Families get creative for safe trick-or-treating during COVID-19 pandemic

BRAINTREE, Mass. — The pandemic posed a big challenge for many families still wanting to celebrate Halloween on Saturday night.

“This is the COVID virus, the scariest thing in 2020,” said Sarah Lindenfeld, pointing out a huge decoration of the virus in front of her home in Braintree. “Took a balloon, blew it up, paper macheted over it, lot of paint, got to use all the hoarded toilet paper rolls in the house for the little protein spikes.”

It was hard not to include the virus in Halloween decorations this year since COVID-19 left many families a bit scared of the usual trick-or-treating. The Lindenfeld’s set up their candy on a table a good distance away from their front door to make sure they were social distancing with trick-or-treaters.

Many other families in Braintree did the same to allow for a safe Halloween during the pandemic. The Schell’s took Halloween to a new level with hand sanitizer available, a candy chute and even a wireless doorbell.

“We came up with the idea of a candy chute and then I said we can probably take it a little further because they still would have to come up to the door and ring the doorbell and make contact,” said Julie Schell. “So then we got a wireless doorbell.”

COVID-19 wasn’t the only challenge facing trick-or-treaters this year. A snowstorm also dumped a few inches of snow across this area the day before Halloween.

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“We were out there shoveling this morning and trying to get the space situated so we could get it to work,” Schell said. “You know, try to make it as best for the kids so they can still have fun and get their candy.”

Parents said it’s all about making sure the kids still have fun safely, especially since Braintree is still in the “red zone” with a high rate for COVID-19.

“We could use any sort of outdoor joy we can get right now,” Lindenfeld said. “That’s my son who you hear playing in the background, he’s 8; he’s still really into Halloween and it was important to us to find a way to celebrate, but celebrate safely.”

“We didn’t want to take away so much that they’ve already lost out on this year,” Schell said.

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