Monsters, goblins and super-heroes will soon be descending on homes everywhere. While Halloween is a time for fun and treats, it’s important to stay safe.
Each year, 9.2 million babies, children, and teens are injured severely enough to need treatment in emergency departments all across America, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The key to keeping kids safe this year, and every year, is close parental supervision and a few trick-or-treat precautions.
Here are 20+ invaluable tips as a guideline to make this year’s holiday a safe one.
Looking for more great Halloween ideas? Be sure to check out my collection of Halloween tips, ideas, activities, recipes and more for the entire family.
Costumes
- Look for flame-resistant materials for costumes and be particularly aware of open flames in Jack O’ Lanterns
- Choose costumes that do not have sharp objects attached to masks or the costume itself
- Beware of costumes with big baggy sleeves or billowing skirts; costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling
- Make sure masks allow for full vision
- If your child wears a hat or scarf, make sure it fits securely and provides adequate ventilation
- Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible
- Apply non-toxic face paint or cosmetics as an alternative to masks
- Always test make-up in a small area first in case of rash or allergic reaction
- Make sure children wear properly fitting shoes
- Plan costumes with highly visible colors
- Add reflective tape or stickers to costumes and treat bags or have the child wear a reflective bracelet
- Attach each child’s name, address and phone number to their clothes in case they become separated from adults
Trick-or-treating
The most important thing to remember is to make children visible to automobile drivers. A child is four times more likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than any other time.
- Give kids flashlights to carry
- Accompany your children when trick-or-treating
- If your children are old enough to trick-or-treat by themselves, have them go in groups — even if only on your block or in your building
- Allow children to travel only in familiar areas
- Remind children to follow rules of crossing streets – look both ways and cross only at intersections and crosswalks
- Use battery powered jack o’lantern candles. Place pumpkins with real flames well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing
- Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren’t going with them
- Remind your children to never, ever go into a stranger’s house
Candy
- Feed kids a good meal before trick-or-treating so they won’t be as tempted to eat any candy before they bring it home for you to check
- Do not allow children to eat any treats until they’ve been sorted and checked by an adult at home
- Throw candy away if it appears to have been unwrapped and re-wrapped, has a faded wrapper, or has holes or tears
- Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use
- Limit candy to prevent a child from getting an upset stomach or sick
This Halloween, be safe and smart but not paranoid. There’s no reason to scare your child, but be sure to trust your instincts.
Looking for more great Halloween ideas? Be sure to check out my collection of Halloween tips, ideas, activities, recipes and more for the entire family.
Great tips, thanks for sharing!
Glad to share. I hope it gives you some ideas on ways to keep your kiddos safer this Halloween.
Excellent tips! Thank you!
Glad to share. I hope it gives you some ideas on ways to keep your kiddos safer this Halloween.
This will be our first Halloween trick or treating. Great tips! Thank you!
The first year of trick or treating is always fun.. but the kids never last as long as you expect. Have lots of fun and stay safe 🙂
Halloween is one of the scariest holidays for me, mainly because of driving. I try not to drive on Halloween, if I can help it, and I encourage hubby to get home early. My LO is still pretty little, so we go trick-or-treating while it is still light and before any of the bigger kids come out. I don’t want to scare him too early in.
Trick or treating can be scary for little ones. I think you’re smart to go when it’s still daylight out. We definitely do that. Last year my then 6yo managed to go a little past dark.
These are great tips. I always took my kids to the Mall for tick or treating. Thanks so much for visiting me and leaving such a sweet comment.
We have an open market-like shopping center and it’s a perfect place to take our kids, too.
Useful and great tips! I am such a worrier I probably will never let my kids go Trick or Treating alone until they are 32.
Ha! I understand that feeling. I’m not sure if I could stomach my kids going by themselves either.
I never thought about the many dangers. We usually go trick-or-treating while it is still light and we always accompany our kids. Luckily, they haven’t chosen a costume which has sharp parts or paint that needed to be applied!
Roshni — As a kid, we were allowed to roam free on Halloween. But times have definitely changed. Some of the big things we do is go trick or treating during daylight hours and stay with our kids. I know some parents who let their younger ones go trick or treating with their “older” kids. That would make me too nervous!
My little boy loves trick-or-treating so I really appreciate these tips. Thank you!
My boys love trick or treating as well. The big thing we do is go trick or treating during daylight hours. Perhaps that will change when they are older, but not right now.
Great tips! We don’t have kids yet, but these tips are useful for everybody, so thanks so much for sharing at my link party! Pinning this for sure!
Love your linky, Jessi. And I hope parents on your board get some good tips from my post.
Thank you for linking up with the Hearts for Home Blog Hop last week. Your post has been selected to feature on Thursday’s Blog Hop link up over at Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy! Congratulations 🙂 Please remember to grab our “I was Featured” button to share on you post.
http://monstersed.co.za/2013/10/10/hearts-home-blog-hop-18/
Momma Jo. I saw that you featured two of my posts. I’m going to get a big head if I’m not careful 😉
Very good tips. Trick or Treating is gaining popularity over here in the UK, although my child is a little too old these days.
Thanks for sharing on #CraftyOctober