Halloween at Home: How to Have an Amazing Halloween During the Pandemic
Image: The Home Depot
In a twist that might have come straight out of your favorite scary movie (cue ominous Ghostface voice), Halloween 2020 is going to be celebrated while our country is still firmly in the grips of a global pandemic.
So...how can you celebrate spooky season in style, while still being safe?
Never fear, your favorite Basic Fall-Loving Chick from TCC is here to spam you with creative ideas to safely bring the fun for adults and kids (and adults WITH kids) alike!
Don't forget to shop our stylish, cozy Fall looks exclusively at thecuratedcloset.net (super easy to find, just click on the Fall tab)--use code EMILY15 for 15% off our already reduced prices :)
Halloween 2020: The One with the Pandemic
1. Go all-out decorating your house
If people can't actually come IN your house this year, make sure the outside gives them something to remember! There are some fantastic ideas out there--from the couple in Riverside California who actually had 911 called on them because their decorations so convincingly made their house look like it was on fire (see below), to my college besties turning their garage into Frankenstein's lab, complete with actors (us) and fog machines! The sky's the limit (and let's be real, you have the time) so get crazy!
Photo credit: Riverside County Media
2. Host a socially-distanced outdoor party
For adults: If we have to wear masks right now (#maskup), why not turn it into a whole theme--think a Phantom of the Opera style masquerade party! If the weather cooperates (which, in PA, it looks like it will), decorate your back yard, deck, or other outdoor space with all sorts of orange lights, pumpkins, candles, etc. and host a socially-distanced outdoor party. Encourage your guests to dress in their finest costumes and matching masks, and make sure you have a prize for the best/most creative mask of all!
For kids: Cheltenham resident Christy Irizarry is planning some safe, spooky fun for her family of six this year: "
We're doing a spooky backyard party with friends who are in our bubble" says Irizarry. "We're going to paint pumpkins and have a dance contest." Quakertown resident Katie Burland Poremba is bringing the magic by doing a Halloween Easter egg hunt in her yard instead of Trick-or-Treating, and Shillington resident Lindsey Hart is doing a friends-and-family only safe variation on Trick-or-Treating.
Photo credit: venetianmaskscollections.wordpress.com
3. Host a Zoom Party
Ok I'll be honest here--I'm not a huge Zoom fan. However, when it's the safest option to at least see the faces of your best friends and family members (especially those far away), you can still make it fun! When you send the Zoom link invite to your friends, include a few other instructions (wear a costume, a recipe for a special drink everyone will make and can consume during the Zoom party, a specialized playlist, Halloween Mad Libs-styled games you can all play together, etc.) to keep it fun and inclusive for a virtual night of celebrating!
Photo credit: fuelstorycounty.com
4. Get creative with how you hand out candy
Everyone is in the same boat this year, folks--all you have to do is run a quick Google search, and you will see all sorts of amazing ways people are planning to hand out candy in a safe, socially-distanced manner this year (like the homemade candy chute below, or an especially ingenious zipline-like decorated pulley system that delivers candy to the kids and beers to the adults from the safety of your porch!)
Photo credit: Fox4news.com
5.Host (or attend) a neighborhood Trunk-or-Treat
Almost everywhere you look, local churches and organizations plan festive Trunk-or-Treat options for kids. These events were always socially distanced before social distancing was a thing!
Photo credit: adsiunited.com
6. Plan an outdoor costume parade/competition
A super fun option for kids--especially those who are doing at-home learning this year and won't be able to have their typical classroom Halloween parties--an outdoor costume parade with prizes is a great option. Whether you choose to hold it in your neighborhood cul-de-sac with your "quarantine team", a local parking lot to include more kids from other neighborhoods, or--bonus points--in the parking lot of a nursing home to bring some joy to elderly residents, this is a fun way for kids to make sure that people are able to see their costumes, even if Trick-or-Treating isn't an option this year.
Photo credit: gclipart.com
7. Man your fortress in character
This is the option that I'm personally doing this year. I have been portraying the "Ice Queen" for almost six years now, and I do it as a ministry to bring joy to kids everywhere. I've been doing lots of virtual appearances over quarantine, and will start off Halloween morning in character on a Zoom meeting for Voice of Our Child. My husband is going to take our daughter Trick-or-Treating while I man the house and hand out candy (family tradition; my dad always took my sister and me Trick or Treating while my mom stayed home). I'll be sitting at the end of our driveway in character, with a backdrop for photo ops, and a big bowl of candy (maybe a glass of wine for me :))
*Side note: I will be wearing a mask while I had out candy, as well as gloves to hand out the candy itself. I will only remove the mask if parents want to have pictures taken*
Me in character earlier this summer
8. Drop off "Spooky Baskets" or Fall craft kits at friend's homes
This is a fun one! If you aren't comfortable celebrating in person, try dropping "Spooky Baskets" or Fall Craft Kits on your friends' doorsteps!
The world is your oyster here--fill a spooky basket with favorite Halloween treats, stuffed animals, scary movies, etc., and a Fall craft kit could include ANYTHING--Fall leaf wreath making supplies, pumpkins to paint, make your own candy, etc.
Photo Credit: premierehomeandgifts.com
9. Create a Halloween playlist with your friends
Do the Monster Mash either socially distanced in person or on Zoom by creating an incredible Halloween playlist with your friends!
Don't forget my personal favorite Halloween classic--Michael Jackson's THRILLER!
Photo credit: thehande.wordpress.com
10. Halloween 2020 Photobook
However you choose to crush this super-unique Halloween, make sure to document it for yourself (and future generations who want to know what living through 2020 was like) by making a fun Halloween 2020 scrapbook!
Who knows? Your pandemic memories might be worth big bucks someday!
Photo credit: 15minutescrapbooker.com
There you have it, Friends! I hope you found my suggestions for this undoubtedly different Halloween helpful and fun!
Let me know which ideas you want to try in the comments, and also, in closing...
What's your favorite scary movie?
Cheers,
-Em <3
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