How To Trick-Or-Treat In An Apartment Community During Covid-19

Trick-or-treating is a beloved pastime, and nowhere is it more classic than in New England. But this year, Covid-19 has both children and parents worried about how Halloween will proceed. Kids will be so disappointed if they don’t get to wear their costumes and trick or treat while adults are concerned about social distancing in an apartment community. Following these tips can help residents to have a happy and safer Halloween this year.

Wear A Mask

A child in a Darth Vader costume holding a light saber

 According to the CDC wearing a face covering is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection. Since you’ll be going around to your neighbor’s homes, protective masks are an absolute necessity. They lend themselves perfectly to medical costumes, but if you child wants to be Darth Vader he will need to wear a typical social distancing mask under his helmet.

Take Safe & Hygienic Precautions 

Aside from masks, bring sanitizer with you! Your kids will be knocking on all the doors, riding elevators, touching hand rails and putting their hands in their mouths if they’re younger. Be sure to sanitize consistently throughout your Halloween route and make a point to thoroughly wash your child’s hands before and after trick-or-treating.

Your Door Says It All 

An empty staircase and closed off entrance of a home without candy on halloween

If you’re staying home this Halloween, your apartment door will say volumes about your holiday participation (or lack there of).  

Trick-or-Treaters Welcome 

Decorating your door is a sure sign to kids that you’re handing out candy. Put pumpkins outside your door or go all out with a haunted apartment theme. You can even have music playing in your apartment—cue Monster Mash!— so people know you’re home even if the door is decorated.  

PURPLE PUMPKINS! 
This is the universal symbol for Halloween this year that a home is participating in trick-or-treating this year. Put a purple pumpkin outside your door to let your neighbors know they can come to you for treats. Painting a real pumpkin purple is a great alternative activity to messy jack-o-lanterns you can do with your kids.  

purple cyclops painted pumpkin

No Trick-or-Treating Here 

It’s perfectly understandable if a person chooses to social distance and not to participate in giving out candy this year. The easiest way to deter trick-or-treaters from coming to your door is to hang a different kind of decoration: a sign. These can be as festive or simple as you like, but the message should be clear 

Try some of these festive messages on your apartment door:

Halloween poem
Halloween poem
Halloween poem

Food Safety In An Apartment Community 

Halloween jackolantern containers full of candy

The residents in your community are your friends and neighbors but you should always take precautions on Halloween. 

If giving out goodies for Halloween, be sure to only distribute pre-packaged candy and snacks. While you might babysit the kids on the 3rd floor every weekend, baking them cookies for Halloween will be faux pas this year given the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it may be a safe idea to never allow children to take un-packaged foods from a person they don’t know well. By that same token, it may be a good idea for parents to inspect everything in the trick-or-treat haul for opened packages, items that contain food allergies and sharp objects. 

Still want to participate but don’t want to hand out candy this year? You’re not alone. Non-edible Halloween handouts are going to be all the rage So get creative and skip the chocolate. Give out glow sticks, scratch-n-sniff stickers or spider rings this year! 

Make Trick-or-Treating Halloween Event #1  

Hocus Pocus movie poster

Apartment communities make for easy & quick trick-or-treating. You’ll probably have the whole community covered in just about an hour, so make this the first Halloween even of the evening for your child. After they’ve gone door-to-door around the community, be sure to check their candy and then have a Halloween themed, apartment-friendly meal for dinner. Once dinner is over, it’s time to get the popcorn ready because what would be a better way to end the day than with a Halloween movie? Choose a classic favorite like Hocus Pocus or The Little Vampire for the whole family to enjoy.

Best of all, you can do this if you want to have a small gathering of people over your apartment for Halloween festivities. Get dressed up and enjoy spooky themed dishes. Maybe even do the Time Warp!

Try these to make your Halloween a blast! 

Halloween decorations at the front entrance

Spooky & Delicious Recipes: 
Witches Hair Pasta by Sprinkles & Sprouts
Martha Stewart’s Sinister Guacamole

The Perfect Kids Halloween “Party”  
DIY Halloween Gifts, Crafts & Costumes by Gift Ideas For All
DIY Genie Costume by Crafty Little Gnome 

Fun Decorations:  
Simple & Creative Decorations by Style Fashion
Gnome Craft Decoration by Home Sweet Gnome 
Halloween Terrarium by Crafty Little Gnome

Garden Communities CT are wonderful homes for those in every stage of their life. First time renters find peace and freedom here. Families have a safe and spacious place to raise their children. Young professionals have the ideal setup to launch their careers. And active adults have a comfortable neighborhood with like-minded people. Whatever your reason for moving into an apartment community, we have the lifestyle you’ve been longing for.