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Original poster

Any ideas on how to safely hand out Halloween treats?

75 replies

FredaFrogspawn · 28/10/2020 17:22

My dc have grown up but I always enjoy our little visitors at Halloween.

Any thoughts on how I can hand out treats with minimum risk to them and myself? Of course they may not come this year, but in case any do, I’d like to be prepared.

OP posts:
MrsOrMiss · 28/10/2020 18:04

We'll be watching from our window, whenever someone stops at the table at the end of our drive, we're sending a bar of choc down a Sweet Dispensing Cute - length of drain pipe - to the waiting table. Hand sanitizer on the table too. All Covid safe, and with in the law.

Original poster
FredaFrogspawn · 28/10/2020 18:06

Love the idea of a length of drainpipe!

OP posts:
BlackboardMonitorVimes · 28/10/2020 18:13

We are toying with the idea of using a fishing net through the window and making it part of the 'scary'z

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Events & celebrations
OhCaptain · 28/10/2020 18:14

The safest way to do it is not to.

OverTheRubicon · 28/10/2020 18:17

Our local schools have specifically asked people not to do this.

It's not just the handing over of sweets (which by the way is still too close if you are able to hand them over, gloved or not), it's the fact that it encourages congregating on all the streets and people to join in even if they don't do it safely or are vulnerable.

Do decorations by all means, maybe drop off a few small cleaned bags of sweets to kids on the streets if their parents are ok with it, but not trick or treating. Cases are still rising and it's not worth sacrificing Christmas for Halloween.

Rainb0wDrops · 28/10/2020 18:21

Don't do lollipops. My friends 5 year old choked on one when it came off the stick and got lodged in her throat. Paramedics came out and it was a close call. So scary. I still cut up grapes but before that would have allowed lollipops.

WoobyWoo · 28/10/2020 18:21

We’re getting dressed up and going on a soooky walk through the local woods. My mum has ordered the dc cakes so has arranged to leave those outside her house when we let her know we are passing but we won’t be knocking any doors. I’m planning to leave out party bags on our recycling box under the kitchen window just in case but can’t see many people bothering tbh.

LazyLucille · 28/10/2020 18:26

I am dreading it to be honest, I have covid so we are isolating and I am dreading the door knocking all night and having to ignore it.

GuyFawkesHadTheRightIdea · 28/10/2020 18:46

Can I just ask how people think someone handing a child a child a wrapped chocolate bar is any different to a child getting one from the shop where numerous people might have touched it and certainly the cashier on the til?

Bluewavescrashing · 28/10/2020 19:19

If you have covid just put a sign on the door. Not trick or treating, we have the virus. Hope you feel better soon

MrsGatsby99 · 28/10/2020 19:35

Doing the pumpkin trail idea with my DC. Putting poster up in window and won't be answering door this year when at home.

heidipi · 28/10/2020 19:47

GuyFawkes is it not because you and your child are already touching the same things all the time in your household, but you and someone else's child aren't so it's widening the circle of people you are both sharing things with? I don't see how leaving things outside for children to take or dropping them out of a window is any different tbh.

Floralnomad · 28/10/2020 19:54

I fail to understand why people can’t just give it a miss this year , it’s hardly the end of the world . Our county council has requested that people stay in and then some moron on the local FB group linked to the BJ statement about it’s ok to do it if you remember to social distance . Prior to that the consensus seemed to be on a pumpkin trail where the kids get a sweet off their accompanying adult for each pumpkin they spot . Lots of us now will not be putting out a pumpkin for the trail because it will encourage the ‘proper’ trick and treaters to ring the doorbell , which I have no intention of answering .

Mokusspokus · 28/10/2020 19:58

Love these drain pipe idea.

What's the risk here, how to mitigate that risk?

Hopefully on the streets people will distance themselves. Hopefully people at the door will be wear a mask.

The other hot spot is the household giving out the sweets if they have covid. So safe handling of the sweets inside the the house, safe transferred to outside then, safely collected should be fine.

Unfortunately some people are organising things without looking at the whole chain of transmission points.

Love the lollies in the pumpkin idea to.

I'm not sure what to do, I really don't fancy letting dd collect sweets if they have not been handled by someone else with scrupulous washing and masks...

MrsWhites · 28/10/2020 20:01

I won’t be taking my children to other people’s doors nor will I be opening mine to children. I don’t want to sound miserable but if we all keep trying to find ways to get around the guidelines we’ll never get out of these lockdowns!

Avery7 · 28/10/2020 20:04

If parents and children come to your door, they aren't going to be worried about Covid.

Yeah exactly, I'm just going to drop a few sweets into each kid's bucket.

AldiAisleofCrap · 28/10/2020 20:06

It’s a nice idea but one child being happy at getting sweets isn’t a fair exchange for another child loosing their granny.
Children can trick or treat at home, parents can drive round the neighbourhood pumpkin trails and give out sweets in the car, and play games and watch hocus locus from the safety of their home.

AldiAisleofCrap · 28/10/2020 20:08

@Avery7 *
If parents and children come to your door, they aren't going to be worried about Covid.

Yeah exactly, I'm just going to drop a few sweets into each kid's bucket.
Maybe not but the vulnerable person one of the parents is on the bus with several days later may care very much!

sqirrelfriends · 28/10/2020 20:14

I don't know why people can't just give it a miss this year. Is it really worth the risk?

Jigglypuffler · 28/10/2020 20:14

Another one on the don't do it side. Breaking these kind of 'traditions' (that are quite frankly often unnecessary and overcommercialised) is not a bad thing. I've told my 6yo that he isn't going, he understands why, job done.

RedskyAtnight · 28/10/2020 20:37

If parents and children come to your door, they aren't going to be worried about Covid.

People that aren't worried about spreading Covid are precisely the ones that I would rather not have coming to my door tbh.

Redglitter · 28/10/2020 20:40

The area i stay in is doing the Pumpkin trail and everyone is agreed that there won't be any guising this year. You might find you don't get any/many this year

happymummy12345 · 28/10/2020 20:55

There isn't a way. Just don't do it.
Will be the same as every year for me. I hate Halloween and hate trick or treating even more. I never join in and will never ever take my child begging knocking on doors for sweets or money. I ignore the door if it goes as well. Not hard at all

harridan50 · 28/10/2020 20:59

Just dont do it please just dont
A nurse

CraftyGin · 28/10/2020 21:00

@FredaFrogspawn

My dc have grown up but I always enjoy our little visitors at Halloween.

Any thoughts on how I can hand out treats with minimum risk to them and myself? Of course they may not come this year, but in case any do, I’d like to be prepared.

Just don’t do it. No one needs Hallowe’en treats.