by Julia Hawkins ’22
Halloween 2020 was meant to be the perfect Halloween – it’s on a Saturday, which meant kids could trick or treat without the worries of waking up for school the next day. Also, it will be a full moon, which adds to the spooky atmosphere of the holiday. Unfortunately, the pandemic is still very much afoot – so, what are kids supposed to do? Here are a few ideas to keep the festivities rolling while still staying safe!
- Social Distancing Trick or Treating!
This year, kids in all different types of costumes can’t come up to the porch, ring the doorbell, and yell ‘Trick-or-Treat!’ However, trick-or-treating doesn’t have to be entirely canceled! An alternative to this Halloween staple is putting a few pieces of candy into brown sack lunch bags and placing them on the edge of your porch or driveway. This way, kids can still have the fun of trick-or-treating, but remain safe!
- Host a (Small) Halloween Party!
Parties don’t have to be entirely canceled! The CDC and Washington State health department recommends that you gather in groups no larger than 5. With that being said, you can host a small Halloween party with friends! Dress up in a fun group costume (my friends and I are dressing up as Winnie the Pooh characters), watch horror movies, and treat yourselves to the fall classics like apple cider and pumpkin pie!
- Host a Halloween Watch Party!
Many streaming platforms, like Netflix and Disney+, offer a watch party option, where eight to ten friends can watch the same movie or TV show from their device. Get a group together and watch your favorite Halloween movies, or revisit your youth by watching the Halloween specials of some of your favorite childhood shows!
- Dress Up with Your Friends as Among Us!
Can’t decide what to wear this year? Dress up as Among Us characters! Among Us is one of the most popular online and PC games at the moment, where a group of people tries to complete tasks while an imposter is among them, and out to kill them. It is then up to the group to decide who the imposter is, and vote them out! The game was recently upgraded to offer Halloween hats, such as a pumpkin, a bat, and cat ears. Get together with a group of friends, dress up as Among Us, and play through the night!
- Decorate!
Decorating isn’t canceled this year either! You can still participate in classic Halloween activities, like carving or painting pumpkins. This year, you have the opportunity to decorate a facemask, with the ongoing necessity and use, with fabric paint markers. You can even include a decorated mask as part of your Halloween costume this year!
What are other students up to this year? We spread a survey to find out! The majority of students who responded said that they’re spending Halloween hanging out with friends, 64.3% of students responding with hanging out with friends on the survey sent out. Students agree that this year will be extra special because the majority of families won’t be handing out Halloween candy, nor will they be getting trick-or-treaters. Dog owners are especially thrilled that their furry friends won’t be barking every single time the doorbell rings! “My dogs are so obnoxious about people coming to our door, with their desperate attempts to dart out the house every time we open the door” (Nicole Alvarez.)
But how are things different this year compared to other years? Well, students aren’t noticing a radical change. The biggest change students are aware of is that they won’t be able to go out as they have in previous years, nor they can’t hang out with big groups of friends. The majority of students responding to “I can’t/ won’t go out this year.” All in all, Halloween doesn’t have to be entirely canceled! You can still have a fun time next Saturday while staying safe!
For more ways to celebrate Halloween check out: (https://www.retailmenot.com/blog/ideas-for-celebrating-halloween-during-covid-19.html)
One of the best holidays of the year can still be celebrated!
Into the Jungle 