Next to Christmas, for all kids, Halloween is THE best day of the year. The excitement of running from door to door in your neighborhood on Halloween night, dressed in your spookiest costume you’ve been waiting to wear all year, is a thrill every kid looks forward to. But, it’s also vital that our children know the importance of Halloween safety as well.
Between cars, candles, candy, and children running around, there are a lot of opportunities for an accident to occur if one is not careful. To ensure a fun night for the whole family, I’ve pulled together a few tips on how to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Halloween Safety Tips for Families
Costume Safety
Stay away from masks for kids if possible
A few tips from health and children’s organizations suggest parents should steer clear of masks on Halloween for their little ones. Masks that come with costumes may not always fit your child’s head very well, causing improper vision or the mask not functioning correctly. Instead, a hypoallergenic/non-toxic costume face paint is recommended to help keep your little superhero, ghost, or goblin safe. It’s also important to keep away from decorative contact lenses for any of your young children.
Utilize bright colors or reflective material
Another costume tip is to stick with bright colors or utilize some reflective material or tape to add to your little ghouls’ and boys’ costumes if dark colors are the only option. The sun can set quickly this time of the year, and if the candy hasn’t stopped flowing, you won’t want to miss out.
While no one wants to think of the worst, being prepared is not a bad idea. I would suggest somehow incorporating your child’s name, phone number, and address inside their costume if they are separated from their group while trick-or-treating or at a Halloween event.
Neighborhood Safety
Neighborhood and traffic safety are of the utmost importance if you want your kids to have ALL of the Halloween fun they can. When you take your kids out trick-or-treating this Halloween, remember these few safety tips for walking around your neighborhood.
- To help your children avoid being hit by a car, make sure to always walk on sidewalks and crosswalks.
- Also, remind your kids that they MUST look both ways before they cross the street. nd to be mindful of traffic signals, and oncoming cars/bikes.
- If your young children are old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, make sure you know their route around the neighborhood. Set a curfew with them so they know when to be home.
- Make sure your phone is charged in case of an emergency, and bring a flashlight for added security.
- Remind your kids to walk, not run, from house to house. There will be plenty of candy for everyone!
- Visit houses that have their exterior lights on or are handing out candy. Avoid homes with all of their lights off. This is a sign they are not participating, not home, or do not want to be disturbed.
Candy Safety
What is more exciting than dressing up as your favorite scary character or fairy princess? Candy, that’s what. We all know that candy is the real excitement for our kids. However, as parents, we are responsible for ensuring everything our little trick-or-treaters collect on Halloween is safe for them to consume.
Establish a rule about not eating any candy until you are home and have had a chance to sift through what they collected. This talk might not make them super happy at the moment. But is the safest way to ensure everyone stays healthy. Also, please be wary of homemade treats, unless you’re familiar with your neighborhood. They won’t always have your kids’ potential food allergies in mind.
Remember that hard candies, popcorn, gum, and nuts, are a choking hazard for kids under 4. Remove these items from your little one’s trick-or-treat bags, and count them as part of your mom and dad’s “tax” for the evening.
Safety Items
It’s not a bad idea to have a safety kit pulled together. Something that’s easy to carry with you on your walkabout the neighborhood this Halloween. And some of these items to your very own Halloween Safety Kit, and remove the spook from your night.
- mini first aid kit
- bandaids
- antibiotic cream
- mini flashlight
- external phone charger
- Water Wipes
- crossbody purse
- fanny pack
- glow sticks
- reflective tape
I know this may seem like a lot of “rules,” but if you put in the prep work to ensure a safe night for all, your kids will enjoy their Halloween fun more than ever!
