By Angie Yeh
Word is out that Halloween is on this year, hooray! For all the fun stuff kids missed out on due to the ongoing pandemic, trick-or-treating is one activity that can be done relatively safely. Per npr.org, top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has given his approval for getting out and enjoying Halloween this year. "I think that, particularly if you're vaccinated, you can get out there and enjoy it," Dr. Fauci told CNN's State of the Union on October 10, 2021. “This is a time that children love. It’s a very important part of the year for children,” he said. Given that trick-or-treating is outside, I’m feeling comfortable taking my young kids out for a short stroll with a few modifications. Of course, everyone has their own level of risk tolerance so here are some precautions to keep in mind!
Safety Tips
General considerations for trick-or-treating this year from HealthyChildren.org:
Stay outdoors
Mask up (no costume masks)
Walk in smaller groups, socially distanced
Avoid crowded areas
Provide individually packaged treats
Greet kids outside or leave treats out for kids to pick up themselves
If you love greeting trick-or-treaters every few minutes in the traditional door-to-door ritual, then hanging out in your front yard is a good idea. This way, you avoid having a crowd of kids build up in your doorway with multiple fingers touching the doorbell. However, I think some of the alternative ways (mentioned below) to hand out treats are far more entertaining!
Photo courtesy of: Trish Lawson
One-Way Trick-or-Treating
What is one-way trick-or-treating? Instead of just leaving out a bowl of candy and turning off the lights, you create a contactless experience for kids to take their treats. I appreciated the ingenious inventions that emerged last year: Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Flying Candy!
Here’s a roundup of the best ideas to provide one-way trick-or-treating:
Photo courtesy of: Steph Anderson
Use your front yard
Incorporate treats into the natural flora surrounding your house and create an instant Willy Wonka dream!
Candy Garden
Tape candy bags to wooden sticks or hang lollipops from trees, and kids can “pick” their treat while staying near the sidewalk. Steph Anderson says, “We put candy in small ziplock bags, taped them to the handles of plastic forks, and then forked our lawn.”
Spider web/Cobweb
This one is the most versatile. Fake spider web decorations can be stretched and placed on almost anything (gates, fences, bushes, doors) then hide treats inside the web like insects trapped for prey!
Photo courtesy of: Angie Yeh
Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt
These Glow Eggs from amazon.com light up surprisingly well at night and can be filled with tiny treats (think small stickers) for a spooktacular egg hunt.
Image via amazon.com
Photo courtesy of: Sarah Caska Holmes
Grab and Go
This is the simplest method of providing no-contact treats. Place individual treat bags or cups of candy on a table in front of your house and kids can take one without touching anything else. It helps to have tea lights or some other lighting around the bags for easier pickup.
Build Something!
If you happen to have some extra time or you just adore STEM activities with your kids, this method is for you!
Photo courtesy of: Kari Simpson
The most popular invention is the candy chute: a PVC pipe attached to the railing of your stairway that delivers the candy from the tube at the top of your steps directly into the kids’ treat pail.
No railing? Attempt a candy slide from the second floor window of your home! Benefits of keeping toasty indoors while still getting to greet your guests!
Photo courtesy of: Soniya Rajwani
Another option is to string a cobweb clothesline across your yard and hang pieces of candy from it.
Photo courtesy of: Laurie Cerefice
Seriously impressed by the clever inventions and the creative spirit of our community!
Alternative Daytime Activities
For our littlest monsters, remember that all the sensory stimulation of new faces and strange costumes can be overwhelming. For my pandemic toddler, visiting three familiar neighbors while it’s still light out is a perfectly acceptable first Halloween experience. In addition, strangely random things may frighten young kids. My sensitive six-year-old confided in me that Halloween decorations that use a squiggly font for the word “spooky” scare her...fonts evoke emotions, folks!
If you want to avoid a nocturnal meltdown, here are some local daytime events:
Redwood City
Halloween on the Library Plaza
Sunday, October 24, 2021
1-3 pm
Downtown Library Plaza“Join us in front of the Downtown Library for some Halloween fun! Supplies are limited. For grades Pre-K to 3rd.”
Burlingame
“Stop by the Main Library on Friday, October 29 or Saturday, October 30 or the Easton Library on Saturday, October 30 for some trick or treat fun. Costumes are optional!”
San Carlos
Saturday, October 30, 2021
4-5:30 PM
Laurel Street
“San Carlos Parks & Recreation is excited for the return of Goblin Walk! Children 7 years and under, accompanied by an adult, are invited to Trick-or-Treat down Laurel Street in their costume and visit the businesses displaying the Goblin Walk sign.”
I’m looking forward to trick-or-treating this year, and am excited to see the ingenious inventions. I hope you enjoy this very special time of year with your kiddos!
Angie has two fun kiddos: a girl who refers to herself as “Doggie” and a toddler who flashes her bellybutton in greeting. When she’s not busy searching for misplaced loveys, Angie enjoys tennis, chamber music, and eating all the cheeses.