Thanks to COVID-19, parents have another tough decision to make, let their kids go trick or treating or celebrate Halloween confined to their homes like much of the world has been since March of this year. The good news is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have created some guidelines to help children celebrate Halloween traditionally and safely.
Equally as important as the CDC’s guidelines, the Harvard Global Health Institute and Hershey medical center teamed up to create an interactive map. According to their website, the map allows parents to “establish the Covid risk level in your community.”
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This is how it works; first, “hover over a county to display current Covid risk levels in your area.” Then, “depending on your color code, we have loads of tricks in our bag of treats” which includes ways to celebrate without putting yourself or others at risk of spreading the virus even more.
The CDC similarly broke down ways to celebrate Halloween safely by categorizing activities in “lower risk,” “moderate risk,” and “higher risk” categories. From staying indoors and carving pumpkins, putting on a Halloween scavenger hunt, or throwing a virtual costume contest to putting on a Halloween movie night with those in your bubble, the CDC and others are sharing the most creative ways they are staying safe this Halloween.
Traditionally, the most common way to celebrate Halloween is by dressing up and going door to door to receive candy. And according to the CDC, there are also ways you and your loved ones can still do go door to door safely. However, as with any sort of public activity these days, it still comes with its inherent risks.
Prepare Goody Bags
As the CDC calls it, “one-way trick-or-treating.” It’s where those who wish to give out candy individually wrap goodie bags and line them up at the end of the driveway or yard for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance.
“If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags,” the CDC recommends.
Create a Candy Chute
Romper also shared a few ways to have a safe and socially distant Halloween. The candy chute is a unique creation created by Andrew Beattie. He created the chute out of a cardboard shipping tube and then attached it to the handrail that leads to his porch.
“I put this together from throwaway materials (a 6′ x 4″ cardboard shipping tube and stuff I already had) in about twenty minutes, and if it brings comfort to those who are a little more reluctant, awesome,” Beattie wrote on Facebook.”
Monster Basket
Another creative way to avoid contact with people outside of your bubble, Liz Crocker’s sister shared the “monsters” she created that she will put on her porch Halloween night so that children can still get their candy safely.
“We’re going to have a pinata with candy and small toys. My sister is setting up the monster below on her porch so kids (and adults) can reach through for candy,” Crocker wrote on Twitter. “What will you do?”
However, as the CDC explains, it would also be best to avoid communal candy bowls.
Tongs
If you plan on sitting on your porch to give out candy the traditional way, Romper reports that using tongs can give you some added separation. It avoids unnecessary touching and keeps that added separation that is so important right now. And sitting on your porch, rather than having people ring your doorbell can also be safer so long as you are wearing a mask.
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What are some of the ways you plan on staying safe this Halloween?