It’s the season of pumpkin spice, scary costumes and trick-or-treating (make sure to check in with your local health officials to see if it’s allowed at all). Welcome to Halloween, COVID-style!

Halloween will be different this year, and there will be some things that need to be rethought. We are here to help.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has come up with safety guidelines for Halloween. Here are our favorites that we have found to be the most helpful!

Tips For everyone!

• Masks should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing.

Tips for Trick-or-Treaters

• Make your mask part of your costume, but don’t wear a costume mask over a cloth mask – it can make breathing more difficult.
• Stay at least 6 feet away from people outside your household.
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
• Masks should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing

Tips for Treat Givers

• Wash hands before handling treats.
• Wear a mask.
• Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters.
• Give treats outdoors, if possible.

Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating

• Hide Halloween treats in and around your house. Hold a Halloween treat hunt with household members.
• Hold an outdoor costume parade or contest so everyone can show off their costumes.
• Host an outdoor Halloween movie night with friends or neighbors or an indoor movie night with your household members.

Other Halloween Activities

• Decorate your home for Halloween.
• Carve pumpkins with members of your household or outside with neighbors or friends.
• Walk from house to house, admiring Halloween decorations at a distance.
• Go on an outdoor Halloween-themed scavenger hunt.
• Visit a pumpkin patch or orchard.
• Go to a one-way, walk-through haunted forest or corn maze.

For these activities remember to:

* Wear a mask!
* Stay six feet away from others not in your household.
* Remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after touching anything including frequently touched surfaces, pumpkins, or apples.

Visit the CDC website for a full list of Halloween safety procedures!

From all of us at the Blue Rose Foundation, we hope you have a happy, and safe, Halloween.