How to Make a DIY Candy Shoot for a COVID-Safe Halloween

When you love Halloween, but you also want to keep your family safe during a deadly pandemic, what do you do? This was our dilemma Halloween 2020. We always pass out candy, but there was no way we were opening our door to a crowd of germy trick-or-treaters on our cramped porch. And with a house known for its Halloween decorations, not passing out candy wasn't really an option. Plus, I wanted to see kids in costumes. I wanted to have some lighthearted Halloween fun after such a dark year. 

The solution: Make a DIY candy shoot for a COVID-safe Halloween. I'll admit our DIY candy shoot was created at the very last minute, and it could have been flashier. But it did its job: It delivered candy and fun from a safe distance, and it was super simple.

Hot to Make a Candy Shoot

Really, all you need for your DIY candy shoot is a delivery system that starts high, slopes down to a kid's reach, and, ideally, is at least 6-feet long for social distancing safety. Working in a custom sunscreen business, my husband, Aaron, had just the thing. What looks like the most heavy duty wrapping paper roll is actually the tubing for screen material. I know carpet shops sometimes give away similar rolls. I would imagine fabric shops might have some as well. You can also order them online, or use PVC pipe from your local hardware store. 

Aaron measured the monster roll to 6 feet and sawed it to size. I quickly covered it in wide, sparkly ribbon because sparkles make everything better. To prop up our DIY candy shoot, we zip-tied it to two garden fence posts and one small stump of tubing. You can find garden fence posts at any hardware store for around $2 a pop. Some people use ladders to support their candy shoots. 

Candy Shoot Location

For our candy shoot location, we selected our front garden, which connects to the walkway off our driveway. We roped off the side walkway leading up to the porch, added lights to spotlight the candy stop, and because we thought it was funny -- and we needed a trick-or-treater alert system because we weren't staying outside all night -- we added a horn to act as a doorbell. Ideally, you want a well-lit candy shoot location that allows easy access to both the top and bottom of the candy shoot. I've seen some really tall candy shoots, and while eye-catching, I wanted something I could access from the safety of the stable ground.  

The candy shoot location generally worked well. We had kids place their bags below the shoot and the candy shot down quickly. It was a hit with parents and kids alike.

Naturally, the kids loved honking for candy, but it wasn't always a reliable alert system. With the candy shoot concept being brand-new, some trick-or-treaters needed it explained, while others got it immediately. 

Benefits of a COVID-safe Candy Delivery System

We loved that our COVID-safe candy delivery system added a level of social distancing safety, but we ended up loving it for more than that.

As mentioned, we have a small porch. And we have a screen door that opens outward. Typically, a group of children crowd our porch and the logistics of opening the screen and getting to everyone's bags has been a little chaotic, especially with the littlest (and cutest) kids who don't know to back up for the door to open. 

In a couple cases, we have had small children try to come into our house to see more Halloween decorations or to see our dog. And with the cramped, chaotic crowds, I don't always get a chance to really see everyone's costumes, and that's half the fun. 

Moving to a 6-foot, COVID-safe candy delivery system eliminated all of those problems. Each child had to wait their short turn at the shoot and everything moved right along from trick-or-treating group to group.

The only thing that wasn't optimal was knowing when kids had arrived, especially as it got later into the night and the crowds died down. The horn didn't always honk. To remedy that small snafu, this year we think we will move the DIY candy shoot to the other side of the garden wall, nearer to the front porch. Our porch will still be closed to trick-or-treaters, but we will be able to hear children better. We will set up a gate so that our toddler can run out when kids come, but she won't get beyond our little porch. Also, there may or may not be a giant Inspector Gadget type arm attached to the doorbell. 

We're still brainstorming the best way to have the ultimate COVID-safe Halloween 2021, but we know we're sticking with the candy shoot. It's super simple and seriously fun.