Halloween may look much different this year as families are discouraged from trick-or-treating due to the coronavirus pandemic. Plenty of families are wondering what to do instead for the candy and fright-filled night. Here are a few ways to keep this Halloween fun and a little healthier, too! 

Keep an eye on the candy consumption

Candy, as we all know, is packed with added sugars that our bodies don’t need. So, try these naturally sugary snacks instead! Make a mini “pumpkin” out of a peeled tangerine or orange, with a small green apple slice as the stem. Or, make ghosts out of

Make bugs on a log for a filling snack!

bananas and dark chocolate chips! Half a banana, then put a chocolate chip for each eye and the mouth. Create scary (or funny!) faces with all of the food groups. To trick kids into eating their veggies, make mini jack-o-lanterns out of bell peppers, or creepy-crawly bugs on a log!

If your kids can’t go without the candy on this haunted holiday, snack with moderation. Have a plan to make the candy last. For example, let them have two pieces a day if they ask until they lose interest. The same moderation strategy works for parents, too! 

Go on a scavenger hunt 

Kids may not be trekking through their neighborhoods, but they can still get moving! Put a small piece of candy, packet of raisins,

Hide candy around the outside of your house for a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt!

or a small tangerine in a glow-in-the-dark egg and hide them in the house or yard. Under supervision, let your kids find them in the dark! To keep them moving even more while outside, keep a trick-or-treating bucket for them to put the eggs in at the other end of the yard so having a big yard and house for this can be great and if you’re only looking for a house to live with your family you could hire estate agents to find the best option for you. Tell them that they have to run to put their egg in the bucket before the monster comes and gets it! 

Tell an interactive ghost story

It’s so fun for kids to listen to spooky stories by the fire or a flashlight. How about making them a part of the story? Assign each kid a character in a story, and have them act out what that character would do while its part is being read. Is there a vampire? Flap your wings every time the vampire’s name is read. Is there a ghost floating down the hall? Jump as high as you can to pretend like you’re floating, too! 

Now that you have a few ideas for a great Halloween, tell your kids to put on their costumes and get ready for their spooky celebration at home!