Halloween 2020 will be unlike any Halloween we’ve known, but different can still be fun.

I don’t know what the township I live in has decided about trick or treating, but I’m planning on a zero-contact experience at my house. If trick or treating is allowed, I will place a large bowl on a table on the walkway leading up to my front porch. In it will be clear sealed treat bags with the same candies in each. Grab one and go – no rifling through the candy bowl. It’s the honor system and usually, kids are good about not taking all the candy. I’ll miss complimenting all the ghosts, goblins, princesses, and Puppy Dog Pals on their costumes, but safety first.

How can you make Halloween 2020 special for your kid(s)? We have a few ideas.

1.       Have a Scavenger hunt in your house – Make a list of items that can be found in your house that spell out Happy Halloween. If you’re going to the grocery store pick up a few surprise items for the list. We’ve listed a few items to help you get started. Choose 1 or 2 items for each letter. Just be sure to have whatever you select in your house or yard for the Scavenger hunt. You can use food items from the hunt to make a Halloween snack with your kids.

H – Hammer; hair clip; hazelnuts; hose; hanger; hand soap

A – Apples; anchovies; alarm clock; album; artichoke

P – Pens; potato; pasta; paper; pears; pencil

P – Pickles; pumpkin; pudding; pineapple; picture

Y – Yams; yarn; something yellow

H – Honey; hula hoop; hair gel; hexagon shape

A – Almonds; aluminum foil; avocado

L – Lemons; letter; Lava lamp

L – Licorice; lint; limes; Lucky Charms cereal

O- Orange; octagon shape; oats; Ovaltine

W – Whistle; Wasabi; whiffle ball; waffles

E – Egg; eraser; evaporated milk

E – Edamame; Equal sweetener packet; envelope

N – Napkin; necklace; nail; nail file; nectarine; Neapolitan ice cream

2.       Halloween charades or Pictionary – use Halloween movies, monsters, treats, or customs for your topics.

3.       Raid your closet/attic/basement for those old clothes/jewelry/shoes/hats you haven’t gotten around to donating or throwing out and put them in a big box. Give your kids 3 minutes to come up with costumes – give prizes for funniest, scariest, most original, etc. Be sure to video the fun. Take away 30 seconds each time to see who can come up with a costume in the fastest time.

4.       Have a Halloween moviethon – Go for classic black and white horror films, Disney’s Halloweentown (all 4 of them), Hocus Pocus, Beetle Juice, Casper, or the Halloween series.

5.       Have an indoor campout. Tell ghost stories, make smores, serve hot dogs or foil pack dinners, have an ice cream sundae bar with all the fixings. Build a pillow fort and snuggle up in sleeping bags or get cozy with comforters.

6.       Use Facetime or Zoom to connect with family and friends – let the kids model their Halloween costumes and show off their carved pumpkins.

7.       Make a spooky Halloween House – get out the gummy worms, graham crackers, pretzels, and icing, and instead of a traditional gingerbread house, make a haunted house.