Tricks on How to Give Out Treats

Tips to make Halloween a little less spooky with COVID-19.

Hannah Goldman and Madison Hays

With a Halloween unlike any other, the art of trick-or-treating has changed drastically. Here are some fun tricks to give and collect treats during this spooky holiday. 

Candy Chutes

Due to the amount of free time that comes with staying at home, many people have been getting creative with their candy-distribution methods. One of these being candy chutes. This unique invention allows for trick-or-treaters to collect candy while social distancing. It works by a person giving out candy at one of a chute and trick-or-treaters receive it from the other end.

Rooftop Candy Drop

Some families are getting even more creative and planning to sit up on their roofs and use the shoot invention targeting a certain x for the kid’s basket location. This fun creation has allowed people to still go down streets and scream “Trick-or-Treat!” and to spend all night idolizing the candy collection. 

Grabber Sticks 

“I wouldn’t touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!” Even though the Grinch is a mean one, his words should be followed during these socially-distanced times. A simple grabber allows for candy to be collected from a distance, making it safe for those giving out the candy, and those collecting the candy. With an arm longer than a giraffe’s neck, the grabber makes it easy to collect candy from a distance. 

Candyland Lawn

While looking down the streets on Halloween, many front lawns tend to look like graveyards: full of frightening skeletons and gravestones. This year, however, people have begun to swap the graveyard-aesthetic for Candyland. People have begun to leave candy scattered on their front lawn. This allows for the candy to be placed in a socially distanced way and allows for less contact between the trick-or-treaters and the homeowners. By decorating the lawn with candy, it combines two sugar-filled holidays: Halloween and Easter.

Dressing to Impress the CDC

With masks becoming the new everyday item to wear this year, there are easy ways to include a unique mask with this year’s costume. From being a health care hero to having a mask be an added touch, with imagination, the options are endless. Amazon and other websites have cool personal masks to help celebrate this day.  In addition to a mask, spice up your costume even more with gloves. They are a great way to keep your germs away from others, keeping candy collecting sanitary, and not to mention a great way to stay warm through the night.

Tricking with Close Friends

When venturing into the unknown of Halloween this year, be sure to stay in small groups with four people or less. The smaller the amount of interaction with people, the safer it will be. This will not only put stressed parents at ease but also those giving out candy. It is also important to follow as many Center for Disease Control (CDC) regulations as possible. If done right, Halloween can still be one of the most exciting holidays of the year!

Pre-Made Baggies

While grabbing candy from a shared bowl may not be the wisest thing to do during these times, there are alternatives to this, such as organizing the candy into fun Halloween bags beforehand. These bags can be full of anything from candy, to toys, to anything spooky. Since bags are larger than fun-sized candy bars, there will be less digging around in a large bowl. Pre-arranging the candy into decorative bags is a fun and memorable way to keep the Halloween spirits up.

Tricking for more than treats?

Trick-or-treating is about the act of going out with others rather than the treat of candy. Yet, a treat can be more than the traditional candy. There are inexpensive alternatives to candy that kids will still LOVE. One simple trip to the Dollar Tree could give a wide variety of unique, fun treats such as mini airplanes, stickers, bubbles, holiday-oriented pencils or pens, spider rings, Play-Dough, and glow in the dark sticks.

There are alternatives to allow for Halloween to be covid-spread free or at least to minimize the spread. The fun can go on with a little bit of creativity and the act of being considerate of others and their space when looping around the neighborhood!