COVID-19 has created many challenges for us here in the US and we are dealing with all the ambiguous loss that still feels so heavy. It has put a damper on many plans. Going on month seven, we had no idea that the impact of coronavirus would still be affecting our day-to-day life. Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season and we are all trying to come to grips with how we will do our holiday traditions in 2020. There is a type of new normal we are attempting to ground ourselves into and the challenge is very strong. Trying to sustain normalcy is extremely important in order to increase resiliency and adapt to this emotionally, ever-changing world. With Halloween approaching, the biggest challenge for families is to find activities that are both fun and safe. Our children have lost time spent with friends and school closures, hence maintaining some normalcy this spooky season serves as a safety net during these turbulent times.
Halloween does not have to be canceled but instead has to be adapted in order to fit into our new normal. Here are some low-risk activities that can provide some festivity to this time.
1. Scavenger Hunt
Similarly to an Easter Egg Hunt, children and families can dress up and scour the backyard for coveted Halloween candy. Rather than going door-to-door knocking, families can hide candy around the house, apartment, backyard, etc. This way our children still feel that satisfaction of hunting down some candy!
If neighborhoods feel comfortable, they can expand the scavenger hunt to include a couple of houses in the neighborhood while still acknowledging six social distancing and the mask-mandate. This way, our families can still safely receive socialization from people outside of our homes and maintain some of the Halloween traditions that our families are used to.
2. Carve Pumpkins
As previously mentioned, carrying out some of the traditional Halloween activities can help our children manage the changes of this year. Carving Pumpkins outside is a great way to continue that Halloween tradition while staying safe. The best part: baking the seeds, yum!
3. Costume Contest
Arguably one of the best parts of Halloween is getting to dress up as your favorite hero, movie character, villain, etc. This year we can take advantage of that and have a virtual costume contest! Encourage your families to dress up and show off their costumes through platforms such as Zoom or FaceTime.
Although Halloween may look different this year, that does not mean that it has to be anything less than extraordinary. 2020 has been a stressful year, but there are ways to still celebrate while keeping our families safe! Keeping and adding new traditions can serve as our compass for navigating the holidays during a pandemic.
