Seasonal & Holidays
How To Celebrate Halloween Safely During The Coronavirus Pandemic
Make sure you and your home are prepared for the holiday with these tips, tricks and must-haves.
Halloween this year is going to look a little different than it has in the past. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that many traditional Halloween activities — including trick-or-treating — can be high-risk for spreading viruses. That's why it's so important to educate yourself before the holiday and make sure you follow the recommended safety protocol.
You'll also want your family and your home to be prepared in order to celebrate wisely. Here are some tips, tricks and must-haves for a happy and safe Halloween.
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Celebrate Halloween at home with fun family activities.
The kids don't have to go door-to-door seeking candy to get into the holiday spirit! There are plenty of low-risk Halloween activities you can do right at home.
Carving or decorating pumpkins always tops our list, and the CDC classifies this creative past-time as low-risk. Comfy Mate makes a 12-piece carving kit that's easy for grownups and kids (with adult supervision) to use. It includes a heavy-duty pumpkin saw, scooper, drill and double-sided sculpture tools all in one compact carrying case you can reuse for years to come.
For mess-free pumpkin decorating, consider a foam and sticker craft kit like this one from the WINCHY Store. If you have pumpkins, this DIY dream kit contains everything else you need to decorate their faces in a number of creative ways.
According to the CDC, other low-risk at-home Halloween activities include having a virtual costume contest, doing a themed scavenger hunt for candy and having a scary movie night in with the people you live with.
Related: Check Out 2020's Best Halloween Costumes!
If you do trick-or-treat, use caution.
Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for kids to grab and go is classified as a moderate-risk activity by the CDC. If you do carry on with this tradition or a modified version of it, make sure you continue to social distance and stay at least 6 feet away from those outside of your family.
The CDC points out that a costume mask is not an appropriate substitute for a cloth mask. Don't wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask as it can make breathing difficult. Instead, consider wearing a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
Crayola makes washable, adjustable cloth Halloween masks sized specifically for kids and teens/adults.
You'll also want to have hand sanitizer available if you're collecting candy and don't have access to soap and water.
Avoid crowded events — even outdoors.
Traditional Halloween parties and parades aren't conducive to social distancing, so the CDC recommends avoiding them altogether. Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating and even trunk-or-treating where treats are handed out from the trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots are both considered high-risk activities that should be avoided.
Be careful with candy.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration suggests telling children not to accept or eat any treats that aren't commercially wrapped. Inspect your kids' wrapped treats for any signs of tampering before allowing them to enjoy, and toss out anything that looks suspicious.
If your child has a food allergy, read candy labels closely to ensure the allergen isn't present, and don't accept any home-baked goods unless you're certain about their ingredients and the manner in which they were prepared.
Don't leave lit pumpkins unattended.
It only takes a small gust of wind and a few wayward leaves to turn your smiling jack-o'-lantern into a serious fire hazard. You should never leave an open flame unattended — particularly outside — but that doesn't mean your carved pumpkins have to stay dark. We recommend flameless LED lights, such as this 2-pack from Home Most, to keep your jack-o'-lantern safely lit all night long.
For an even more festive glow, check out ams-can's color-changing pumpkin light. When activated, it cycles through seven different colors of bright LED light.
Make sure your walkways are well-lit.
A dark walkway — particularly one with steps or uneven footing — is a major fall hazard. Do yourself and any trick-or-treaters that show up a favor, and make sure your driveway and all walkways leading up to your house are well-lit.
Ring makes solar-powered Pathlights that each shine up to 80 lumens of white light when motion is detected. They stake easily into soft ground and recharge daily in direct sunlight.
When these solar-powered Pathlights are connected to a Ring Bridge, you can enable customizable smart controls in the Ring App and link your outdoor lights with other Ring Smart Lights, Ring Video Doorbells, Security Cams and select Alexa-enabled devices.
The Ring Spotlight Cam is also a great option for outdoor light and additional security. It features HD video and spotlights that are motion-activated or controlled with the app.
Ring offers additional Smart Lighting products to ensure you always come home to a brightly lit house. You can customize your lighting setup with a variety of pathway lights and outdoor mounted lights, choosing from new-solar powered options for added flexibility.
Related: Check Out More Ring Smart Lighting Options For Your Home
Keep an eye on your home even when you aren't there.
With a Ring Video Doorbell, you can answer the door from anywhere. So if you happen to be away on Halloween night, you can still see and speak to any visitors that drop by.
When someone approaches your door and triggers the Ring Video Doorbell's built-in motion sensors, you'll receive an alert via the Ring App on your phone. Using the app, you can then see and speak directly with the visitor. This allows you to do things like tell a kid you like their costume or let a potential prankster know you've caught them on video.
Related: Browse More Home Security Products From Ring
Sources:
CDC.gov: Holiday Celebrations
FDA.gov: Halloween Food Safety Tips For Parents
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