TREAT YOURSELF
9 Halloween celebrations for families that don't involve trick-or-treating during a pandemic
In a normal year, having Oct. 31 fall on a Saturday is an ideal setup for Halloween, especially for families heading out to trick-or-treat. But nothing about 2020 has been ideal thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
Local municipalities Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman aren't trying to prohibit trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, but they are encouraging families to take precautions against COVID-19.
“We want to leave the decision of whether to trick-or-treat to parents and neighborhoods,” said Tim Lyon, city manager for Midwest City, in a statement. “It is important for all participating to use caution and to plan ahead to incorporate additional safety measures this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Coronavirus precautions include remaining at least 6 feet apart from other groups, using hand sanitizer frequently and staying home if sick. Also, trickor-treaters older than age 2 are urged to wear protective face coverings — and to remember that a costume mask is not a good substitute for a cloth protective mask.
Families also are encouraged to consider at-home or less crowded alternatives to trick-or-treating. Here are nine ways to celebrate Halloween while skipping the trick-or-treat trail:
1. Pick a pumpkin
Pumpkin carving is a timehonored Halloween tradition, but in lieu of trick-or-treating, consider leveling up from the standard jack-o-lantern and try the three-dimensional pumpkin carving popularized by social media and TV shows like Food Network's “Halloween Wars.” Instead of cutting out simple shapes, three-dimensional pumpkin carving involves carving faces and forms into the surface of fall's favorite fruit.
If pumpkin carving falls outside your interest or skill level, there's more than one way to decorate autumn's signature squash: Tempera paint, stickers or even prepackaged pumpkin accessory kits can add character to your pumpkin. Or join the Thankful Pumpkin trend by handing out permanent markers to your family members and having them write what they're grateful for on their own small pumpkin or on one big collective gourd.
2. Get crafty
Google “Halloween crafts for kids,” and literally hundreds of options will pop up, from simple paper plate spiders with googly eyes to elaborately eerie riffs on gingerbread houses.
Keep it old-school by giving your youngsters an old white bed sheet and permanent markers and inviting them to create ghostly costumes or decorations, or get topical by using markers to add Halloween spirit to plain protective face masks.
3. Ghouls and goblins on parade
Organize an outdoor neighborhood or family costume parade, with social distancing and protective masks. Set out bowls of prepackaged treats at the end of the driveways or walkways. Remember, the fewer the people and the greater the distancing, the safer the celebration.
4. New taste sensations
If candy is the key to your Halloween merriment, sample some different delicacies this year. Hit up one of the metro area's international markets and pick up some treats from around the world, shop a local candy store for some old-fashioned confections or search online for something new to tempt your palate.
Try the different flavors and vote for your family's new favorite sweets.
5. Hit the pinata
Add some interactive entertainment, get your candy fix and work off a little COVID-19-related stress all in one fun party favorite.
6. Mix, match and model
Let your children put on a festive fashion show by donning their costumes and then mixing them up or swapping them out with previous Halloween costumes, dressup clothes, old dance recital outfits, hand-me-down costumes from siblings or cousins and cast-off of accessories from Mom and Dad. Take photos and invite friends on social media to pick their favorite Halloween looks.
7. Sugar search
There's more than one way to fill a sack with candy. Pull out the plastic Easter eggs and do a Halloween riff on an egg hunt. Decorate a box, fill it with snacks, hide it away and provide your children with a treasure map or scavenger hunt clues to follow.
8. Cook up a spooky theme
The internet is a treasure trove of all kinds of theme recipes. From a simple meal with sinister names for the side dishes finished off with graveyard dirt cake to a fullblown Halloween feast with all the gory trimmings, make a meal of it before diving into the candy bowl.
9. Go haunting
If you're eager to get out of the house for a little eerie entertainment, consider visiting one of Oklahoma's reportedly haunted places, from outdoor spots like Springer's mysterious Magnetic Hill and Peoria's spine-chilling Spook Light to indoor attractions like El Reno's Historic Fort Reno and Tulsa's Philbrook Museum of Art. Lists of scary spots are available at www. travelok.com/Haunted_ Oklahoma and www. okhauntedhouses.com.
Or, go to your local cemetery and look for the oldest, strangest, spookiest and fanciest graves. Just remember to be respectful of the markers and any visiting family members who might be around.