During the pandemic, many tried-and-true Halloween festivities—trick-or-treating, crowded parties, and indoor haunted houses—are considered a risk for spreading the coronavirus. And with COVID-19 cases in children on the rise, parents are wondering what’s safe.
Though some families may continue with traditional or modified trick-or-treating, others—especially those who are considered high-risk or live in areas where community transmission is high—are on the hunt for safe Halloween alternatives. When it comes to celebrating in person, it’s best to wear a mask, social distance, and move the festivities outdoors. But if you’re looking for Halloween activities with the lowest risk possible, you’ve got to really limit who you’re partying with and opt for virtual fun and games.
Luckily, by utilizing things like Zoom and FaceTime, your family can still have a Halloween to remember—that's a little less trick and a little more treat. Here, we've broken down the top ways to celebrate Halloween virtually amid the pandemic.
Zoom Halloween Costume Contest
A Zoom costume contest will allow the whole family—don’t forget about the pets!—to dress up and show off. Create categories like “Funniest Costume,” “Best Group Costume,” and “Scariest Costume” to give more than one person a chance to win.
Prizes can even be virtual, too! Opt for things like treats from your local bakery or an epic pizza party (which can be delivered right to your door!)
Pumpkin Decorating Party
Host a virtual party so your kids can carve, paint, and decorate pumpkins alongside friends and family. Take it to the next level with a jack-o’-lantern drive-by to see the finished creations from a distance.
Scary Storytime
Lower the lights, let the hot chocolate flow, and bust out your favorite kid-friendly spooky stories. Your kids can also take turns reading their favorite fall or Halloween books. Have an Amazon device? You can remove all the work by asking it, “Alexa, tell me a spooky story.”
Virtual Halloween Game Night
Link up with loved ones by planning virtual Halloween games and crafts. Ideas include Halloween charades, a contest to see who can fill out these free printable Halloween activity pages from Melissa & Doug the fastest, or a Halloween scavenger hunt where each family is responsible for finding the next clue. Make the scavenger hunt extra ooey and gooey by creating an “oobleck” mixture—as seen above—for little ones to dig through.
TikTok Halloween Challenge
Here a virtual Halloween activity that teens and preteens can really get behind: take viral TikTok challenges, but make them spooky. Have your kids dress up, perform a TikTok dance of their choice, then sync up to vote on the best one. Parents can even join in on the fun, create adult versions, and have the kids vote on the funniest.
Halloween Karaoke/Dance Party
Create a playlist of your Halloween faves—"Monster Mash," anyone?—or take turns belting out your own versions. You can also have your kids dress up and sing or dance in character!
