Is Halloween Canceled? | 10 Ways to Trick or Treat with Social Distancing

Many of us love the start of fall, maybe even calling it our favorite season. There’s no one thing that makes fall special, but the crisp air, those colorful changing leaves and everything pumpkin spice makes it such a fun and inviting season for all. Fall brings along with it a season of festivities and each year we see lots of great events happening leading up to Halloween. The city of Los Angeles just announced that door to door trick or treating would be prohibited this year due to COVID. Despite it all, rest assured that Halloween is NOT canceled!

Whether or not your city will be partaking in neighborhood trick or treating, get those Spooktacular decorations out, put your most fabulous costumes on and go out Trick-or-Treating with a twist. We’ve compiled some great socially distant ways to trick-or-treat safely this Halloween season. These trick or treat alternatives will set forth some new ways and how to’s for trick or treating during COVID.

No-Touch Trick or Treat Candy Grabbers

If you opt for your family to participate in the usual Halloween festivities, make sure to stay safe. Ensure that you, your kids, and your neighbors are all wearing masks and participating in social distancing. If you neighborhood decides to fo the traditional route with trick or treating; having candy grabbers will be a great accessory to add to your child’s costume. Neighbors that would love to continue giving out candy can also use spooky grabbers to place candy or a toy from the bowl into a child’s bag for a contact free trick or treating. 

Social Distancing Trick-Or-Treat Table Setup

If you’re looking for an alternative trick or treating set up, set up a table. A treat table in your front yard or driveway is a great option. Each house in the neighborhood can decorate their table and children can go from table to table collecting their treats. Instead or a large bowl of candy, set out individual candy pieces or put small toys into smaller festive goodie bags, cups, or mini boxes for a contact free trick or treat.

This idea seems to be the go-to this Halloween, lots of party shops online have already created numerous decorating kits that may be purchased to decorate your table setup. Dress your table up even more and create social distancing guides with tape marks or pumpkins that are 6 feet apart.

Boo Your Neighbors for Halloween

How about skipping the knocking all together and each house can set up pre-made goodie bags at their doorstep for trick or treaters. Goodie bags can be set out for each child or for each family, which allows parents to split candy evenly between children. Neighbors can also choose to “BOO” one another. This is like a care package of Halloween treats and goodies left at each other’s doorstep to enjoy, accompanied by a funny or spooky note.

Halloween Candy Fence or Tree

If you have a fence in your yard, bushes or even small trees, you can make a candy tree! This is a contact free and fun way to display candy and toys for the taking. If you have a fence in your yard, tape or string candy and toys to it will be a fun way for kids to see all the options they can choose from. You can go the extra mile and decorate your fence and yard making it an inviting space for kids to come up and get a treat. 

If you don’t have a fence, you can still participate. Hang candy or small toys on low tree branches. Also, adding these treats to a tree hedge or your bushes makes it a fun way for kids to grab candy. As always, don’t forget to make your yard a festive, inviting and a safe place for kids to come up and grab a yummy treat. 

Alternative Trick-Or-Treat Yard Maze

I remember visiting a Halloween Graveyard Maze in Niagara Falls with my family. It was such a fun and spooky experience and would be so fun to re-create in the yard. There were tombstones, skeletons popping out of the ground, eerie music, and fog all over the place. Why not make your own yard maze?

First, plan out the path of your maze. Will it be a short or long maze, zigzag or straight? Next, set up fake tombstones, skeletons, spooky pumpkins, bats, and anything that you would find in a graveyard. To make it fun and spooky, add some creepy music and a fog machine. Because it’s not a cool maze without treats, add some candy and fun toys at random areas of the maze, or you can make pre-made goodie bags for each child to grab at the end of their journey.

Costume Parade

Part of the Halloween fun is getting to choose that perfect Halloween costume. Since some of your favorite festivals and events may not be held this year, plan a neighborhood costume parade. Make this Halloween memorable like any other by helping your child choose a favorite costume to wear. Don’t forget about your family pets! You never know, your neighbors may want to adopt this as an ongoing tradition.

Have all the children who will be participating in the costume parade line up, being mindful of health and safety. They can parade throughout the neighborhood and neighbors can leave out goodie bags or candy for each child at the end of their driveway or yard. 

Trick or Treat Alternative: Spooky Scavenger Hunt

An epic and spooky scavenger hunt can get kids of all ages out for this fun trick or treat. Plan a nighttime scavenger hunt o set the spooky mood for older kids and an early evening hunt for the littles. Try a glow in the dark egg hunt. If your family is equipped with flashlights, plan a neighborhood wide scavenger hunt, where adults hide various treats around neighbors’ homes. Each family must “decode” where to go to next to collect treats or find signs on each neighbor’s yard or windows for a chance to win some goodies. 

Schedule a morning scavenger hunt for the littlest ones. Set up various points to collect treats. Neighbors can place a teddy bear or sign on their yard to indicate they are a stop on the trail.

Halloween Piñata

Do your kids love piñatas? Piñatas aren’t just for birthdays anymore, they add a whole lot of fun to any type of celebration and Halloween is no exception. DIY a piñata and make your own a few days before October 31st. Once the piñata is dried and ready to go, fill it up with any candy, treats and toys that your kids would enjoy. 

If DIY is not your forte, then there are lots of great options online to choose from. Once it’s ready, just string it on a tree and let the kids have fun. If you happen to invite neighbors to join in on the fun maybe setup mini piñata for each child to break up for their treats. 

Drive by Candy Mobile

With virtual and drive by parties becoming the norm these days, one that everyone has loved seeing is the drive by birthdays. Surely the Birthday drive-thru or drive by celebrations can be adapted for Halloween. Decorate each car to fit a theme. Adults can tape candy and treats to their car and make a stop at each home with waiting children, allowing them to grab some candy and treats as they parade down the streets. Create a spooky playlist and share it with the parade participants.

Trick-Or-Treat at Home

Trick or treating at home is a great option this year and allows parents to add their personal touches to hosting trick or treating. Decorate each room or doorway in a different theme and set up coordinating carnival games or activities. In the kitchen, you can create a mad scientist or mad chef theme where kids can decorate their own personal gut-wrenching pizza, monster cookie or even mix some potion beverages. 

Living rooms can be setup for spooky witch games and prizes can include either little treats or toys. Set up a spooky or silly haunted house in the basement.

There are many ways to still celebrate Halloween during COVID and maintain social distancing. If you have another idea, share it with us in the comments.

Looking for More Spooky Fun?

Check out our 20+ Ideas Celebrate Halloween During COVID.