LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Halloween traditions might have to change a bit this year. But there are still plenty of spooky activities that are COVID-19 compliant for you and your family.
Traditional trick-or-treating is not the most COVID-19 friendly activity, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to get your candy on Halloween.
“Halloween needs to look a little bit different this year but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun,” Dr. Kristina Bryant, a Norton Pediatric Disease Specialist, said.
The streets are going to look a lot emptier on October 31 this year, where typically kids would be out with their bags for candy wearing costumes.
The CDC is recommending against trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating all together.
Dr. Bryant says there are some Halloween traditions that you can still keep going.
Carving pumpkins, decorating the house, or anything you do at home are good options to keep the spooky spirit going.
Maybe you even want to repurpose an Easter tradition, in lieu of trick or treating.
“This year some families might want to hide treats around their own house or their own yard and that becomes trick-or-treating,” Dr. Bryant said.
If your family does decide to do trick-or-treating even though it is not recommended, you should take some precautions.
Dr. Bryant says that means placing treats at the end of your driveway or yard instead of the porch, making sure each treat is individually wrapped, and going out as a single family rather than in a group.
And finally – kids take cues from adults. So even though there are a lot of things they can't do this Halloween, you can still get them excited about what they can.
“We need to promote all of the things that we can do and all of the ways we’re going to have a fun Halloween,” Dr. Bryant said.
Dr. Bryant says a Halloween mask is not an alternative to a cloth mask. A unique way to wear a mask this Halloween is by incorporating it into your costume.