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Have a Blast this Quarantine-O-Ween!

Halloween is officially right around the corner, and while it may look a little bit different this year, it is by no means canceled! The CDC recently released guidelines outlining the best and worst practices for celebrating this spooky, fun holiday. Trick-or-treating and haunted hayrides may be out of the question, but there are a ton of different ways to get in the spirit without leaving the comfort of your home. In fact, let’s start by turning your house into the perfect Halloweentown. 

Getting in the Halloween Spirit: Home Edit

Maybe you’ve never been someone to deck your house out during Halloween season or maybe you’ve always enjoyed going elsewhere to take part in the celebration, but this year we challenge you to make your home the ideal spot for Halloween fun. When it comes to decorating, there are endless cheap and easy DIY crafts to choose from and some may not even require you to go to the store! Linked below are just a few of our favorite homemade decorations, along with tutorials, using materials you most likely have lying around the house. 

Costume Zoom Parties 

I think we can all agree on one thing here, it’s not quite Halloween without costumes. While you may not be able to boast about your ensemble going door to door with friends this year or attending a costume party, who’s to say you can’t have your own virtual showoff? From online schooling to working from home, everyone has gotten their practice in using Zoom and other video call platforms for chatting with peers. So, hosting your own virtual costume contest should be a breeze! 

Here are just a few tips for hosting a memorable virtual costume party: 

  • First and foremost, get your friends excited about your event by sending out party invitations. There is nothing more exciting about getting something unexpected in the mail (or your inbox) nowadays. If you’re crafty, you can hand make your own, or try customizing a few of our templates found below! 
  • Secondly, make the virtual costume party a BIG deal. A few ideas include having a panel of judges, allowing each member a scorecard to rate costumes, or encouraging each member to get into character and do a runway walk. 
  • Last but certainly not least, mix things up with a few games! Some ideas include a Halloween lip sync battle with your favorite jams, a creative pumpkin painting contest, a toilet paper mummy race, or even making games you would typically play Halloween-themed like “Would You Rather” and “Pictionary”. 

Neighborhood Bicycle Parade

If you’re interested in getting out of the house to enjoy this holiday, try rounding up the neighbors for a costume bicycle parade. A neighborhood parade allows you to not only get creative with your costume but make your ride a part of it too! Decorating your bikes and scooters certainly adds to the fun and there are so many unique costume combos out there to help you get started. This would certainly be our celebration of choice for a socially distanced Halloween. You can easily make an event on Facebook to invite the whole neighborhood or hand-make your own invitations to send out in the mail. Just get together with a few of your neighbors, pick a date, and start planning who you’ll be! 

Spooky Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt 

Since most kids won’t be going door to door for candy this year, a neighborhood scavenger hunt is a perfect way to cure their sweet tooth and get them out of the house for a bit. Wondering where to start? 

  • First, choose where your scavenger hunt is going to take place and observe what you’ll be working with. Will the hunt be around the house, in the backyard, or around the neighborhood? 
  • Secondly, choose the items your kids will be searching for. Will it be candy, decorations, or a combination of both? 
  • Next, choose a time limit for the hunt, determine whether it will be done solo or in teams, and determine what the winning prize will be. 
  • Then, start planning what each individual or team will be searching for. Will there be clues at each stop? Or, will it be a checklist where you try to find the most items? 
  • Finally, write out your clues/checklists, print them out, and start playing! 

If you need any inspiration or just don’t have the time to make up your own, click here for a bundle of printable Halloween games. This link includes both a candy scavenger hunt with clues at each stop as well as a Halloween decorations checklist. 

See? With these unique and socially distanced ideas, Halloween amidst a pandemic won’t be too bad after all! 

Written By: Shelby Candler

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