7. After seeing these images and reading the article, would you want to visit Blood Manor or another haunted house this fall? Why or why not? Would you enjoy being a “scare actor”?
Bonus Scary Treat: If you were asked to consult on the design of a haunted house just for you, what elements, scenes, effects or experiences would you add to totally terrify you? Why?
Going Further
Option 1: Share Your Experiences and Thoughts on Halloween.
Do you have a favorite Halloween memory?
Do you like to dress up for Halloween? Why or why not? What has been your favorite or scariest Halloween costume?
What has been the most interesting, original or scary costume you’ve seen someone else wear? What made it stand out?
Because of the coronavirus, Halloween won’t look like it has in the past. Depending on the incidence of the virus in your community, it may be safe to trick-or-treat in a modified way. The C.D.C.’s website provides advice for a “safer, alternative” Halloween, including outdoor costume parties and grab-and-go bags of candy.
In “Can Halloween Be Saved? Yes, Experts Say. Here’s How.,” Aimee Ortiz discusses the importance of normalcy in abnormal times with Dr. Tista Ghosh, an epidemiologist and senior medical director at Grand Rounds, a digital health care company:
It’s important to remember that these spooky festivities mean a lot to kids, Dr. Ghosh said.
“I think completely taking away Halloween could be detrimental to some of the mental health issues that kids are facing right now,” Dr. Ghosh said. She added that she always cautions people to “balance the risk of whatever activity they’re doing with mental health risks as well, and look for ways to minimize risk rather than reduce risk to zero because that’s just not possible.”
Do you agree that Halloween is important for children to maintain a sense of normalcy? Do you think it is possible to balance safety risks and the joys of the spooky fall tradition?
Will you be dressing up and trick-or-treating this year? Why or why not? How will you modify your or your family’s Halloween traditions ? What precautions recommended in the article and by the C.D.C. make the most sense for you and your community?
Option 2: Tell Us a Scary Story.
What’s the scariest story you have ever heard or told?
Share your own spooky tale, real or invented, by making a video or podcast, or by writing a story or crafting an essay.
For inspiration, you might listen to these creepy and chilling podcasts and audio series. Or check out this truly terrifying series of photos in “Scenes of Quiet Horror in America’s Haunted Houses,” and choose one to be the setting of a story you invent. Or, to find inspiration from history, check out this collection of Times articles from the archives about hauntings in the 19th century.
