The coronavirus pandemic is robbing us of all our favorite social events, and now it looks like it’s coming for one of the best: Halloween.

Trick-or-treating will likely be limited or canceled entirely due to the coronavirus, which will be heartbreaking for both kids and parents.

But one couple is here to save the day. Jaimie and Jay of the Wicked Makers YouTube channel have come up with a DIY “candy slide” that could help make trick-or-treating safer.

“In the time of COVID-19, everyone is worried how much Halloween will be affected,” they wrote on YouTube. “A lot of towns and even some states are recommending people don’t go trick-or-treating, or at best, stay socially distanced from other people when they do. That’s why we came up with a simple DIY Halloween prop that’ll help let you enjoy the night from a safe 6 feet away.”



Halloween Isn’t Cancelled! DIY Prop for Trick-or-Treating during COVID

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The “candy slide” allows you to safely drop candy from the top of the slide down to trick-or-treaters on the other side while maintaining a safe physical distance. It’s seriously brilliant. (Though you might want to use gloves when you handle the candy to stay extra safe.)

The prop is made from a few PVC pipes and connectors. Jaimie and Jay also use some traditional Halloween decor, including a plastic skeleton to stand on one end of the slide, and cheesecloth to make the slide look like it’s been mummified.

In addition to differently-sized PVC pipes and connectors, you’ll also need a hot glue gun, a hacksaw, and a pair of scissors. It’s worth noting that the hardest part of this DIY project appears to be hacking through (Halloween pun intended?) the PVC pipes, which you have to do a lot of. Jay actually abandons using the hacksaw after the first few cuts of PVC pipe and instead uses a bandsaw, which isn’t cheap. One commenter suggested buying a PVC cutter instead. But once you finish cutting through everything, all that’s left is a lot of hot glue gunning. You can find the free plans for the DIY candy slide here.

Regardless of how you do it or how pretty it is, one thing is certain: Kids will love it, and they’ll seriously appreciate the effort and creativity. The Halloween spirit doesn’t have to die after all.