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#Post#: 58143--------------------------------------------------
Halloween conundrums.
By: Lilipons Date: September 28, 2020, 10:48 am
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We live in an apartment building that’s a hollow square with a
nicely landscaped courtyard. For many years, we’ve had a
Halloween event for children who live here. Adults really seem
to enjoy it as well.
At about 3PM on the Saturday or Sunday before Halloween,
everyone comes out into the courtyard and the children have a
costume parade around the square. After that, parents and other
residents, many of us in costume, are available to hand out
treats from baskets, buckets or bowls.
Mr. Pons hates ‘Silly things’ but he will wear a chef’s jacket
and a toque for the occasion. He’s also happy to offer treats
from a huge aluminum bowl. I like to wear costumes and have
often dispensed treats from a cauldron.
People in our building have been debating whether or not we
should have the event this year. It costs people only the price
of the treats they choose to buy. Just about everybody who
lives here is in a sort of ‘pod’. No one who
hasn’t got a key can access the courtyard. To my mind, it
should be fine.
What do other people here think?
#Post#: 58146--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: SureJan Date: September 28, 2020, 11:35 am
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I think it would be relatively easy to have the parade with the
kids wearing masks.
For handing out the candy maybe everyone could bring out a stool
or chair to place in front of their "spot" place a bucket of
candy on that and stand behind it? That way you can still
socially distance without losing out on the fun of the
parade/candy.
#Post#: 58147--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: Hmmm Date: September 28, 2020, 12:02 pm
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I agree that it seems like it would be easy to socially
distance.
My initial thought is that people can participate if they
choose. I can see a parent lobbying to have it completely
cancelled if they were in a position of having to be more
conservative in activities. But I think that there should be a
way to have the kids particpate and still stay save.
#Post#: 58149--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: Aleko Date: September 28, 2020, 12:38 pm
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I also think this would be an easy event to do safely, given
that even in an ordinary year the children would mostly be
wearing masks or face coverings of some sort anyway! Let them
parade - and if they have to do it more widely-spaced than
usual, that’s not even a bad thing: each child will be more
clearly seen and have their costume admired. As SureJan says,
the householders can sit behind their pile or bucket of treats
instead of handing them directly to the children, and apart from
that all they’ll need to do differently is find some way of
incorporating a face covering into their costume, if they dress
up.
I think it would be really sad not to do it.
#Post#: 58151--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: Rose Red Date: September 28, 2020, 12:59 pm
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Have the children be six feet apart during the parade. Make a
game with the candy. A candy toss into the children's bags from
six feet away, for example.
#Post#: 58155--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: TootsNYC Date: September 28, 2020, 2:07 pm
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[quote author=Rose Red link=topic=1874.msg58151#msg58151
date=1601315952]
Have the children be six feet apart during the parade. Make a
game with the candy. A candy toss into the children's bags from
six feet away, for example.
[/quote]
That would be fun! But it would involve touching stuff, so maybe
you ask people to wear gloves to handle the candy they'll be
giving to the kids.
#Post#: 58161--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: mime Date: September 28, 2020, 3:09 pm
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Of all the social things that are a struggle to do safely this
year, Halloween feels most do-able!
I still have very close friends (along with my mom) in my
childhood neighborhood, who are all aging. Every year they have
a bonfire in front of a few of the houses, where neighbors
gather and hand out their treats. This year a few of them are
buying pvc to use as chutes, so they will slide candy down the
chute into each kid's bag. They get to keep their distance but
still interact with the neighbors and kids in a really fun
way... Maybe that's an option for you too?
I hope you find a way to make it work!
#Post#: 58162--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: gramma dishes Date: September 28, 2020, 3:32 pm
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[quote author=pjeans link=topic=1874.msg58161#msg58161
date=1601323776]
Of all the social things that are a struggle to do safely this
year, Halloween feels most do-able!
I still have very close friends (along with my mom) in my
childhood neighborhood, who are all aging. Every year they have
a bonfire in front of a few of the houses, where neighbors
gather and hand out their treats. This year a few of them are
buying pvc to use as chutes, so they will slide candy down the
chute into each kid's bag. They get to keep their distance but
still interact with the neighbors and kids in a really fun
way... Maybe that's an option for you too?
I hope you find a way to make it work!
[/quote]
Oh, what a great idea! Fun for both the "chuter" and the
recipient capturing the candy in their container.
#Post#: 58169--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: STiG Date: September 28, 2020, 4:12 pm
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Use long tongs to handle the candy? Have the kids hold their
collecting container out at arms length ands the tongs, at your
arms length to pass out the treats.
There has been a lot of talk in my area that they are going to
strongly recommend that the kids don't go door-to-door. My
husband is a Halloween freak and sets up a haunted house in the
garage. This probably isn't going to work this year - he won't
be able to get the garage cleared out. So we approached a group
to use their building. Set up the haunted house on one side,
tamer on the other for littles and sensory issues and have the
neighbourhood donate their candy there to make up bags for each
kid. They can social distance, waiting in line to go in, and
then go through in family groups or school cohort groups. We're
waiting to find out if it's a go.
#Post#: 58170--------------------------------------------------
Re: Halloween conundrums.
By: Lilipons Date: September 28, 2020, 4:28 pm
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Thanks to everyone, especially Pjeans and STIG.
I’ve seen the treat chutes on Bored Panda and the idea of long
tongs would go perfectly with Mr. Pons’ chef’s outfit.
There are benches arranged around the courtyard so setting up
‘treat stations’ would be easy to do. Usually, the children
reach into the containers and take their own treats. They also
make multiple circuits until everything is gone. The whole
thing takes about an hour. The only thing that might be
different this year would be the lack of chip, dip and wine
stations for the adults. [emoji4]
Whatever you decide to do, I hope you’ll have a safe and fun
Halloween.
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