which camp you fall in, gather your friends and family in your backyard to socially distance on blankets and camp chairs while they watch a spooky movie projected onto a screen. You can all enjoy the movie together while staying safe. 

Here are some tips for how to set up an incredible outdoor movie night. 

This idea can easily be moved to a virtual event if you and your family are at higher risk. 

Extra tips for parents

If you’re taking your kids on a trick-or-treating run, scavenger hunt, neighborhood contest, or other fun neighborhood events, follow current recommendations and take extra precautions to keep your family safe. 

• Have your kids wear a face mask—incorporate it into your kid’s costume to make wearing the mask fun
• Have a parent or other adult accompany children of any age to hold them accountable for mask-wearing and social distancing
• Avoid congregating around doorsteps, porches, or tables
• Use hand sanitizer after receiving candy from each house
• Do not eat candy while trick or treating
• Have kids wash their hands as soon as they get home, and take a shower once they remove their costumes
• Set trick-or-treating candy aside for a few days (common research and belief is that COVID-19 can live on plastics and similar surfaces for up to 3 days)