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Families should consider creating new traditions this year that do not involve trick-or-treating, parties, and get-togethers, said Jill Walls, an associate professor of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies at Ball State University. 

The CDC recently posted guidance for the holidays, including Halloween. The federal agency warns people to avoid higher risk activities, including door-to-door trick-or-treating; attending crowded, indoor costume parties; visiting indoor haunted houses; or going on hayrides or tractors rides with strangers. 

“The most important part of any holiday is spending quality time together and making memories,” Walls said. “COVID-19 has created a lot of uncertainty for families, but I think it’s possible to still have fun this Halloween season while staying safe. Parents should take time to prepare their children for some new traditions and provide reassurance about the other upcoming holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.” 

Here are some ideas that might help:

1. Get in the Mood

Watch a movie like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Hocus Pocus, Sleepy Hollow, or an old classi such as The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (now available on digital). If your kids are a little older, try another classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Light a fire, pop some popcorn cozy up.

2. Show Your Spirit 

Get the whole family involved in decorating the house this year. Pick a theme and work together on it. Pack up some hot chocolate and take a ride around the neighborhood to see what some of the other houses look like.

3. Read Bedtime Stories

Read Halloween stories by candle light. there are plenty of books at your local library to check out.

4. Play Halloween Bingo

There are many free printable Halloween Bingo games that you can download online. It’s a simple game and both kids and parents love it. 

6. Bake Halloween Treats

There is nothing like Halloween to inspire some creativity in the kitchen. There are plenty of spooky recipes online such as “bloody” tomato soup with “finger” crackers that are easy for kids. 

7. Carve Pumpkins

Provide the cutting tools and decorating material, and of course, Halloween-themed snacks. Or draw designs on the pumpkin with permanent black maker for a safer approach. There are free templates to create a painted sugar skull pumpkin and more online. You can also get black or white glossy spray paint, paint the whole pumpkin and carve out a vase for a mum plant centerpiece.

8. Have a Candy Scavenger Hunt

Buy your kids favorite candy, put it into small bags and hide them around the house or in the yard and then send them on a scavenger hunt to find them all. (just be sure pets can’t get to them). You can also set up a corn hole game and other activities in the yard for more fun.

9. Make a Halloween Pinata

It’s easy but a needs a few days to set up and dry - you can find instruction online and then you can all fill it with your faorite candies. let the kids work for the candy and burn off some energy at the same time.

10. Have a Day of the Dead Dinner

Technically it’s the two days after Halloween – Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead honors loved ones who have passed on. Set up an area in the house where you can display photos of the people and pets you want to remember and find or cut out from magazines photos of the items that person liked.

Make a dinner of your loved one’s favorite meals and share memories and sayings of those who have died. It’s a nice way to keep memories alive and remember what we liked best about those we miss. 

We all want to keep case numbers low in our community, so let’s do our part to social distance and take precautions as we celebrate Halloween and find new family memories during COVID.