This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Iowa chapter.
As we all know, COVID-19 has made it hard to gather with friends and family without the looming fear of catching the virus or putting others at risk. Though I wish I could find a cure for COVID-19 and all of the stress and emotions that have accompanied this pandemic, I think the next best thing to lift our spirits is some Halloween fun! Although I wish it were still socially acceptable for a 19-year-old to go trick or treating, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween with your friends. Here are 6 ways to safely celebrate this Halloween season!
Get your Pinterest boards and DIY hands ready because it’s time to redecorate your room/apartment! Redecorating your room is a perfect socially distant activity because it involves only yourself (and whoever else you reside with if you want some help) while also forcing you to organize your room before completely transforming it. Some decorating suggestions include:
String lights (who says lights have to be just for Christmas time?): Get some fun orange lights or whatever color your heart desires and hang them around your room, in a hallway, a balcony, or cover the outside of your house for all to see!
Cobwebs and spiders: Cobwebs can get a bit messy and are easy to get caught on, but they are a super-easy way to fill wall space. Get some small cheap spiders from the dollar store or a few large ones to throw onto the webs to complete this eerie look.
Pumpkins: Although I mention pumpkin carving later in this article, it needs to be included in this section as well, as it is the quintessential Halloween decoration. Carving real pumpkins can be super fun, and they look adorable outside on your porch. However, for a more long-term decoration that won’t rot, I would recommend buying some cute fake pumpkins for the interior of your home.
If you’re anything like me, you spent your quarantine trying to find new shows to binge on Netflix even though you’ve already seen most of them. Despite watching the same classic movies every Halloween, they still manage to put me in a good mood every time. You can make your movie night COVID-friendly by using Netflix Party! All you have to do is download the Netflix Party extension on chrome and start a party. Any friends/family with Netflix can join your party and watch the movie with you. There’s even a group chat feature so you can talk about the movie while you’re watching it and spoil it for the people who haven’t seen it yet! (Just kidding, please don’t be the person who spoils the movie for everyone else). Some classic Halloween movies on Netflix right now include The Adams Family, Carrie, Insidious, Silence of the Lambs, The Haunting of Hill House (I highly recommend this series), The Autopsy of Jane Doe, and many more horror movies that I will be watching with the lights on!
As I said earlier, carving pumpkins is one of my favorite Halloween traditions. Even though my final product never turns out like my original design, I love to see my family’s pumpkins all lined up and lit on our front porch. If you and your friends are looking for a way to spice up your next zoom party, each person can grab a pumpkin and carve away while socializing with friends. Feel free to carve your pumpkins on camera so your friends can make fun of the terrible carving job you are doing (real friends tease each other) or carve the pumpkin off camera so you can have a pumpkin reveal at the end of the night to see who carved the best pumpkin!
If you aren’t tired of all the baking you most likely did over quarantine, Halloween is the perfect time for homemade sweets! While the Pillsbury sugar pumpkin cookies are a personal favorite of mine, there are so many creative ways to decorate your desserts. I’ve linked some cute and easy Halloween treats for you to try this year!
Even if we can’t physically be with people in these times, dropping off a cute goodie bag is a way to show your friends that you are thinking of them! Grab their favorite candies, a cute Halloween mug, a fall scented candle, a cute koozie, some Halloween socks, and you’re all good to go! Make sure you have a secure drop off location where you can keep your distance (and throwing in some hand sanitizer is never a bad idea)! P.S Any baked goods from idea #4 would make a great goodie bag gift. I’m just saying.
This last one is for all my TikTok lovers out there. For those who don’t know, there is a TikTok trend going around where you and a few friends take pictures with sheets over your head like ghosts. I am providing a sample TikTok below, as well as some pictures that resulted from the photoshoot. This is a great way to get out of the house and spend time with friends (while socially distancing and wearing masks whenever possible!) Plus, the resulting pics will definitely make your Instagram stand out.
There’s no denying that Halloween will look a lot different this year, but there are still so many ways to celebrate the holiday, take in the fall weather, and enjoy some time with friends and family (even if it is virtual)! Hopefully, this post gave you some fun ideas and if you happen to try any of them- tag us @hercampusiowa
