Author: Kara Carter, M.D., Pediatrics, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic – Katy
Halloween is around the corner and, for parents with children who look forward to dressing up and trick-or-treating, the special night of wandering ghosts, pirates, and princesses will be different this year. Traveling house to house to collect goodies should be off the table during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are plenty of other ways to celebrate and keep it fun!
A fun and safe alternative is to host a small Halloween get together. Rather than visiting many houses, consider celebrating with close family and friends in an outdoor setting where social distancing can be maintained. Kids will love these fun Halloween festivities:
- Find creative ways to incorporate COVID-19 face masks into costumes and host a costume fashion show.
- Hide candies around the yard so little guests can participate in a Halloween candy hunt.
- Set up individual stations for a candy apple decorating contest.
- End the night with an age appropriate Halloween movie to enjoy with sweet treats.
Pumpkin carving
Another fun activity in place of traditional trick-or-treating is pumpkin carving. Challenge little ones to a household contest with prizes for everyone.
However:
- Don’t let kids handle knives. Have them draw designs on the face of the pumpkin with a black marker – then you do the carving. Make sure you’re using a sharp knife, or a mini saw pointed away from your body.
- Keep kids at a safe distance while you’re carving the pumpkin, so they don’t distract you or get in the way of sharp objects.
- Remove pumpkin guts safely. If your children beg to remove the guts of the pumpkin – as many do – don’t hand them a knife. Instead, let little ones get messy by scooping out the pumpkin with their hands or an ice cream scoop.
- Clean up your mess. Pumpkin flesh is slippery and can cause falls and injuries when dropped on the floor. Layer newspaper or old cloths under your carving workspace and clean up spills right away so no one slips or trips.
- Skip the candles. A burning candle in a pumpkin may become a blazing fire if left unattended. Instead, use a glow stick (available in many colors) or flameless candle to safely illuminate your jack-o’-lantern.
