Halloween is one of the most important holidays for any child. Getting the opportunity to dress up as something scary, cute, or a wild mix of both is undoubtedly fun. They could turn into heroes, monsters, royalty, and countless other possibilities even if just for a day. Not to mention trick-or-treating around the neighborhood for unlimited amounts of sweets. A visit to the kids’ dentist will be inevitable. Unfortunately, the pandemic put a stop to all of these fun traditions. Kids were robbed, but this year it’s going to be different.
We are perfectly aware that 2021 just started, that’s true. But with how Halloween was unprecedentedly canceled in 2020, it’s better to be prepared as early as now. The same goes for any other important holiday. The pandemic shouldn’t have to power to dictate what we can and can’t celebrate. We won’t let it.
Spooky Reality
Children were among the most vulnerable when it came to catching the coronavirus disease. Many parents and even health organizations saw the necessity for postponing a traditional Halloween, and rightfully so. Hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 increased on a daily basis. No particular day, week, or even month was safe from transmission of the disease. Up to this day, the cases are still on the rise.
The safest way to spend holidays and gatherings in 2020 was to remain at home. Especially for Halloween when kids were expecting to do some trick-or-treating, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention put out specific guidelines for certain activities. These were all concerted efforts to reduce the risk of transmission and keep vulnerable groups of the population safe and healthy.
In short, Halloween was called off but for good reason.
Neat Tricks and Endless Treats
Unfortunately, a new strain of the virus has recently been discovered despite the manufacturing of a vaccine. This essentially means that the safety precautions in place would continue to persist even after the virus has come to pass. Social distancing, masks, and proper sanitary practices have become part of our daily routines
It’s important to keep all of these in mind. So with the intention of taking our holidays back, especially Halloween, here is a list of things to do for celebrating one of the most important traditions for kids within the context of the pandemic:
Monster Houses
Decorating your home to be the scariest it can be will be worth it. It will guarantee that the spirit of Halloween is still very much alive within your neighborhood despite all the unfortunate events that have occurred in the previous year. The spooky feel of Halloween is just as important as the traditions that take place.
Go all out when doing decorations. Create life-sized scarecrows, mummies, and other popular monster references to keep it fun and exciting. Hang up some red lights around the house to give off that ominous glow. The typical haunted houses might be discouraged but that doesn’t mean you can’t scare off some kids from the outside.
Personalized Face Masks
The traditional costume masks that can be often bought at malls and supermarkets don’t really pass off as protective equipment. Face masks still offer more protection from the virus and using these two in combination would just make it more difficult for anybody to breathe.
If available, why not buy Halloween-themed face masks with fangs and other designs? Better yet, try tapping into your more creative inclinations instead. Decorating your own face masks can also turn out to be a fun activity to do with family and friends.
I Want Candy
What exactly would Halloween be without the treats? Rethinking of better ways to pass out candy to kids should also be a top priority. We shouldn’t allow them to crowd a single door with their baskets out yelling “trick or treat” beside each other. That significantly increases the risk of transmission.
There are several, contactless ways to perform this Halloween tradition without having to put anyone in danger. A candy line is a prime example of a creative way to give out candy. Individually filling goodie bags with enough treats and lining them up on a table or fence is simple but effective. Just make sure they’re all 6 feet apart.
Scaring On-Screen
Of course, hosting virtual parties, games, and movie marathons remains the best option for celebrating any holiday. Staying at home to celebrate essentially eliminates any level of risk that might otherwise be present when going out.
Create a candy scavenger hunt to make it adventurous for children. You could also have packed treats delivered to friends and neighbors to keep interactions at a minimum. Binge-watch horror franchises for adults who act tough but are scared deep down.
Halloween is still months away. A number of things could happen even before then that might serve to lessen or increase the burdens of the pandemic. Nonetheless, preparing ahead of time gives everyone something to look forward to. In these trying times, that is already important all by itself.
