Published October 30 2020
Despite the continued need for social distancing, Public Health – Seattle & King County isn’t ruling out trick-or-treating altogether, but there are other safe ways to celebrate. If your kids still really want to trick-or-treat, Public Health has tips for minimizing risk during this unusual time.
The Bellevue Arts Museum has retooled its annual BAM-O-WEEN into BAM-O-WEEN TO GO, offering creepy craft-making kits with contactless pickup outside the museum 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Halloween. Costumes are strongly encouraged! All are welcome, but best suited for kids ages 4-10.
Other alternatives to trick-or-treating include:
- neighborhood costume parades with social distancing
- Halloween scavenger hunts, with Halloween-themed decorations on the list
- virtual costume parties
- candy exchanges with families you know
- spooky movie night or Halloween craft party with the family
If you still want to hand out treats, despite some risk of exposure, Public Health recommends marking spots six feet apart on the way to your door or finding fun ways to hand out candy with distance, such as sliding them out in long tubes or leaving out individual treat bags.
Trick-or-treaters should incorporate the mouth and nose covering kind of mask with whatever other kind they choose, and stay six feet from others. More details are available at PublicHealthInsider.com.
For people who are out at night, here are some safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For drivers:
- Slow down in areas where pedestrians are likely to be or where sight distances are limited;
- Be alert for all road users, but especially watch for pedestrians at night;
- Avoid distracted driving; stay off your cell phone. Do not drink and drive.
For pedestrians:
- Walk on a sidewalk if one is available. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic, as far to the side as safely possible;
- Cross streets with a traffic signal if there is one; make sure traffic has stopped or passed before you step into the street; and
- Consider making yourself more visible, especially at night, by carrying a flashlight and wearing reflective clothing.