COVID-Friendly Halloween Plans
Halloween is typically the time of year when families and friends gather together to express their creative side and enjoy the spooky aspect of the season. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances brought about from COVID-19, Ohio governor Mike DeWine has advised citizens to avoid large gatherings and take various precautions during the October holiday. This has ruined many people’s Halloween plans, which typically involve large gatherings such as trick-or-treating or Halloween parties. But fear not, here are ten alternative Halloween plans that are Covid-friendly and can keep you and your loved ones safe during this time.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Lucky for us, there are many pumpkin farms in various locations in or around the Greater Cincinnati area. These farms offer a wide variety of pumpkins to choose from and can be found here. You can take a quick trip to one of these farms to choose your unique pumpkin and take it home with you to carve or decorate! And even if pumpkins are not the subject of your interest, a pumpkin farm offers the perfect setup for a great photoshoot with friends or family!
Carve Pumpkins
After you’ve found a pumpkin that suits your tastes, why not carve it? You can find pumpkin tools anywhere, from Walmart to Michaels to Amazon! It is a super fun activity that many people can enjoy, and you’ll also gain a new decoration for your home.
Go Through A Corn Maze
After quarantine, I am sure most of us are tired of being cooped up inside. Why not get some fresh air in a corn maze? This activity allows you to have some quality Halloween time with your family and friends, while still staying distant from others. Just make sure to bring a phone or GPS device so you do not get stuck! Here are some different locations where you can find fun corn mazes in Cincinnati.
Make Halloween Treats
I think we can all agree that this holiday definitely pushes our self-control when it comes to eating junk food. But, rather than binging on Halloween candy, why not make your own Halloween treats and add to your creative side? You can find many different recipes for Halloween treats anywhere on the internet, but one place in particular that has a wonderful selection of ideas is Pinterest!
Decorate for Halloween
Another way to get into the Halloween spirit is by decorating your home’s interior and exterior! There are hundreds of different ways to accessorize your home with decorations, which you can find at Target, Kroger, Michaels, or you could even make yourself. A great way to keep in touch with neighbors during this time other than by trick-or-treating is by starting a competition to see who has the best decorated house! May the best house win!
Halloween Arts and Crafts
While you are out shopping for decorations for your home or buying candy, you should consider buying supplies that can be used for fun arts and crafts! The internet is full of many creative ideas that you can use that range from a quick activity to do with young children to complicated projects that can take hours! From your own board games to making your own costumes to Halloween decorations, the possibilities are endless.
Halloween Movie Marathon
There are countless classic Halloween movies that are suitable for all ages and all types of genres. From horror movies such as The Conjuring to comedic movies like Hubie Halloween, and even to kids movies such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, you can maintain the spirit of Halloween right in your own living room.
Costume Contest
Dressing up is one of the most enjoyable aspects of Halloween because you can be whoever you want for a night. You can still dress up this year, and can even make it a competition between you and your friends! You can buy your own costume at stores such as Spirit Halloween, Party City, or Cappel’s or even DIY with supplies from various craft stores.
Drive Around for Halloween Treats
For a lot of places, such as Starbucks and Dunkin, they have seasonal beverages and foods that don't last very long. A fun activity would be to drive around to these locations and buy different seasonal treats to take home and try. Or, you could always stay in the car and enjoy a drive around town while listening to music, eating food, and enjoying the season’s beautiful foliage.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt
I know that as we are getting older, trick-or-treating is becoming less appealing to most. However, a fun alternative activity to trick-or-treating is a Halloween themed scavenger hunt! This game can be played at your home, and can involve hidden candy or other Halloween themed objects that can be found. This can be enjoyed by all ages, and is a way to get the candy in a more unique way than eating straight out of the bag!
It has definitely been hard these past couple of months for everyone adjusting to the new norm of maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks wherever we go. But even with all of these inconveniences that the virus has brought about, it doesn't have to negatively affect this Halloween, and we can still make the most out of it!