Halloween Quarantine Party Ideas
With the increased number of people who have received the Covid-19 vaccines, we can be sure that Halloween will be a little – or a lot – different this year compared to last year. However, there will be no need to skip the pumpkin carving and the costumes. This day is always an excellent opportunity for your family to have a good time. Plus, the kids love it!
It’s a time to give the kids something, given all they’ve lost through the pandemic.
Before you start planning parties or trick-or-treating itineraries, be aware that some Halloween traditions may still not be possible this year while there are still rules and restrictions for others.
Is Halloween canceled for 2021?
Many indoor Halloween festivities, such as large parties and haunted houses, may not be allowed or with many restrictions. However, trick-or-treating is still permitted for now. The Health Department is expected to release Halloween guidelines soon with advice and a list of risk factors for Halloween activities.
Despite the pandemic, it is still safe to celebrate Halloween. It will make the most fun things: costumes, crafts, candy, movies, and other snacks. In addition, we’ve found some low-risk, easy activities to have an enjoyable night. Here are also some expert tips on how to trick-or-treat safely.
Safe and Fun Ideas for Trick-or-Treating During COVID-19
We all want to celebrate Halloween in a fun, safe, and healthy way. If doing the trick-or-treating thing isn’t possible, however, there are plenty of easy new traditions to start this year. Focusing on the positive is most important. Tell the kids to remember all the fun activities they did this year with a bit of care and organization.
Go on a tasty scavenger hunt.
Having a scavenger hunt is another great way to make Halloween night memorable. You can reinvent your Easter scavenger hunt tradition indoors or outdoors with a supply of Halloween candy for the kids. Turn off the lights and hand out flashlights to make it spooky.
Have a Halloween parade.
If going house to house is prohibited this year, check to see if your neighborhood will host a mini-Halloween parade within social distance. You can get together with a few neighbors at a local park (if you don’t exceed the limit on the number of people for a gathering) and have a good time. Kids will love dressing up and showing off their costumes outside the house.
Have a backyard dance party and photoshoot.
a Halloween photo backdrop is a quick and easy way to make a significant impact: just put it up outside the house and have the kids pose in their costumes. Play classic Halloween songs like “Monster Mash” and the Ghostbusters movie theme for a backyard dance party that will make all your friends, neighbors, and social media followers jealous.
Host a Halloween movie night.
Pick some of the best Halloween movies and throw a spooky party. We love Paw Patrol Halloween Heroes, Hotel Transylvania, and classics like Hocus Pocus and The Addams Family. Use a portable projector to be adequately spooked at home. Here you have the perfect excuse for the family to wear super comfy Halloween pajamas (probably the most manageable group Halloween costume ever). Complete the theme by serving easy and yummy Halloween snacks like witch finger cookies or chip spiders.
Organize a house number hunt.
This is a fun way to get neighbors involved. First, take a walk around your neighborhood and make a list of spooky things to do. Next, list houses with unique decorations (for example: “The place where Mr. Bones walks” if there is a skeleton outside) with a space to write the house number next to it. Then, swap the list with another family and start the game.
Make a witch’s brew.
Create a scavenger hunt to find a witch’s brew inspired by blogger Gayle Labuz. Hide potion ingredients such as magic feathers (craft feathers) and bat fur (dried lint) in the yard for the kids to find. When they have found all the items, add them to your cauldron with baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. The result is guaranteed to be sparkling and impressive!
Host a virtual pumpkin carving contest.
Everyone can carve a pumpkin, but not everyone can carve an award-winning pumpkin! So this year, challenge your family and friends to a virtual Halloween pumpkin carving or decorating contest. Grab your pumpkin, cut it (young children can use paint for safety), then show off your work on the screen. Don’t forget to post the winning jack-o-lanterns in your window or on your porch for all to see.
Create a delicious haunted house.
Borrow a holiday tradition and hold a haunted house decorating contest. Instead of gingerbread, use graham crackers, bulk candy, and royal icing (or a glue gun!) to make it fun and economical.
Decorate the outside of your home.
Show your neighborhood your spooky side by decorating your home or yard. Get into the Halloween spirit with inflatable decorations. Just plug them in, and everything is instantly decorated, and we love it! Purple and orange lights combined with a fog machine will turn your home into a haunted house in a flash. Before Halloween night, take an evening stroll or drive with the family to see the frightfully fantastic decorations of the neighbors.
How to Have a Safe Trick-or-Treat
If your local public health agency has approved, keeping these safety tips in mind before you go is always a good idea.
Stay outside: “Don’t trick-or-treat indoors, such as in an apartment or condo hallway,” says Dr. Furness. Likewise, don’t trick-or-treat indoors, even if it’s small.
Space yourself.
While it may be tempting to join other families, we should all keep our distance and wait for a group to finish before approaching a house this year. Children will need to “have a parent with them who can guide them, safely and responsibly, as they approach the door of a house,” Dr. Furness informs, not standing back on the sidewalk. In that moment of fun and excitement, toddlers are likely to forget the rules of social Distance protocol for candy: get out your bag of candy and hand it to the children without getting too close to them. If you wish, the candy can be quarantined inside before letting the kids have it, says our expert. “A three-day period should ensure plenty of caution. This rule applies to my kids.” Then, please give them a package of their favorite candy to prevent grief on Halloween.
Talk about alternatives with tweens.
I would be a little more concerned about older kids going out without parental supervision because again when they get into the Halloween spirit, they may well forget to be careful.” He suggests talking to them about it and negotiating an alternative. For example, perhaps your 12-year-old will agree not to go trick-or-treating if you decide to give them a big bag full of their favorite candy.
Wear a protective mask and incorporate it into your costume.
This is the one day of the year when masks have a whole new meaning!”. Knowing that many areas require a non-medical mask to be worn, it makes sense to incorporate them into your child’s Halloween costume. We feel that kids will want to dress up as frontline workers for Halloween, including doctors, nurses, dentists, firefighters, paramedics, all with masks. You can also store a mask that complements your Halloween costume with a superhero logo or looks like face paint. Get creative and customize a plain mask with fabric markers or paint to go with your costume. And, of course, masks with Halloween-themed fabric are perfect for the big day of Halloween and the days leading up to it.