Spooky Season is upon us! Hard to believe we’ve been wearing masks and face coverings since March but Halloween is less than a week away. For many of us here at Passport For Good, we are excited for the opportunity to help out our communities while focusing on the safety of others during the pandemic.

Normally during the month of October, families are worried about their kids going off into neighborhoods alone to trick-or-treat or they fear kids may eat too much candy the night of Halloween. But this year, Halloween is on a Saturday and the Coronavirus is still a threat to many communities in the United States. However, there is still hope for Halloween die-hards to have a safe, treat-filled holiday.

“If I had to design an activity that could potentially be safe… I'd have a harder time coming up with something better than trick or treating outside,” states Dr. Aaron Carroll, Professor of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.⁵

As with all activities during the pandemic, remember to practice frequent hand washing, wear a cloth face covering, and stay 6 feet away from individuals who do not live in your household.²

Here are some helpful tips to consider for the safety of your trick-or-treaters this Halloween!

• Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters
  • Discourage large gatherings or parties
  • Be careful not to cluster at doorsteps or walkways while trick-or-treating

• Set up 6 feet markers in your driveway or sidewalk leading up to your house³
  • Don’t forget to make a sign to direct trick-or-treater traffic up to your door!
  • Be festive with your markers, use pumpkins, Halloween decorations, and/or autumn décor to guide visitors to your door

• Consider a contact-less method of giving out candy⁴
  • There are so many ways to make trick-or-treating safe with contact-less transfer of candy to your community
  • Get a 6-foot PVC-pipe to send candy through to kids
  • Use a slingshot, lacrosse stick, or hockey stick to safely extend candy to kids
  • Leave a considerable amount of candy outside your doorstep with a note for trick-or-treaters to receive candy

• Wear a mask!¹
  • There are so many creatures, characters, superheroes, ghouls and goblins that wear masks. Dress up as one to help reduce the spread of germs!

Sources

¹American Academy of Pediatrics. (09, 10 22). American Academy of Pediatrics Offers Tips for a Safe Halloween During Pandemic. Retrieved from aap.org: https://services.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/health--safety-tips/american-academy-of-pediatrics-offers-tips-for-a-safe-halloween-during-pandemic/

²Center For Disease Control. (2020, 10). Trick or Treating and Other Halloween Activities. Retrieved from cdc.gov: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/halloween.html

³Halloween & Costume Association. (2020, 10). Retrieved from Halloween 2020: https://www.halloween2020.org/community-resources

⁴Liberatore, W. (2020, 10 21). News for Albany and the New York Capital Region. Retrieved from Times Union: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Halloween-gets-makeover-during-COVID-15664637.php

⁵Rameswaram, S. (2020, 10 21). Today, Explained. Retrieved from Today, Explained - Vox: https://www.vox.com/today-explained