Boo! This year has been quite the scare.

Like many holidays and celebrations in 2020, Halloween is sure to look different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who plan on doling out candy for their neighborhood ghosts and goblins, consider these ideas for a safer way to accommodate trick-or-treaters.

Arrange candy outside

The CDC is recommending “one-way trick-or-treating” this year for those still partaking in Halloween. Rather than having children ring the doorbell, arrange candy outside in advance for curbside pick-up. This way, children can visit your house for treats in a contact-free manner.

Instead of the traditional candy bowl, consider filling small bags with a few pieces of candy and lining them up on the front steps or driveway. These Halloween goodie bags mean you can stay inside the house and trick-or-treaters avoid the germs that come with rifling through a communal bowl.

Get creative

Have extra string lying around? Create a zipline – perfect for transporting contact-free confections – from your front door to the sidewalk. Or, if you love a good engineering challenge, encourage neighbors to a friendly competition to see who can build the most creative system for delivering candy.

Put out hand sanitizer

If accessible, place a hand sanitizer bottle with a pump-top outside to encourage neighbors to clean their hands in passing.

If your house won’t be participating in trick or treating this year, you can still enjoy the holiday by:

•      Decorating the house’s exterior with creepy, crawly and festive décor.

•     Carving or painting pumpkins.

•      Watching scary movies.

•      Enjoying Halloween treats, like pudding “dirt” cups, candy corn and, of course, your favorite pieces of candy.

Written by RE/MAX News