Halloween is a time for candy, costumes, scary movies, crafts, games, and trick-or-treating. Mostly the last one. Unfortunately, Covid-19 seems set to make streets around America spooky quiet this year. That doesn’t mean that the fun has to be over though. Here are some ways to have a socially distanced Halloween that is just as great as it was last year.
Wear costumes…for video chats
Invite a friend (or four) of your child’s/children’s to a digital Halloween get-together. That way they can wear masks that aren’t all about preventing viral infection while still being safe.
If you want to be more formal than a random text (or need to work writing into a lesson plan) you can use the invitations that I created.
Dance party!
Shake off the no trick-or-treating blues by busting a move! This can be done via video chat or just with your family. Choose family favorites or borrow ours:
- Purple People Eater
- Monster Mash
- Thriller (be aware that the music video might frighten some small people)
- Halloween Rules by Bounce Patrol
- Ghostbusters Theme
- Witch Doctor
- Love Potion Number 9
- Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell (the music video can be a little scary)
Candy scavenger hunt
Part of the fun of Halloween is having to work for the goodies. Just because your child/children shouldn’t walk from house to house collecting sugary goodness doesn’t mean that they have to get off easy. Make each sugary snack a prize by hiding them around your house (think Easter egg hunt). Leave prewrapped snacks as is and tuck them into safe nooks and crannies or take it a step further. I have seriously considered dressing some packs of peanut butter cups in squares of white tissue paper and drawing eyes on them. Your candy hunt could be a ghost hunt instead!
Halloween math
If you happen to be a homeschooler then you might consider sitting the small people down to tally up their treats and create graphs. Good graphing gets a reward…more sugar! We have done this. I have also shamelessly decimated the reward stash leaving just enough to give as prizes. Here’s an option in case you want to sneak some math in there but need it to be a little more “low prep”:
Spooky movies
What goes better with scary movies (or just spooky ones if your child/children are small) than Halloween candy? That’s right…encourage them to eat up all of their prizes while indulging in a marathon of ghostly fun. Hop on your favorite streaming service or grab DVDs out of your collection and have fun! Need some ideas? Here are our picks:
- Dear Dracula
- Hotel Transylvania
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Hocus Pocus
- Creeped Out Season 1 (Netflix TV Show)
- The Real Ghostbusters (cartoon show)
As with any show/movie you should read reviews, MPAA ratings, and maybe even https://www.commonsensemedia.org/homepage to make sure that what you are showing your family fits with your child’s/children’s ages or sensitivities and your family’s values.
Old fashioned ghost stories
If all else fails (or your family is super brave, creative, and all around awesome) camp out in the darkened living room with flashlights and tell your best scary stories. Bonus points for originality or acting skills.
Have a spooky fun socially distanced Halloween!