Even if things look different this year, that doesn’t mean Halloween is cancelled! With these fun alternatives to trick-or-treating, this could just be the best Halloween ever!
A lot of parents are wondering, is Trick-or-Treating safe in 2020? Perhaps you’ve been considering alternatives to trick-or-treating. Or maybe the decision was made for you if your neighborhood cancelled trick-or-treating this year.
Or maybe you’re just looking for more ways to celebrate the occasion in a year that doesn’t always seem to have much to celebrate!
Whatever the reason, we’ve got you covered!
12 Things to Do with Kids Instead of Trick-or-Treating
We’re not quite sure what our Halloween plans are yet, but if trick or treating is cancelled in our neighborhood we will be prepared! We’ve put together this list of fun trick or treat alternatives that kids are sure to love!
1. Hold a Scary Movie Marathon
Since we’re staying home more often lately, movie nights are becoming a new tradition in our family! During October, we choose spooky-themed flicks and make fun snacks!
Here are some of our favorite family friendly Halloween movies:
- Hocus Pocus
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- The Witches
- The Addams Family
- Casper
- Coraline
- Monster House
- Hotel Transylvania
- Goosebumps
- Ernest Scared Stupid
- The Corpse Bride
You can also watch many of these (and more!) movies on Prime Video, Amazon’s streaming service that is included free with your Amazon Prime membership.
Click here to try Amazon Prime FREE for 30 days!
2. Tell Ghost Stories
A good ghost story can be even spookier than a movie, and a lot more interactive! Grab a flashlight and check out some of our favorite books for inspiration:
- Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
- Goosebumps (any of them!)
- In a Dark, Dark Room
3. Create a Halloween Candy Hunt in Your Yard
This is one that my husband and I have talked about doing instead of Trick or Treating. We have a big yard, so we were planning to hide candy, sort of like an Easter Egg hunt!
You could put the candy in plastic bags with glow sticks inside and have a light up treasure hunt!
4. Make Halloween Crafts
Here are our favorite crafts:
- Mix-N-Match Pumpkin Faces Craft
- Pumpkin Pop-Up Card
- Quilled Pumpkin Craft
- Halloween Sensory Bottles (3 Ways!)
- Mix-N-Match Ghost Magnet Craft
- DIY Halloween Koozie
5. Create Your Own Haunted House
Here are some of our favorite DIY decorations that would make the perfect addition to you haunted house project:
- Laundry Jug Jack-O-Lanterns
- Mickey & Minnie Pumpkins
- Halloween Potion Bottles (with free printable labels)
6. Host a Halloween Party
Small get-togethers with close family or friends in your “bubble” are a fun way to spend Halloween night! Try some of these spooky fun recipes:
- Slime Cookies
- Witches Brew Halloween CookiesÂ
- Maleficent Cocktail (grown-ups only, but can be made family-friendly)
- Creamsicle Flavored Orange Mini Halloween Cupcakes
- Easy Halloween Pudding Cups
- Frankenstein Cake Pops
- Spiderweb Cupcakes and Spiderweb Cookies
- Graveyard Brownies
7. Visit a Haunted Drive
Our town has a family that creates a “haunted drive” every year on their property. You stay in your car and cruise slowly through all of the spooky decorations!
I have a feeling that socially distant attractions like this will be especially popular this Halloween!
8. Make Halloween Slime
Slime is one of our favorite sensory activities year round, but it is spot-on for Halloween! Any slime recipe will work, but these recipes are ones we designed specifically for Halloween:
- Witches Brew Halloween Slime
- 2-Ingredient Glow in the Dark Slime
- Edible Glow in the Dark Slime
- Edible Halloween Candy Slime
9. Hang up a Halloween Piñata
This is one we’re planning for our family! Piñatas are a tradition in our family for birthdays — since they are candy-filled it’s all perfect for Halloween!
Click here to see a bunch of creepy cool Halloween piñatas!
10. Host a Monster Mash
Put on your costumes, put together a playlist of all your favorite Halloween songs, and get dancing! You could even use an essential oil diffuser to make spooky mist and Halloween luminaries to set the mood!
11. Do a Candy Drop for Neighbors
For a socially distant alternative to trick or treating, instead of passing out candy at your home, you could put together candy bags and drop them off at neighbors and friends! It’s also a great kindness activity for kids!
12. Explore Pumpkin Science
By Halloween, pumpkins are often starting to lose their freshness. Instead of tossing them, why not explore and do some fun fall STEM activities? Have fun squishing the insides, back pumpkin seeds, make slime…there are so many possibilities to learn and play!
Is Trick or Treating Safe in 2020?
It’s hard to guarantee the safety of anything 100% but the CDC does offer some guidelines for Halloween and holiday celebrations:
- Don’t rely on a Halloween mask as protection
- Monitor the levels of community spread in your area and follow guidance from health officials
- Keep any gatherings small and with people you trust
- Maintain distancing and good hygiene at any Halloween event
If you do go trick-or-treating it’s a good idea to wear a mask, maintain social distance, wash hands, and sanitize candy wrappers before opening them.
What are your favorite alternatives to trick or treating?
What is your family planning this year for Halloween? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments in case there is something we didn’t think of yet!
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Daisy says
We are planning a sleepover movie night with my siblings and their kids. We are going to camp out in our yard in tents and watch Halloween movies on a projector, play games, and eat some yummy snacks.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
That sounds awesome!!