by Krystle Gard, PCD

Originally published last year in NW Kids Magazine, this article has been adapted for 2021.

Halloween is our family’s favorite holiday. And it’s even on a weekend this year!

But what does Halloween look like during a pandemic? Here are my tips for creating a pandemic-safe yet thrilling countdown to Halloween – with these tips, you can either celebrate all week with a couple of activities each day, or  create one big bash on Halloween that your kids will never forget

• Monday, Oct 25

  • Make “Halloween Snowflakes” to decorate your windows - bonus if you make a few extra (or repurpose the not-quite-perfect snowflakes) for Tuesday’s craft.

• Tuesday, Oct 26

  • Get out paper, markers, stickers and other art supplies to make Halloween cards for hospitalized kids or a local senior center. (Ideas here).

• Wednesday, Oct. 27

  • Pumpkin carving and roasting pumpkin seeds. 

• Thursday, Oct. 28

  • Make baked pumpkin doughnuts and watch a Halloween movie.

• Friday, Oct. 29

  • Face painting with watercolor crayons, make witches’ slime and play Halloween bingo with candy corn.

• Saturday, Oct 30

  • Make monster cookies and read Halloween books.

• Sunday, Oct. 31

  • Halloween: pumpkin pizza from Papa Murphy’s, Halloween Music Dance Party with costumes, Candy Piñata and Candy Hunt (like an Easter egg hunt without the eggs!).

Dance Party Songs

“Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley

“Monster Mash” — Bobby (Boris) Pickett

“I Put a Spell On You” — Bette Midler

“Thriller” — Michael Jackson

“Ghostbusters” Theme — Ray Parker Jr.

“This Is Halloween” — The Citizens of Halloween (or anything from Nightmare Before Christmas Sound track) 

“Time Warp” — Little Nell, Patricia Quinn, & Richard O’Brien

“The Addams Family” Theme — Vic Mizzy

“Halloween Sharks” by Pinkfong

(or add the Halloween Station to your stations on Spotify or Pandora)

Halloween Week Movie Recommendations

Toddler:

• Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest

• Room on the Broom

• Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie

• Super Monsters Save Halloween

6+:

• It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

• The Nightmare Before Christmas

• Hotel Transylvania 

• Casper

• Toy Story of Terror

• Hocus Pocus

• Monster House 

• Goosebumps

• Addams Family

Krystle Gard is a Certified Postpartum Doula with Bridgetown Baby. She lives and parents in the Tigard/Beaverton area. Krystle enjoys baking and cooking with her three boys ages 9 and 6, but enjoys cooking for new and growing families most of all.