The current pandemic has brought many changes to how we live our lives, which includes how we will celebrate Halloween. Many of us are looking for safe ways to enjoy Halloween with our children. The most important thing to remember is, if you have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities.

If you can maintain social distancing and wear properly fitted cloth masks, consider organizing a neighborhood parade or a scavenger hunt. A walk around the neighborhood is a great way to show off those awesome costumes. Remember, a costume mask is not a substitute​ for a cloth face-covering unless it has multiple layers of breathable fabric and covers the mouth and nose snugly. ​If your children plan to use their cloth face coverings as part of their costumes, make sure they don’t paint them with anything toxic.

Try an at-home night with spooky movies and pumpkin decorating. You can make Halloween treats for the family, like a pizza decorated like a jack-o-lantern. You can always have a virtual party to share your decorations and creative costumes.

Center for Disease Control (CDC) officials maintain that having children head door to door comes with the most risk this Halloween. If you plan on participating in Trick-or-Treating, the CDC has a few ideas to help reduce risk. If you are giving out treats, avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters by giving out treats outdoors or setting up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to take. Always wear a mask and wash your hands before handling treats. If you are taking your child trick-or-treating, remember to maintain social distancing, wear a protective mask, and sanitize your hands often. If you plan on being in a place that shares vehicle traffic, add reflective tape or clothing to your costume.

There are plenty of fun and safe ways to enjoy this Halloween. Let’s work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19.