By Guy Chapman – Navarro County Gazette
Yes We Can
I’ve mentioned earlier that my Halloween plans are going to be a little different this year. I’ve set up the yard, spooky movie watching is in full swing (last night’s movie was 2019’s Haunt on Shudder, courtesy of movie host Joe Bob Briggs), and I’m planning to stock up on candy this weekend. But I also recognize COVID-19 cases are rising again, and that’s just not something I’m interested in being around.
That said, our household is coming up with a unique way to distribute candy. Kids get the goods, everyone stays safe, it’s a “win” all around. We’re doing a quick and easy delivery system I think is going to be more fun to pop out Snickers bars and Starbursts, and I wanted to share what we’re planning to do.
Last weekend, the missus and I went to a Spirit Halloween store and bought a plastic skull. The good news is: Skulls are plentiful this time of year (and not a phrase you could comfortably say any other time of year). Our skull has a working jaw bone, so we’re going to the hardware store to buy a PVC pipe to attach to its mouth.
The end result will be sliding a handful of candy out of a monster’s mouth and straight into their open bags. It’s a far more entertaining way than just handing out candy, and it will keep kids from taking a huge fist full of candy (I remember you from last year, that one kid).
Creative-wise, it doesn’t even have to be a skull. It doesn’t even have to be plastic. Any spooky item can work, or just use something as simple as cardboard cut-out, or have the kids design their own face to launch candy from. We’re going for simple, but effective. Even after all this pandemic stuff passes, I don’t see us going back to the old boring way. Modern-day Halloween is all about showmanship, and one has to step up their game from the previous year.
The point is: We’ll have our lights on and decorations up. If your kids want to stop by for candy, we’ll have something for them. It’s a weird time, and we’re going to work with what we’ve been given to ensure they have a safe, but memorable experience.
If you have unique ideas for this year, share them with us. I’ll post a finished version of our SkeleCandy Launcher (trademark pending) once it’s complete.