No matter the age of your kids, Halloween is a big deal. The chance to dress up as your favorite character from comics, movies, toys, and more, all while receiving candy doesn’t seem to contain any negatives. But with Covid-19 variants still persistent, you may be concerned with going Trick-or-Treating this year.
Know Your Community
If your children are really looking forward to going out on Halloween since needing to stay home the last spooky season, it may be hard telling them no. But if you have good relationships with your neighbors, you may already know who is setting out candy or are vaccinated. These categories can help you take your children out for Halloween night without having to worry about any contamination or germs. If you aren’t sure about further away neighborhoods, then play it safe and keep close to home. There may be activities at your local library or city similar to last year, with candy and treats available in a safe, bubble-like environment.
Costumes Doing Double Duty
Thankfully, with Halloween comes costumes, and with costumes comes masks. Your child may already have a costume or thought in mind for what they want to be this year, and you can use that to your advantage. Although some Halloween masks aren’t going to be as covered or safe as a regular cloth mask, you can always get a little creative on this point. If there’s an open mouth covering on the mask, you can use a cloth or N95 mask to help cover and protect your little ones. This can help keep them safe while also helping to blend their costume more seamlessly. And if your children really want a costume with a full-face mask, be sure to still mask them up before going outside. You can paint or decorate their mask to better coincide with their costume, which should help dampen any grumpiness from having to wear it.
Playing It Safe
With these tips in mind, it’s also important to limit the number of children per group. Make sure you’re outdoors for the Trick-or-Treating and maintaining social distancing between groups of children. It’s recommended to avoid indoor parties or any other areas where it seems crowded.
However you decide to celebrate Halloween this year, your children will enjoy whatever context they will get to wear a costume. Being safe and staying outdoors while utilizing masks and limited contact with neighbors will lead to a safeguarded, happy, and spooky Halloween. Happy Halloween!
Katie Kyzivat