AAP-recommended Do’s and Don’ts for celebrating Halloween
DO:
- Avoid large gatherings.
- Maintain 6 feet distance.
- Wear cloth masks and wash hands often.
- Use hand sanitizer before and after visiting pumpkin patches and apple orchards.
DON’T:
- Wear painted cloth masks since paints can contain toxins that should not be breathed.
- Use a costume mask unless it has layers of breathable fabric snugly covering mouth and nose.
- Wear cloth mask under costume mask.
- Attend indoor parties or haunted houses.
CDC safety considerations (supplemental to state and local safety laws)
- Assess current cases and overall spread in your community before making any plans.
- Choose outdoor venues or indoor facilities that are well ventilated.
- Consider the length of the event, how many are attending, where they are coming from, and how they behave before and during the event.
- If you are awaiting test results, have COVID-19 symptoms, or have been exposed to COVID-19, stay home.
- If you are at higher risk, avoid large gatherings and limit exposure to anyone you do not live with.
- Make available to others masks, 60% or greater alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and tissues.
- Avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth.
- For a complete set of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID safety recommendations go here.
Suggested safe, fun activities
- Use Zoom and other chat programs to share costumes, play games, and watch festive movies.
- Participate in socially distanced outdoor community events at local parks, zoos, etc.
- Attend haunted forests and corn mazes. Maintain more than 6 feet of distance around screaming patrons.
- Decorate pumpkins.
- Cook a Halloween-themed meal.
- If trick-or-treating has been canceled, try a scavenger hunt in the house or yard.
- When handing out treats, wear gloves and mask. Consider prepackaging treat bags. Line up visitors 6 feet apart and discourage gatherings around entranceways.
- Wipe down all goodies received and consider quarantining them for a few days.
- Always wash hands before and after trick-or-treating and when handling treats.