Ten Trick-Or-Treating Alternatives For Halloween 2020

This year, Halloween will be something many parents may worry about. During a pandemic, it may be hard for kids to understand why they cannot celebrate Halloween or go trick-or-treating. A holiday is a special day to celebrate with friends and family. Sadly, this year is different. Many parents are trying to figure out how to celebrate Halloween safely so their kids do not miss out or feel gypped. Which is a tough feat when we need to stay 6 feet apart from others.

This past year I learned to make the best of a terrible situation. I celebrate any holiday I can with my kids just to give them something to look forward to and break up the monotony. This year is the year to make Halloween special and meaningful again.

Halloween has waned over the years. Many people no longer hand out candy, which means barely any trick-or-treaters show up. Barely anyone in our neighborhood had taken part in the past few years. Halloween had become a holiday I dreaded. Not because I did not love it. But because no one celebrated. It was a disappointment to walk blocks without one house taking part.

So this year I plan on making Halloween extra special. I plan on making sure we celebrate and have the best Halloween we’ve had. If you are looking for ways to celebrate without socializing. I have some brilliant ideas for you.

• Try having a Halloween scavenger hunt. Fill a Halloween trick-or-treat pail and give your kids clues so they can find or win the pail. A few clues are easier for toddlers. For older kids you can always use a pre-made printable scavenger hunt. Hands On As We Grow has some outstanding ideas. Gift Of Curiosity has a printable scavenger hunt your kids can do while walking through the neighborhood.

  There are thousands of pins on Halloween Scavenger Hunts on Pinterest. This is the simplest way to give the kids candy. The scavenger hunt makes it fun and helps the kids feel that they earned the candy.

• You could rally the neighborhood and host a social distancing trick-or-treating/costume parade. Everyone puts together a small goody bag with a few pieces of candy or treats in a bowl and leaves some hand sanitizer next to it. From afar they watch as families take their turn, stopping at their house to collect candy and to show off their costumes. This way the kids get their candy and can show off their costumes safely.

  For this to be a success at least 4-5 neighbors need to take part. Second, an organizer must coordinate a time for each family to trick-or-treat. Everyone would have to observe from 6 feet away. This is the closest thing to traditional trick or treating.

  I am thinking of doing something similar with my local homeschooling group as a trunk or treat. We will leave a bowl with candy 6 feet away from the car as each family takes turns collecting candy. This way my youngest can see the kids from her homeschooling group safely and trick-or-treat.

• The less complicated option is to buy candy and have family movie and game night. There are so many wonderful family Halloween movies. I have a list of my ten favorite right here. I’ve seen many fun family Halloween board games on Amazon. We already own the Nightmare Before Christmas version of Monopoly so we plan on playing that game. Amazon even has a Halloween charades games. Some other games of note are a Goosebumps board game, Peanuts great pumpkin board game, and Harry Potter Uno. If you are brave Jelly Belly BeanBoozled is another option. I have received vomit, spoiled milk, and dead fish beans more times that I would care to remember, but my kids had a blast.

• Use Facetime, Zoom, Or Facebook chat to host a virtual party. You can let the kids show off their costumes and then watch movies. It's a zero contact option with little to no prep.

• Have a bonfire and roast marshmallows and carve pumpkins. The bonfire is a great option if you have a backyard firepit. A fireplace will work too! An adult should roast the marshmallows. Then carve pumpkins with the kids. Pinterest has what seems to be a zillion different printable templates for pumpkins. If you feel like going the extra mile, you could play outdoor games if you will be in the backyard.You can could give the kids a treat bag and end the night with pizza around the fire. If I had a firepit, I would love roast marshmallows on Halloween! I live in Southern California and it’s usually too hot in October to start a fire in the fireplace.

• Have family Halloween themed craft night. I love Pinterest because, you can find so many fun and simple craft ideas there. Pinterest is my go to for Halloween craft ideas.

• Baking night is another great option. I purchase pre-made sugar cookies from the grocery store bakery or ready to make ones. We also bake cupcakes. I let the kids frost and decorate the cookies and cupcakes.

• Another option is to purchase a Halloween themed pinata and fill it with candy! A pinata is a simple way to celebrate Halloween if you don’t feel up to Halloween this year. Or you can have a pinata to be extra fancy it’s up to you!

• If your children are still babies, dress them up and read Halloween stories with them. Busy Toddler has a list of books for toddlers and I am sure babies will love them too!

• For older kids and teens, I would keep it simple. Opt for pizza, snacks, and a movie marathon. I have a list of my top ten Halloween movie picks to watch with your teen.

Hopefully these ideas will help you celebrate Halloween this year. I think Halloween is a brilliant distraction for kids who feel stressed and sick of being indoors. Halloween gives us the chance to create fun all month long to help the kids get through a tough time. It may just help mom and dad get through a tough time too. What are you doing this year? If you have any other alternatives to trick-or-treating please leave a comment below.