Tips for a Safe Trunk or Treat During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ways to stay healthy and socially distanced during the coronavirus quarantine
Photo: Baker County Tourism via CC
COVID-19 has altered how we did a lot of things throughout 2020, and come October, it’ll impact our usual way of trick-or-treating. Many community Halloween festivities will involve trunk or treats this year so costumed kids can safely walk from car to car in a controlled environment. If you’re attending or planning a trunk-or-treat event for your neighborhood, make sure you follow these tips to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic.
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Use a large parking lot where you can distance
Don’t select a trunk-or-treat venue that’s crowded. Use a large parking lot that provides plenty of space for you to open the trunk, set the scene, and welcome young visitors. You’ll want to be parked at least 15 feet away in every direction from other vehicles so costumed visitors have enough room to wander around without coming close to each other.
Control the crowds
People will want to mingle with their friends, but it’s important to maintain safe social distancing throughout the event. Limit how many people can walk up to a vehicle at the same time, and eliminate areas where people would be tempted to congregate (like a welcome booth, craft table, or drink station). If you see crowds starting to form, have a designated monitor step in and disperse them.
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Limit high-touch surfaces
Part of the fun of a trunk-or-treat gathering is creating an immersive scene with your car that kids will enjoy. These often involve interactive activities, which unfortunately are high-touch hazards. Find ways to provide games without the necessity of touching an object or surface, like eliminating props from your photo booth. That way, you don’t have to worry about having to sanitize repeatedly. Speaking of which …
Pack lots of sanitizer & cleaning wipes
In case someone does touch your vehicle or items in your display, make sure you have sanitizing wipes and spray on-hand to clean up immediately. Keep a bottle of gel to squirt on your hand if you touch another person’s when giving them candy. Inevitably, it will happen at some point, so be prepared.
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Photo: Baker County Tourism via CC
Hand out goodies instead of letting children grab them
If you let children dig their hands into your bowl of candy, they’ll leave all of the germs on their hands behind on the rest of the items. To minimize contamination, hand out the treats yourself so you’re the only person with their hand in the dish. If you want to let children pick their prize, let them point to their choice or list their options aloud.
Incorporate your mask into your costume
Although it’s frustrating to have to wear a mouth mask during a holiday where you’re allowed to dress up however you want, it’s important to still to cover your face to protect other people. Instead of letting the mask ruin your costume, embrace it! Many superheroes and movie villains wear masks, so find a way to make it a focal point of your costume. Think of characters like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat or Bane from The Dark Knight Rises — mouth masks are essential components of their outfits!
While you don’t want to let the pandemic ruin your Halloween fun, you don’t want the scary season to become genuinely dangerous for little ghosts and ghouls. Everyone can still have fun and be safe by taking precautions like these at your socially distanced trunk-or-treat party.
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.