The pandemic hit the United States months ago and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t celebrate Halloween in a safe, socially responsible way! So whether you want to do something on Halloween night or want to celebrate all month long, here are some ways to get scary.

Movies

A lot of theaters are now offering outdoor movies. If you’re lucky enough to live in Chicago, the Music Box of Horrors (everyone’s favorite 24-hour horror movie marathon) has become a 31-night drive-in extravaganza. (I can’t speak for other drive-ins, but you don’t need a car to attend the Music Box’s drive-in; just bring some chairs.) I don’t think going to theaters is very safe right now, but drive-in movies are fun and safe! Check to see if your local art theater is doing something similar.

If you want to stay home, you can still watch a horror movie marathon. Check back in on this blog for my recommendations for a Netflix horror marathon, a Hulu horror marathon, and the official 2020 Haunting of Lit House Horror Marathon.

Depending on the weather in your town, you may be able to watch movies with an outdoor projector. Invite friends over (tell them to stay far away), or just enjoy scary movies with your household.

For the Kids

Disclaimer: My son isn’t into Halloween and he has a tail and is actually a cat. But I know kids and was once a kid.

The guidance on trick-or-treating is still all over the place, but I can’t imagine going to strangers’ homes right now is a great idea. But to give your kids candy and keep them occupied for a while, bring some Easter to Halloween: hide candy around the house for your kids to find.

If you want your kids to get out of the house on Halloween, consider doing a scavenger hunt for fall/Halloween items (pumpkins, acorns, skeletons, spider webs). Rather than touch stuff and pick it up, have them take a picture of the item. (How old are kids when they get phones? IDK, but you probably shouldn’t let your kids go out alone on Halloween during a pandemic in a year when many people probably wouldn’t be out, so let them use your phone. Or better yet, get them a disposable camera and let them learn about what taking photos was like when you were their age.)

I’m sending my nieces scare packages, complete with creepy books, age-appropriate movies, and, of course, candy. (Check back here in a couple of weeks for my scary book recommendations for kids.)

You can do smaller scare packages (candy, stickers, temporary tattoos, a small stuffed toy) for your kids’ friends. Dollar stores and party supply stores will have decently priced Halloween items, many of which are sold in bulk, so you can give presents to all your kids’ friends. Drop these packages off outside their houses the day before Halloween so kids can open them up on Halloween morning. (Obviously let their parents know about this ahead of time.)

Virtual Celebrations

If you and your usual Halloween crew aren’t in a COVID pod together, you can still celebrate virtually! Using your preferred video meeting program (Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc.), hold a costume contest. This year, enjoy being able to stay home for Halloween: wear impractically high heels, put body paint everywhere, or change your costume throughout the evening if that’s what you want. If you want a sense of unity, your party can have a costume theme, e.g., old Hollywood, Bob’s Burgers characters, superheroes.

You can play lots of games during virtual parties! Venmo the winner, who can use their winnings to order dinner. Here are some game ideas:

• Horror trivia: Prior to the party, everyone should come up with 5-10 horror trivia questions. Sit out for the questions you/your household wrote.
• Pictionary: Each household should come up with 5-10 horror prompts for Pictionary.
• Charades: You’ve played charades. You know the drill. Come up with creepy prompts ahead of time.

If you want to watch scary movies with your friends, try using the Netflix Party Chrome Extension to watch something scary together. You can also do a horror film festival by having everyone recommend 1 movie and watching it together and/or having a discussion about it.

And what would a party be without the snacks? Prior to the party, do a recipe exchange with your friends. Make the recipes ahead of time, and then you and your friends can eat the same snacks at the same time! This deviled spider egg recipe won first place at my job’s Halloween recipe contest.

Board Games

If you and your household want to play a creepy game, light some candles and pick up my favorite creepy board game, Betrayal at the House on the Hill. I can’t tell you the objective of the game because it depends on what you roll and what is happening in the game. You’ll need at least 3 players for this.

If your bubble is just one other person, I recommend Dead of Winter, a zombie-survival themed board game. If you play with 2 people, it’s cooperative, but with more than 2, there may be a traitor sabotaging your survival…

Miscellaneous

In the Chicagoland area, some places are doing drive-in haunted houses. Replay in Chicago is doing a drive-in haunted house (haunted car?) experience. In the suburbs, Terror in the Timbers is sure to freak you out. If you’re a big chicken like me, cars are a good way to go to a haunted house while still feeling secure.

A lot of bands, drag queens, and entertainers are doing Halloween/horror live streams. Now this isn’t Halloween related, but because of the pandemic, The Vixen’s Black Girl Magic drag show has gone digital, so you can enjoy amazing performances from your favorite local queens and Ru girls from the comfort of your own couch. You absolutely MUST see a Black Girl Magic show. If you attend any virtual concerts or shows, remember to tip the performers, buy their merch, and boost their content on social media.

This Halloween season is scarier than others, and not in the good way. But we’re all lucky to be here, and we will get through this. Take care of each other, wear a mask, and be kind. Here’s to hoping Halloween 2021 is scary in the usual way.