Halloween holds a special place in the annals of McCrea’s Candies’ history. It was this holiday that helped jumpstart the company. Jason was cooking scary amounts of candy after a layoff. He had concocted a frightfully good caramel and delivered it to a neighbor’s daughter who was in a full-body cast and unable to go trick-or-treating. It was a hit. And the rest is history. We never miss a Halloween around here!
This year, the convergence of a full moon, daylight savings and Saturday celebrations will make Halloween 2020 one to remember. However, door-to-door trick-or-treating may be discouraged or canceled. Crowded costume parties are risky. And indoor haunted houses are chancy. It seems, the biggest scare this Halloween will be the ominous presence of Covid-19.
But there’s no need to hallow-scream. You can still have a memorable fright-night. We’ve scared up a host of safe ideas that will help you keep the spooky spirits of the holiday alive and make it a real treat for the whole family. After all, ghouls just want to have fun.
Zoom Party – invite everyone to park their brooms and jump on this conferencing app. Connect with family and friends by hosting a virtual costume contest. Prizes given for the best of the best. Or tell scary stories. Have someone read a few short stories or take turns by adding on a sentence or two to create an all-encompassing tale of terror.
Virtual Mask Making – drop off the needed items on participants front porch a few days ahead of time then gather virtually to create masks both sweet and scary.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt – take a page from the Easter Bunny. Set up a candy and treat filled quest. Got littles? Simply hide the sweets. (McCrea’s pillow boxes are just the right size to hide throughout the house). If you’re creating a hunt for older kids, think about a clue-filled expedition that takes them from room to room. Use codes, rebuses, cryptic clues and cyphers to lead them on a scary chase.
Neighborhood Pumpkin Carving Contest – have everyone on the block decorate a pumpkin, take photos and submit to Instagram or another social site. Vote on favorites and drop off prizes to the winner’s porch. Try a fang-tasticly big lawn sign for community bragging rights!
Monster Movie Marathon – stock up a popcorn and snacks, snuggle in, and choose your favorites. Our Halloween Spooky Treats Gift Box is the perfect accompaniment. Let the ghoul times roll!
Booing Nights – Surprise your neighbors. Sneak a bag of treats and instructions on your neighbor's doorstep and encourage them to repeat the game for two other families. This ritual has been on the rise in recent years and is perfect for Halloween 2020.
Dress up for Dinner – create the ultimate Halloween feast by serving terrifyingly tasty tidbits. Have everyone come in costume. Host a themed evening or let everyone wear their favorite. Challenge kids to create a costume by only using items around the house (old clothes and some dirt make for a great zombie; an apron plus cooking utensils makes for a great chef). Eat, drink and be scary!
Conduct a Candy Taste Test – McCrea’s Candies Flavor Family box is perfect for this. It comes with a downloadable tasting guide and has nine different flavors for you to try. Or have fun tasting all of the seasonal options that candy makers produce this time of year. Try it blindfolded and see who can correctly guess the most.
Decorate the Yard – Keep the spirt of the holiday alive and well. Trick-or-treating may be out, but who says that decorating for Halloween must be as well. Go ahead and pull out your chilling and fright-filled décor and go crazy. This is the year to really take it over the top. If you’ve got it, haunt it!
Make Trick-or-Treating Safe – If the holiday is still happening in your neck of the woods, there are many ways to hand out treats from a safe distance. Pre-package treats and place among Halloween decor you’ve set up on the lawn or get really fancy and deliver your treats via slide or zipline! Note: this is a great way to deliver adult beverage as well. Most parents are in it for the “boos” after all!
No matter how you spend it, we hope you and your family have a boo-tiful Halloween night.