There is no doubt that COVID-19 casts a shadow on Halloween this year. How you choose to celebrate it this year is 100% the right decision for your family and one informed by your local government.

In a recent survey, by Treat Accessibly, that asked if Halloween was next month would your home hand out candy, 84% said yes they would participate, but they would celebrate it differently in light of COVID-19.

By following Treat Accessibly CURB-SIDE Tips for making your home accessible this Halloween, you are also making it a safer experience in light of COVID-19.

In a recent CTV News segment, a Canadian infectious disease expert shared that “for anyone looking to host people, doing it outside is key.” The likelihood of transmitting the novel coronavirus while outside is “very, very low”.

Treat Accessibly Tips

ou can help make Halloween accessible for everybody!

While COVID-19 has created a new barrier for all families to celebrate trick-or-treating. Lets rally to create an accessible and safer experience for all our kids this year.

If we work together for our kids we can help Halloween happen.

Here are some tips on how you can make your home accessible and CURB-SIDE safer:
 

HANDING OUT CANDY? ACCESSIBLE TIPS FOR HOME OWNERS:

• Place an Accessible Trick or Treating sign on your front lawn one week before Halloween (follow @TreatAccessibly for updates on where to get a sign near you).

• Create a trick-or-treating station at end of your driveway 

• Clear driveway and pathways

• Make sure the path to your trick-or-treating area is well lit

• Refrain from the use of strobe lights

• Move cars out of the driveway to allow better accessibility for trick-or- treaters

• Make sure any pets are kept safely away from the front of the house

• While our Treat Accessibly lawn signs are recyclable, we hope you store sign with the rest of your Halloween decor and celebrate accessibly every year

COVID-SAFER SUGGESTIONS: FOR HOME OWNERS HANDING OUT CANDY:

• Setting up your station at the end of your driveway supports outdoor social distancing 

• Wear a face mask, similar to how you would when shopping

• Only handle the candy or other treats your distributing with gloves and hand it out directly from the bulk box or bag you purchased at the store

• Don’t leave out self-serve candy or treat bowls

• Draw temporary chalk lines on your driveway leading to your trick-or-treat station, 2-metres apart, to help kids and parents approach your trick-or-treating station in a way that’s familiar to when they check-out at a store.

COVID-SAFER SUGGESTIONS: FOR ADULTS TAKING KIDS TRICK-OR-TREATING:

• Approach the experience similar to going grocery shopping, be mindful of social-distancing and bottlenecks at trick-or-treating stations. Be patient, take advantage of the time to share a story or two with your neighbours

• Sanitize yours and your children’s hands often or provide your children with sanitizer to do themselves

• Wear a face mask, similar to how you would when shopping

• Sanitize all candy when you get home or let it sit safely somewhere for a few hours before enjoying

• If your children are trick-or-treating without you this year, maybe reconsider and go with them or take the time to share responsible trick-or-treating practices listed above and why it is so important for everyone.