Some families are hacking Halloween with the “Candy Chute,” the scary zip Line and other fun do-it-yourself contactless delivery systems.
Spooky drones are going to drop off disinfected clear plastic bags with candy. Stylish back yards are turning into scavenger hunting grounds. Public parks are opening for horror movie screenings and drive-thru hunts.
“We bought a lot of glow in the dark items so doing it with flashlights all over the house and my kids are really looking forward to it,” said Bertha Flores, a mother of two, adding “We also got a piñata because Halloween without candy is not Halloween.”
There are some wicked advantages for parents this year: It is the first Halloween on a weekend since 2015 and the first one with a full moon since 2001.
Epidemiologists are asking parents to avoid in-person Halloween festivities and the U.S. Centers for Disease and Protection issued guidelines for Halloween and El Dia De Los Muertos celebrations discouraging traditional trick-or-treating and crowds.
And while the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to host virtual costume parties, the Florida Department of Health recommends open-air costume parades. Catherine Lopez said she is planning an afternoon of Halloween baking and decorating cookies.
“My husband and I are going to perform in a play for them. My son is going through an insect phase, so we are making it about spiders,” Lopez said. “I would have never imagined doing something like that, but we are using an audiobook with the lights off, and hopefully he will have fun. These things are just about making happy memories.