Socially Distant Halloween Party Tips

Still want to throw a small, socially distant Halloween party but not sure how to make it work? The “in” thing is to have it outdoors- plenty of heaters, a bonfire, and warm clothes + masks help make this happen. Here are a few ideas that can keep kids feel connected without getting too close.

Spooky Socially Distant Snacks

Gone are the days where you can put out a bowl of communal chips and dip and call it a party. These days, snacks need to be individually packaged, and many parents are concerned about allergies. My solution is to have individual snacks whose ingredient list is short and simple. You can create a “treat tree” and hang applesauce pouches and bags of snacks from the branches.

Either buy a pre-made tree or spray paint some branches black and prop up in a weighted pail. I found this tree for $1.99 at Goodwill and with a little black spray paint transformed it into something haunted forest-worthy.

GoGo squeeZ came out with Halloween-themed packaging, which makes it easier for you- no need to decorate (I found them at Target). If you have older kids, grab the GoGo Big squeeZ– they are 33% bigger than the existing fruit pouches. Add a  tie to the twist cap and hang on your treat tree.

And how easy is THIS?

Create “pumpkins” from Goldfish crackers! There is a reason daycare and preschools serve these tasty treats- EVERYONE loves them and few are allergic to their ingredients. Just buy clear treat bags, draw a Jack o’ Lantern face on with a permanent marker. Tie on the top and hang on the tree!

Boo-tiful Individual Beverages

Punch bowls are NOT a good idea- one sneeze and your beverage choice is toast. Individual beverages are best. Jones Soda makes a yummy Orange Cream Soda that has zero caffeine (ahem, ’cause kids hopped up on sugar don’t need a caffeine high). Add a cute themed straw or ones made from paper and you are good to go! You can also pour into fun cups and top with whipped cream.

Socially Distant Monster Ice Scream Sundaes

What could be better than an ice cream sundae? A DIY MONSTER Ice Scream Sundae! Give kids a pint of ice cream and all of the creepy toppings to make their own MONSTER ice scream sundae. Kids love to personalize, and this can count as an activity and dessert. Nightfood has cartons of ice cream with monsters on them to keep with the theme, and you can portion out scary candies into individual condiment cups with lids. Raspberry jam becomes monster blood.

Since Nightfood is a relatively new product, I wanted to make sure it tasted good and wasn’t just cute packaging. I tried their Cookies n’ Dreams and Midnight Chocolate flavors and this ice cream craver gives them two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Their ice cream is formulated with fewer calories, less fat, and lower sugar as well as more protein, more fiber, and a lower glycemic index. Overall, this is a smarter way to cure the ice cream cravings at night. It doesn’t contain sleep-inducing drugs or sleep aids, just a delicious way to eat a little healthier before bed. You can find it locally at Jewel, or find a location near you.

Socially Distant Party Crafts

Keeping kids entertained helps them stay out of each other’s faces! Individual crafts are a great way to bring out their creativity and help them focus on the task at hand, creating a socially distant Halloween party WIN!

Fall Lanterns

Start saving spaghetti sauce jars and sanitizing them. These can be made into Halloween-themed lanterns or just colorful fall ones with pieces of tissue paper glued to the exterior. Just insert an electric candle or glow sticks inside to light up the night! A fun addition is to create a silhouette or with black tissue paper cut out eyes and watch the eerie glow.

Monster Book Marks

While searching for crafts that little kids could do with minimal assistance, I came across the website Happy Camper Live. Their website and app bring tons of after-school activities right to kids’ homes 365 days a year. It is a place for you and your kids to discover new passions, skills, and have the time of your lives without ever needing to leave home. PLUS- raise your hand if your child’s camp experience was canceled or cut short this summer? Yep. Same. Happy Camper Live has real camp counselors helping your kids learn new skills.

They have a bunch of free Halloween resources currently available- from DIY Costume Ideas to DIY Decorations, Creepy Crafts to Spooky Treats, these are tried and tested ideas that are doable for your kids and include simple directions.

Here is what I plan on having at my party, especially for the younger kids:

Halloween Party Goodie Bag

A cute to-go treat with minimal ingredients is a chocolate-covered pretzel skeleton with a marshmallow head. Pop onto a lollipop stick and package individually in cellophane bags.

Materials:

• Regular size marshmallows
• Mini marshmallows
• Chocolate to melt
• Yogurt or white chocolate-covered Pretzels
• Skewers

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in a small dish in the microwave. Start at 30 seconds, stir, then continue to microwave and stir at 15-second intervals until completely melted.
2. Using a toothpick or skewer, “paint” the chocolate into a skeleton face on a large marshmallow.
3. Push a mini marshmallow about halfway down a skewer, add three yogurt-covered pretzels on top, then place the skeleton marshmallow head on the point of the skewer.

These can be made days in advance while wearing a mask and gloves, and eliminate the plastic junk that usually plagues parents in goodie bags. I am all for cute take-home items to help transition kids towards the door! Sometimes it is hard for kids to leave the party, but if you entice them with a parting gift the going gets easier. Bribery? Nah. Just greasing the exit wheels.

If you want to create a display like this (but with cellophane bags over the treats for COVID safety), find a trough-like dish and add apples. Cover with decorative paper shreds. Skewer the treats into the apples so they are free-standing.

Cheers to a socially distant Halloween party with your family and friends, and doing it in a healthy way!

Disclosure: I received items for review purposes, but all opinions are honest and my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission from purchases through my site. It does not affect your purchase price.