This year you could take a shot of candy for every time you hear anything like 'things are a little different this year'. But it's Halloween! Masks are part of the holiday, and it's an excuse to eat some candy. Below are some tips from Alberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta for staying safe this Saturday. Of course, avoid any large gatherings and parties, and please stay home if you are feeling unwell.
๐ Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treaters ๐
- Keep groups to six or less.
- Keep to your local neighbourhood, try not to travel too far and avoid busy areas.
- Maintain social distancing when passing other people on the sidewalks and walkways to houses.
- Wash your hands before you leave the house and immediately when you get home.
- Bring hand sanitizer with you for after any snacks along the way.
- Wear a non-medical mask, but do not double up if wearing a Halloween costume mask.
๐ฆ Safety Tips for Handing out Candy ๐ฆ
- Treats don't need to be sanitized but do wash hands before and after handling and periodically throughout the night.
- Avoid a bowl of candy that kids reach into, but instead, hand out individual pieces and try to keep a safe distance. (see below ideas)
- Only hand out prepackaged treats, no homemade goods.
- To avoid the use of shared surfaces such as door handles, handrails, and doorbells, remain outside if you can.
- If you are indoors, make as clear of a path as you can to avoid shared surfaces and clean those used after each group of trick-or-treaters.
- Wear a non-medical mask, but do not double up if wearing a Halloween costume mask.
- Avoid any smoke machines or decor that could cause coughing.
๐ท๏ธ 10 Ways to Safely Hand Out Candy ๐ท๏ธ
1. Use long tongs to drop into a bag.
2. Put candy in a wrapping paper tube or PVC pipe and slide it down.
3. Tape a bowl to a remote control car and drive candy out to trick-or-treaters.
4. Hang candy from a tree, like ornaments.
5. Get behind a window or sliding door and create a drive-thru. Or even do it from your car. Decorate the window to make it more fun.
6. Put a bullseye in your lawn or driveway and make a game for your family to earn points by tossing the candy.
7. Grab any long-handled item to reach candy out. Tape a paper plate or small bowl to them to help candy from slipping off. Items such as:
- Tennis racket
- Hockey stick
- Baking pan
- Broom or mop
- Frying pan
- Piece of wood or stick
- Severed hand on a stick (from the Halloween store, or one you may have laying around)
8. Tape candy to popsicle sticks and stick them in your yard graveyard style for treaters to pick out.
9. Hang a sheet from your porch and cut a hole in it to hand candy through (this is a great one for that severed hand). Have fun decorating the sheet with red paint and make a lot of spooky sounds from behind it.
10. Set up a table you can restock but treaters can walk up to safely.
