7 Covid-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Halloween

Like everything else, Halloween is a bit different this year with Covid restrictions in place. However, there are lots of ways to still keep it fun for kids. Today, I am sharing ideas a few ideas for social distanced (Covid-friendly) Halloween fun!

1) Safe trick or treating - Some people are not comfortable with trick or treating this year, but for those that are, social distancing and proper hygiene are extremely important. People who are handing out treats should sanitize their hands between visitors and keep high touch areas (such as door handles) clean. Trick or treats should try not to gather in large groups, and they should wash their hands before heading out and when they return home.

Having pre-packaged bags of treats (that prevent several kids from touching the same treats) is a great idea too. How cute are these gloves full of goodies? You can even print off a "punny" sign for free here.

2) Decorate - Investing some extra time decorating this year is a fantastic idea. And if you want to get the whole neighbourhood involved, you can opt for a house, window, or door decorating competition. 

It's fun decorating, but driving or walking around looking at other family's decorations is enjoyable too!

3) Halloween movie night - A festive movie night at home is a simple, covid-friendly way to celebrate Halloween. You can find my favourite treat idea and Halloween movie choices here.

4) "Boo" the neighbours - My boys have been "booing" the neighbours since 2011, and it's a perfect activity for this year. Fun treats... and no contact required. Find the full instructions and free printable sheets here.

5) Carve pumpkins, eat the seeds, and make some magic - Carving pumpkins is a tradition in most families, but don't forget to cook the seeds and plant a few to create some magic!

Find a few pumpkin carving ideas here.

Cook the seeds. (To roast pumpkin seeds: clean and pat them dry, spread on a cookie sheet, drizzle with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 300 for approximately 45 minutes... stirring occasionally.) 

Plant a few "magic" pumpkin seeds. Find out how to create the magic here.

6) Play Halloween Bingo or go on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt - Playing games on Zoom or going on an outdoor scavenger hunt is a great way to celebrate this year. You can create your own games, or you can download the scavenger hunt I designed (for free) here.

7) Costume Contest and Parade - DIYing costumes, and showing them off in the neighbourhood is the best way to celebrate Halloween. Organizing a parade or costume party is a wonderful covid-friendly option this year. Check out my 25 FAVOURITE no-sew DIY costume ideas here.

There are many covid-friendly ways to celebrate Halloween this year, but these are 7 of my favourite options. What will you be doing on October 31?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can also find more frightfully fun Halloween ideas here.

Halloween Family Movie Night... with skeleton party tray and family friendly Halloween movie suggestions

I love a themed movie night, don't you? You can put up elaborate decoration and make a bunch of fancy snacks, or you can keep it simple with a Halloween snack tray, some popcorn and a great Halloween movie. Today, I am sharing everything you need to plan an easy, inexpensive and fun Halloween family movie night.

When it comes to movie night, you need a variety of fun snacks. I love the idea of creating a simple Halloween snack tray, don't you? I picked up this silver tray at the dollar store, I laid out a skeleton (that I also found at the dollar store), and covered it all with Halloween candy. Fun, right?

And you'll need a family friend movie too, right? Of course, different movies are appropriate for different ages, so you'll need to do some research, but here are a few fun, family-friendly Halloween movie options.

Note: I have included some links that will allow you to purchase these movies easily at a great price. These are affiliate links, so if you use them, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!


1) Hocus Pocus

2) Halloweentown (and its sequel)

3) Hotel Transylvania (and its sequels)

4) Casper

5) Beetlejuice

Do you have a favourite Halloween movie? Did it make my list? I hope you take the time to make a simple Halloween snack tray and watch a family friendly Halloween movie with your friends and family this year. Happy Halloween!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more ideas for easy and inexpensive Halloween fun here.

Halloween Candy Alternatives Kids Will LOVE... including lots of free printable tags

No child should feel left out at Halloween, so it's important to have some candy-free, allergy-safe Halloween treat options available for trick-or-treaters. I love finding fun trinkets and packaging them in a cute way, and today I am sharing some of my favourite options (and free printable tags) with you.

1) Halloween "Booo"bles - These adorable (free) printable tags transform boring bubbles into a fun Halloween treat. Find the tags and details here.

2) Halloween Straws - How cute are these Halloween straws that can be packaged with these adorable "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" tags? Perfect when you want to be allergy friendly! You can download the free printable tags here.

3) "Fang"tastic Treats - These treats (and their cute packaging) are wonderful additions to a class Halloween party. They are perfect when you want to be sugar-free and allergy-friendly! You can download the free printable tags here.

