Editor’s Note: With Halloween approaching, and parents concerned about whether or not to let their children go trick-or-treating because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Project Child panel is sharing some of the advice available online, including that from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While CDC guidelines discourage trick-or-treating this year, they do provide alternatives for how to make it less risky.

The riskiest activities include community or school events where there is close contact with others. Trick-or-treating outdoors, especially where outbreaks are moderated, is believed to be less risky.

The CDC recommends that children wear a face mask (not just the costume kind). A better way to go is a Halloween-themed two-ply face mask.

Since risks increase with exposure to others, parents should limit the number of houses visited and the size of children’s groups to siblings and a close friend or two.

Make sure neighbors wear face masks and gloves. And ask them to stay outside to avoid trick-or-treaters getting too close to each other while having to touch doorbells or door surfaces.

There are other options discussed online to keep the fun in Halloween and reduce risks. One includes avoiding the communal candy bowl where many children touch the candy. Better options are individual goodie bags to be handed out to each child. Before and after preparing the bags, be sure to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Provide hand sanitizer for children to use between houses.

To be on the safe side you can let your child’s trick-or-treat candy sit for 48 - 72 hours. Provide a small stash of your own Halloween candy for them to eat that night.

Of course, there are ideas for eliminating the most risk by staying at home, while still having lots of fun. Suggestions are adding handmade decorations to the house, creating your own haunted house, holding a scary or not-so-scary movie night, and making your own decorated cookies and other treats.

One interesting idea is to create a Quarantine-O-Ween scavenger hunt in which children can trick-or-treat around the home or yard instead of the neighborhood. Parents can hide treats, create clues and send their children on a spooky scavenger hunt. For the more adventuresome, create a home movie or play skit with a Halloween theme.

This week’s panel: Pam Wallace, program coordinator, Project Child, a program of Valley Youth House; Mike Daniels, LCSW, Psychotherapist, Denise Continenza, extension educator; Joanne Raftas, Northampton Community College, independent counselor, and Chad Stefanyak, school counselor.

Have a question? Email: projectchild@projectchildlv.org

The Family Project is a collaboration of the Lehigh Valley Press Focus section and Valley Youth House’s Project Child.

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