It's no secret that 2020 has been a terrible year! I think that many of us thought that we would have been back to our normal lives at this point in the year, but I'm not really sure that our lives will ever be normal. With that being said, Halloween is right around the corner, and if you're like me you're probably saddened by the thought of not being able to celebrate Halloween like normal. Now, there are many areas that are forging ahead like usual, but if you happen to live in an area that has decided to not allow trick or treating, you might be struggling to come up with ways to still enjoy Halloween. If you're planning on staying home this year, you're not out of luck. Buy the costumes, decorate your house, and get ready to have fun with these five different ways to celebrate Halloween!

1. Candy Hide and Seek

While your kids are putting their costumes on, hide candy all throughout your house, yard, and any safe areas of your home. Make sure that you hide an amount of candy that you deem appropriate for your children to find. Have some fun or spooky Halloween sounds playing before the kids get ready to seek out their candy, and let them have fun searching the house for their sweet treats. They'll have a blast looking for all of the candy, and you won't have to worry about where their candy has come from, or who has been handling it. 

2. Escape Room

Turn your house into a haunted escape room. Each clue that's solved should be rewarded with a treat or a piece of candy. If you can solve and escape the "room, or house," have a treat bucket waiting for each child as a reward. Even if you don't solve or escape the house, their efforts should be rewarded with their own treat bucket. Make sure that everyone dresses up and has tons of fun. Please make sure that themes, clues, and freights are age-appropriate!

3. Spooky Movie Marathon with Themed Treats

If you're a really crafty person, this is probably going to be right up your alley. Have your kids come up with a few of their favorite Halloween movies a week or so before Halloween. Turn your living room into a haunted or spooky drive-in or movie theater. If your weather is nice, you can also do this outside if you have a projector and screen. Everyone must dress up as one of their favorite characters from one of the movies they have chosen. Choose as many movies as you'd like to watch that night, and prepare snacks that go along with each movie. You can even set up different movie-themed stations in your home where the kids can go to collect candy or treats from, after each movie. 

4. Neighborhood Halloween Parade

If you live in a relatively safe neighborhood and are friendly with your neighbors, organize a neighborhood Halloween parade. Dress up in costumes, decorate your vehicles and drive around the neighborhood, but do it with only a few cars at a time, while the other neighbors watch from their driveways or porches. This will make for a fun and safe way for the kids to be out of the house and still get to dress up! Have a candy bucket waiting for them when you get back to the house so they don't feel like they missed out on trick-or-treating. 

5. Have a Spooky Bash

Have your own family Halloween party. Get dolled up, dress as your favorite character, make your house as creepy or cutesy as you wish, and have an indoor Halloween bash! Serve your kids severed ladyfinger cookies, dance to the monster mash, turn your house into a haunted house, play that creepy music and have fun! Go all out and make it a night that your kids won't forget, but in a good way. Please don't traumatize your children, lol! Have a costume contest and the best costume wins an extra prize. Make it be whatever you want, but have fun while doing it. Remember, if you're stressed and not into it, your kids are going to notice and they won't think it's fun either. Let go of the stress and burdens of 2020 and remember what it was like to be a kid on Halloween night! 

There are so many things that you can do with your family to have a fun and memorable Halloween, just make sure that you're doing it safely. If you choose to trick-or-treat door to door, please do it wisely and safely. Only go to homes you know, like family and friends. If you do go to homes that you don't know, ask the person answering the door to place the candy in your children's bags or buckets and don't let your kids grab from a bowl. Once you're home, consider swapping their candy out for some that you pre-purchased for them. That way it has only been handled by you or a family member. Whatever you decide, please be safe and don't eat too much candy!

Let us know in the comments what you'll be doing this year?