Are you thinking of handing out candy for Halloween this year or taking your kids out trick-or-treating? Read below to find out how you can have a safe, and fun Halloween evening!
It’s important to be mindful of who you are trick-or-treating with this year. Here’s what Dr. Bonnie Henry has suggested, “what I would say is – it depends a little bit on your own situation in your community. Keep it local, keep it small. Keep small groups and if you do want to have that trick-or-treating experience for children – very small groups.”
A good idea is to head out to collect candy with a few children your kids are already in contact with on a day to day basis, this will help reduce big groups of children going to different homes together to stock up on candy – and remember that being in groups of 6 or less includes both parents and children. Make a note to also keep your space when approaching homes to receive your candy – you should be keeping your distance and allowing for the kids ahead of yours to finish getting their candies before approaching.
Be mindful of who is, or is not participating in giving out candy this Halloween. A great way to identify which houses are participating is if their porch light is on. If the porch light is off, do not approach the house as they are trying to protect you or themselves – trick-or-treat safely!!
Speaking of safety, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) recommends washing your hands before leaving the house, and when arriving home. It is also a great idea to carry hand sanitizer during your evening endeavours. The CDC has stated that each treat does not need to be washed or sanitized before being handled, instead they urge washing hands before and after handling the treats. Both trick-or-treaters and candy givers are also urged to wear a mask during any trick or treat interaction. Thankfully, masks are a great way to add to a Halloween costume! If your costume doesn’t already include a face covering, consider purchasing some disposable ones and decorating it to suit your costume!
Dr. Srinivas Murthy, an infectious disease expert at the University of B.C has urged parents to be mindful of their child costume and has reminded us “that non-medical masks should not be doubled up or layered with a costume mask as it can make it difficult for children to breathe as they walk from house to house”.
Now when it comes to actually handing out candy, if the weather permits it – try handing out candy outside at the bottom of your porch or curb-side. Being in an open environment is a great way to reduce transmission and keep everyone safe. It also ensures that kids won’t need to touch your door handle and doorbell. If you can’t be outside, remember to use a disinfectant to wipe down these surfaces between trick-or-treat guests.
If you haven’t picked up your candy yet, this year is a great time to get creative on how you can hand out goodies, whether you want to build a candy slide down your porch, or use props like crab claws and tongs or place your treats on a baking tray! The aim is to reduce kids putting their hands in bowls or buckets of candy and to create a physically distanced way to hand out the candy by keeping 2 metres away from each other.
Wondering what type of candy to give out? If you are staying home and handing out candy this year, be mindful when purchasing your treats. Make sure all treats are sealed and individually pre-packaged. It is important to try to limit the handling of the treats before handing them out.
I hope this information was helpful! If you’re looking for more information on how to safely enjoy your Halloween head to the CDC information page.