HOUSTON – As the coronavirus pandemic continues, families with children are having to rethink how to do Halloween this year.
The deputy director for the Centers for Disease Control recommends small outdoor gathering with trusted neighbors, continue to wear a mask, enforce social distancing, use hand sanitizer and check candy more cautiously.
Recommended Videos
[RELATED: 5 safety guidelines you should know for Halloween]
Here are five ways to participate in a socially-distanced Halloween:
1. Trick-or-Treat Driveway Table
Avoid kids passing each other coming to and from the door and letting them have it grabbing a handful of candy from a communal bowl. Trick-or-Treat driveway or sidewalk tables help foot-traffic flow in one direction and all the candy is already divided into individual cups or bags for children to take.
2. Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt
If going door-to-door doesn’t seem as appealing amid the pandemic, opt for a Halloween Egg Hunt. Your children still get candy and you can have peace of mind knowing exactly who they got it from.
3. Reverse trick-or-treating
Similar to the COVID-19 birthday parades, kids in costumes will wave from their front yards while those in the car will toss candy out the window.
4. Socially Distant Bicycle Parades
If you’re not into trick-or-treating this year, consider a costume parade. Schedule a time with your neighbors to allow the children to ride through the neighborhood while dressed as their favorite characters.
5. Drive-Thru Haunted House
Want to skip gathering altogether? Get into spooky season by visiting a haunted house. In a drive-thru setting, your car provides additional protection from both germs and scary characters trying to attack you.