10 COVID-Friendly Halloween Ideas to Enjoy During Quarantine
Billye Donya
The CDC announced that most traditional Halloween activities, like door-to-door trick-or-treating and costume parties, are considered high risk when it comes to the spread of COVID-19. But that doesn't mean Halloween needs to be cancelled this year. There are a number of socially-distanced and coronavirus-conscious ways to celebrate the holiday at home. You just need to get creative and be flexible. Ahead, our best fun, safe ways to celebrate Halloween in 2020, including easy crafts and activity ideas.
Related: 13 Last-Minute Halloween Ideas
Party with Your Pod
If you already have a pod that you've been working and living with throughout quarantine, consider stretching your relationship to include outdoor Halloween celebrations as well. Whether that means meeting for a spooky and socially distanced happy hour (cheers with one of our signature cocktails), or organizing a trunk-or-treat for your kids (we've got plenty of ideas to help walk you through planning) is up to you and your pod. Whatever you do, be sure to follow your state and municipality's guidance for gatherings, and keep safety top of mind.
Get Decorating
Find your Halloween spirit by decorating your home with one of our decorating templates. From owl and spider mobiles to paper tombstones, use some of our favorite clip art for the season and start showing your spooky side. Bonus points if you incorporate it into your virtual Halloween party.
Trunk or Treat
If you're new to the idea of a trunk or treat, it's when several people get together and host a trick-or-treating event from the trunk of their car. Each participant decorates their car, where they hang out and hand out candy, giving kids a safe and fun way to collect treats. To ensure yours is safe, plan one with just your quarantine pod or family, and discuss pre-event quarantining or testing with participants. Open, honest communication about your level of comfort is important here.
Escape Room Fun
Escape rooms are all the rage during the Halloween season because they can be tailored to be as spooky or as kid friendly as you want. This year, many escape rooms are acclimating by pivoting and going fully digital. You can check out a list of our favorite virtual escape rooms, or contact your local escape room and see if they've created a virtual option.
Decorate Outside
The weather is turning, making this arguably the best time of year to be outside. Spend some time in the great outdoors getting your home's exterior ready for the season with these Halloween decorating ideas and turn your front porch and walkway into a Halloween haven.
Get Baking
Preheat your oven and get ready to share some scares with a graveyard cake. This scary confection tastes great while looking the part with "headstone" cookies and meringue "bones."
Make Seasonal Cocktails
If you have spirits on hand, and your celebrants are of age, you can whip up any one of our favorite Halloween-inspired libations, which includes delicious treats like a Berry Scary Martini and Garden-of-Evil Punch. A myriad of crowd(less) pleasers make up the cocktail list.
Eat Your Heart Out
Do you have a strong stomach and a love of creepy bites? We have the perfect Halloween-themed recipes for you. Prepare Prosciutto-Wrapped Fig Hearts for your quarantine crew (and yourself, if there's any left when they're done). If meat scares you, forego the finger food and opt for a sweet Brainy Cupcake.
Keep Little Hands Busy
With trick-or-treating officially considered a high-risk activity, you may be scrambling to find something for your little goblins to do on the 31st. Not to fear: There are plenty of Halloween-inspired crafts to go around. Gather the kids and create Paper Mice, Halloween skull jewelry, and more. All you'll need is construction paper, scissors, and a little imagination to make these creations come to life.
Game On
You don't need to throw a party in order to play party games. Update classics like witch's hat toss and doughnuts on a string, so that you can play solo, through a virtual meet-up, or with your family.
Safely Give Out Treats
If your neighborhood is still hosting a socially distanced trick-or-treating event, consider making some of these treat bags ahead of time so that you can leave them in an area that allows for plenty of distance between you and your town's trick-or-treaters.
