Seven pandemic-friendly spooks for a haunted Halloween Night

SEVEN PANDEMIC-FRIENDLY SPOOKS FOR A HAUNTED HALLOWEEN NIGHT

As halloween is filled with tricks and treats, giggles and shrieks, it is always extra special. There is no reason why this year should be any different. These are a few Zoom- friendly and socially-distanced ideas to help you celebrate creatively. Most can also be done outside, so take advantage of this, because this Halloween will not only be a full moon — a rarity in itself — but also a blue moon (meaning it is the second full moon in a single month).

Baby Pumpkin Decorating

Grab a couple of inexpensive “baby pumpkins” and some Sharpies at the grocery store, and have fun drawing spooky faces! This activity can easily be done with friends over Zoom or outside.

Halloween Charades

Try this fun twist on the classic game by replacing ordinary prompts (doctor, car, skiing, etc.) with Halloween-themed ones (vampire, cauldron, trick-or-treating, etc.). If you would rather not come up with your own prompts, there are lists available online. You can play outside or over Zoom.

Zoom Costume Contest

Conjure up some friendly competition by throwing together a kooky costume and setting awards such as “funniest,” “most creative” or “most iconic.” Prizes can be anything from candy to bragging rights. Do not worry if you have not had time to get a cool costume or if you want to get festive without too much work, you can raid your closet for a fun mashup, settle for some awesome face paint or decorate a disposable mask. You can find last- minute costume ideas online, too.

Virtual Escape Room

Virtual escape rooms are online interactive puzzles and mysteries that require you and your team to solve a problem in a certain amount of time in order to “escape.” These activities are super fun and quite challenging. Try a classic scenario or search for a

Halloween-themed escape adventure, and invite your friends to join you over the internet. There are some free escape rooms, but most cost between $10 and $20 per person.

Spooky Watchlist

The internet is filled with suggestions for movies and TV shows to get you into the spirit of Halloween. Enjoy with friends over Zoom or, better yet, take your dinner and a blanket outside and find a place to set up your laptop for a night of movies under the full moon.

Treats and Potions

Although we may not be able to share our culinary creations with friends, there are still ways to share the experience. Make and share a video of your attempt to execute a crafty Halloween recipe; you can find great ideas on the internet. Accompany your treats with a fun witch’s brew, which usually involves some fizzy mixture of juice and/or soda though tea is also an option. If you want something easier, grab some pre- made cookie decorating kits at the

grocery store and decorate cookies with friends over Zoom.

Finish the Story

Gather some friends over Zoom or outside and have someone start the story with a Halloween prompt (for example, “On a Dark and Stormy Night”). Then go around the circle and let each person add a sentence that ends with a cliffhanger. By the end of the circle (or Zoom gallery), you will end up with a wacky Halloween tale. You can find spooky prompts by doing a Google search for “Halloween writing prompts” or “Halloween finish the story.” Note that you can do this activity by yourself if you prefer to come up with the whole spooky story on your own.

See? It is not so hard to have an amazing COVID-19-safe Halloween after all. Celebrating Halloween can help alleviate some of the sadness caused by the pandemic. These ideas can help you have fun safely and responsibly. Ghosts and goblins will not be resting on Oct. 31 and neither should you. Happy Halloween!

This article presents opinions held by the author, not those of The Pioneer Log and its editorial board.