15 Ways To Keep Your Kids Safe On Halloween

The CDC is very clear about not using costume masks in place of a cloth mask. Costume masks are an accessory and are not made in a way that may prevent droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people. Unless the costume mask is made of two or more layers, put on a (Halloween-themed) cloth mask. You may not win the best costume award, but you will lower the risk of getting others or yourself sick. The CDC also warns that putting a costume mask over a cloth mask is a suffocation hazard.

You may like to go take the kids trick-or-treating in a seasonal locale known for its Halloween decorations or generous candy givers, but traveling may not be a good idea this year. Every community has a different rate of infection, and visiting another area may contribute to an outbreak or increase the risk of your family getting infected. Additionally, regulations for visitors vary from state to state and even within states. If your family is used to visiting an attraction or event every year that is in another state, check the organizers’ COVID-19 response first.

Health experts advise against trick-or-treating, and many places across the country have cancelled it. But denying this from the kids may be heartbreaking. Should you choose to let your kids go door-to-door, make sure your trick-or-treating group stays small — maybe three or four kids. You may want to allow in only kids that have also been practicing social distancing.

Parents always try to teach their kids the virtue of sharing. But Halloween 2020 may be one day to skip this lesson. The kids are going to have swords, tiaras, and other fun costume accessories, and children will probably want to play with all of them. Ask your children to hold on to their own toys, props, treats, and goody bags, and remind them not to touch anyone else’s.

Some parents may think that disinfecting each and every piece of candy is a bit over the top, but why take the risk? If you don’t want to wipe down every treat the second your child takes it, you can allow possible infectious germs on the surface of the wrapper to naturally die off. The coronavirus, according to some research, can last up to three days on plastic surfaces. So put most of the candy away for a few days and disinfect only the candy you’re going to consume right away.

A spooky Halloween party is as exciting to many adults as trick-or-treating is to kids — but perhaps not in the middle of a pandemic. Attending an event with dozens of strangers with little to no moving room who share everything from cups to bathrooms sounds like a hotspot for spreading germs. House parties have been named the culprit in several COVID-19 outbreaks among young people. So, if you must host a Halloween party, organize it outside so people can maintain a 6-foot physical distance if necessary.

It has been nearly eight months since most Americans were ordered or asked to stay at home as much as possible. By now, people have created their pandemic pods. Pandemic pods are small networks of people who limit their non-distanced interaction to one another. So, invite people from your pod. If you also want to invite people from other quaranteams, ask about the precautions they have been taking.

Parties in the coronavirus age are BYOE — bring your own everything — and that includes masks and hand sanitizers. As per the CDC, the hand sanitizers should contain at least 60% alcohol. Extra masks can come in handy as other people may need one or you may lose yours. Don’t share or swap masks with others.

It may be fun, for a change, to earn all those candies by actually looking for them or for other items while trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt style. Other items to include in the scavenger hunt can include anything from pumpkins, costumes, spider webs, and other decorations. Have the hunt in or around your home rather than going house to house.

Instead of going to a traditional Halloween parade — if it has not been cancelled — where hundreds of people are in very close proximity to one another, participate in a low-risk activity such as a bicycle costume parade in the neighborhood. Decorate the bikes by using streamers, stickers, ribbon, lights, pinwheels, and whatever else you feel like.

It may seem like COVID-19 is going to ruin Halloween this year, but a few holiday traditions can be saved. The kids — as well as competitive adults — can still have a costume contest, but online. Everyone can still show off costumes and play games. Bonus for those who live in cold climates: This may be the first time your child can wear a costume that isn’t buried under a big jacket.

Not going trick-or-treating deserves a proper consolation prize. What better, from the kids’ point of view of course, than extra screen time. Have a scary movie marathon online, in the backyard, or even at a local drive-in. A Halloween-themed movie night in a dark tent with unlimited sweets sounds like an instant classic.

The flu shot will not protect you from catching COVID-19 but it can reduce the chance of getting the seasonal flu, which kills between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans a year, according to the CDC. Additionally, it is possible to get the flu and other respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19, simultaneously, which can make the recovery more difficult.

Carving and decorating pumpkins is a can’t miss Halloween tradition. But you do have to use knives to cut and carve. Not only is it unsafe with small children around, but also pumpkins can’t really stay good for more than a few days. So, instead of carving draw scary faces with markers, or color the pumpkin to make it look like Nemo. Unleash your creative spirit and encourage your kids to do the same.

Halloween is not Halloween without a glowing jack-o’-lantern that makes your home look warm and welcoming. You may want to go old-school and use a real candle to illuminate a pumpkin, but that can be dangerous. Costumes, spider web, ornamental straws, and paper decorations can easily catch fire. Use battery-powered candles instead.