4) Eyeball Treats - The super-cute packaging and tags make these the perfect treat to share with friends on Halloween. Everyone can enjoy them because they are allergy-friendly! You can find out all the details and download the tags for free here.

5) Funny glasses (sugar-free) Halloween Treat - It's always great to have a non-food Halloween treat option... and these silly glasses are fantastic. You can download the FREE printable gift tags here.

6) Halloween play dough kit - This adorable treat includes a package of orange Kool Aid, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a recipe for homemade Halloween play dough.  Click here to download the free printable playdough recipe gift tag.

7) Mazes - This little "maze" game is inexpensive and sure to be a hit with little ones.  You can download the "I think you are an a'MAZING' friend" free printable gift tag here. 

8) Googly eye glasses - These silly glasses are sure to make little ones giggle.  You can download the free "'Eye' am lucky to have a friend like you" bag toppers here.

10) Pictures with pencils or little toys - Add a personal touch by attaching little gifts to photos.  You can find all the "how to" details here.

11) Tic Tac Toe game - This tic tac toe board is definitely more "treat" than "trick".  You can download the tic tac toe boards {for free} here. 

12) Playdough Treats - These party favours / Halloween treats are perfect for sharing because they are allergy safe and sugar free. You can download the "punny" tags for free here.

With these candy-free treat options, you are going to be the most popular house on the block. They make perfect Halloween class treats too. Happy Halloween!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE "FANGtastic" Halloween ideas here.)

Halloween Cookie Decorating Kit... with free printable tags

Isn't everything cute in a mason jar? I am absolutely in love with these adorable Halloween Cookie Decorating Kits. Today, I am sharing all the easy DIY details and the FREE printable tags that I designed.

To make a Halloween cookie decorating kit for someone special: place two or three homemade cookies at the bottom of a wide-mouthed mason jar, add a condiment container filled with icing, and add a condiment container filled with Halloween sprinkles or candy. Then, cut a piece of felt for the top of the jar, glue a spider to the top, and add a tag using a piece of twine.

This cookie decorating kit is perfect for parents or grandparents to make for their kids or grandkids. It's also a fun gift to make for neighbours and friends.

To download the tags I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 picture.

For our jars, we used my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe and some chocolate icing with a little bit of black food colouring.

These mason jar cookie kits are super-easy to make and share. It's fun putting the kits together, and even more fun decorating and eating the cookies.

Who would you like to decorate Halloween cookies with? It's a wonderful way to spend some time together before the kids head out on October 31st.

Happy Halloween!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find MORE easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

"HAND"ful of Candy... Halloween treats with free printable sign

Sometimes simple ideas are the best, and the Halloween treat bag I am sharing with you today could not be easier to make. You are going to love this easy and inexpensive Halloween treat idea that is perfect to make for your kids, friends, neighbours, and trick-or-treaters. I'm also sharing a cute piece of DIY Halloween decor that you can download for FREE!

To make these 'HAND'y treat bags, you'll need some plastic or latex gloves and a bunch of candy. Something to stick in the fingers is key. Rockets work well.

Then, you just fill the glove with treats and tie the top closed with a piece of curling ribbon. That's it!

To add a bit of extra fun, I designed this "punny" sign to sit beside my treat bags. You can download it for free, and print it really inexpensively at your local copy store. To download this 'HAND'y sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

Doesn't the sign look cute in an inexpensive dollar store frame? It really makes the bags of treats look extra special.

The Halloween treats are simple enough to make for your kids and/or trick-or-treaters, but they would be great for a Halloween party too. Who doesn't love a simple and fun DIY? 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.)

Halloween Teacher Treat Ideas

If you have a SPOOKtacular teacher in your life, you should get him/her a fun and unique Halloween treat. A simple treat with a "punny" tag is perfect. Today, I am sharing two easy and inexpensive ways to thank your favourite teacher for always giving you a helping hand... and I'm including free printable gift tags too!

This year, I found this adorable witch hand candle holder at the dollar store for only $4! I love the green hands and the purple nail polish, don't you? It's adorable with the addition of a flameless candle.

I added these adorable "Thanks for always being there to give me a helping hand." tags. You can download the tags I designed for free by: clicking on the picture below, right-clicking, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Doesn't it look cute all wrapped up with cellophane and curling ribbon?

You can also use the tags to give a few edible goodies to your favourite educator. Fill a plastic or latex glove with candies, mini chocolate bars and trinkets, and add the tag to create a 'HAND'ful of treats. See what I did there?

What yummy and/or fun treats will you be sharing with your child's teacher this Halloween? I love these simple ideas, and they would be a great thank you gift for any helpful person in your life.

Happy Halloween!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE easy and inexpensive ideas for Halloween here.)