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How to Do Halloween

Justine and I started fretting about this back in July or August—how would kids do Halloween this year? We came up with elaborate ideas from hanging candy from trees outside and inviting kids to harvest them to tossing candy out the window to using a remote-controlled car to deliver treats to kids waiting at the end of the walkway. Would anyone even come? Were there any safe options?

The twins probably weren’t going trick-or-treating, but we were looking forward to passing out candy. We want to be a good neighbour, and it’s fun to see the costumes. Plus my heart went out to all the little kids who had been looking forward to this. It was going to be a little island of not-suck in a sea of suck.

But then our town canceled Halloween.

Some people said it’s for the best. Others said they were going to take their kids around anyway. Some of us sat there and said, “Uh… if you’re showing up here, I need to get candy. But getting candy means that I’m ignoring the town ruling. Uh… what am I supposed to do? Strong leadership, where are you?”

It rained one Halloween when the twins were little, so we went trick-or-treating inside. I went into one room and closed the door, and the twins knocked and said, “trick or treat!” And I gave them candy. Then I ran to a different room while they were trick-or-treating at Josh’s room. We went from room to room like this for a while until they felt done.

The best idea I’ve seen so far is to hide the candy in the house a la Easter and have a candy hunt indoors. Of course, it helps to number all the candies so you know you’ve found them all. But I think it’s fun because the kid has to wait in another room, counting to 100, while older kids hide the candy. And then they get the joy of actually finding stuff vs. being handed a piece of candy from their parent for the tenth time in the same night.

What are you doing for Halloween?

10 comments

1 Marci { 10.25.20 at 8:40 am }

We’re doing a piñata. All the candy + wack based stress relief and violence. Got the idea from a girlfriend.

2 loribeth { 10.25.20 at 9:17 am }

Not much. We don’t get trick or treaters in our condo building (at least, we haven’t, in the four previous Halloweens that we’ve lived here). Our little great-nephew is just 11 months old, not quite old enough for trick or treating… but his parents love Halloween, so I am sure they will be dressing him up anyway. 😉 I have been collecting stuff for a goodie bag for him 😉 — some board books, a soft stuffed toy, and I’m going to pick up a box of teething cookies, lol. We’ll take that over to him, even if it’s just a front porch visit/handoff.

3 Lori Lavender Luz { 10.25.20 at 11:21 am }

My state just increased restrictions, so I’m not sure what this will mean in terms of trick-or-treaters. I did get candy recently so at least I’ll have a bowlful to put out on the porch.

This is one of the perks of having older kids. They think they are past trick-or-treating anyway. They are both really missing their aunt & uncle’s legendary party, though.

I like Marci’s idea.

4 Sharon { 10.25.20 at 1:17 pm }

Halloween in our neighborhood is going to be pretty much the same as usual, though I imagine there are a few neighbors who will not be giving out candy this year. Many of our neighbors sit outside in their driveways or porches with their candy even in normal years.

We are just going to be careful to maintain a 6-foot distance from others and wear masks when we can’t.

5 HereWeGoAJen { 10.25.20 at 1:45 pm }

My town is a disaster so even though trick or treating is happening, we won’t be participating. We are doing the easter type candy hunt version in our house, plus I made some Halloween baskets like easter baskets that I am also going to hide. We will dress up and eat junk food and hunt for candy and then watch a movie.

6 Working mom of 2 { 10.25.20 at 3:02 pm }

I’m team cancel tick or treating. Unfortunately my state and county haven’t banned it, it’s just “strongly discouraged.” Which is a green light for covidiots.

Trick or treating doesn’t really affect us bc we don’t give out candy (we got like 2 people the first couple years we were here so we elected to just not have our lights on—then once we had kids we had an additional reason not to do it bc of early bedtime). And our kids don’t trick or treat now that they’re a little older, bc we are vegan—and they’ve been fine with getting a little candy at shopping center events, etc. plus we give them candy.

My kids will be dressing up for distance learning on Oct 30, and we might do the school drive thru pageant (but decline the goodie bag).

So my main concern is that we don’t make the covid pandemic worse. 6 feet ain’t magic.

7 Beth { 10.25.20 at 3:08 pm }

My small town is of the opinion we are no longer living in a pandemic so nothing has been canceled, but I’m unsure how many kids will actually trick or treat. We made the decision not to take our 9 and 6 year old out and they actually seem ok. (Because we know that it isn’t safe with those who will be out, unmasked and in groups) We will trick or treat in the house, order pizza and watch a Halloween movie, and of course eat candy. I hope it’s enough to make it a happy memory.

8 Turia { 10.26.20 at 9:13 am }

Our city has been strongly advised by the province not to do trick-or-treating. We had already decided several weeks earlier we wouldn’t be going out or handing out candy.

I’ve organized a candy exchange with a bunch of families – everyone bought one box of something and dropped it on my porch. I’m going to divide and bag it all up and then porch drop the mixes back to them. That way the kids get the same kind of mix of candy they’d get in a normal year.

We are doing pizza and a Halloween movie plus a backyard scavenger candy hunt with clues and flashlights (weather permitting). My kids are thrilled.

Honestly, I think it’s the adults who are struggling to adapt. The kids are much more adaptable and resilient.

9 Lindz { 10.26.20 at 12:51 pm }

We’re doing a surprise haunted hallway. We ordered some Halloween supplies online and are going to put it up Friday after the kids go to bed. It’s the hallway from their rooms to the living room, so they can’t avoid it. I’m not sure it’s the best idea because I can see it disrupting my sleep.

10 Tara { 10.26.20 at 2:56 pm }

We’re having a family Halloween party and maybe a couple kids over for a play date in the afternoon. At my kids’ ages they need reassurance that they get to dress up and candy is involved even if it isn’t trick-or-treating. I thought about the candy hunt idea but we have a dog who eats everything so that may not be the best. Running from room to room sounds hilarious! I’m thinking we’ll steal that idea. 😆

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