With spooky thrills, fun costumes, and plenty of candy, it is no wonder Halloween is a favourite holiday for children and parents. Of course, Halloween can also be stressful for parents who may be worried about keeping their children safe on an evening that can prove hectic at best.
Preparing for Halloween before the night arrives can go a long way in ensuring your family’s safety. Follow these five safety tips to help keep your family and other trick-or-treaters safe this coming Halloween.
Safety Tip #1: Wear highly visible costumes.
Ensuring your children’s safety on Halloween starts with their costumes. Consider the following when choosing your child’s costumes:
Choose Reflective Materials
Since trick-or-treating takes place primarily at night, try to choose a costume that has bright colours so that your child will stand out to drivers. You can add reflective tape to kids’ costumes or candy bags for added visibility. Anything that will help them stand out can help keep your child safe on Halloween.
Sizing Matters
Ensure your child’s costume fits properly to reduce the chances that they will fall and injure themselves. Avoid oversized shoes, high heels, or extra-long dresses or capes, as these could all be tripping hazards for little ones.
Avoid Masks
Additionally, while many costumes include masks, these can make it hard for kids to see what’s around them, including cars. Instead of a mask consider using a hypoallergenic, non-toxic costume make-up kit to decorate their face.
Following these simple steps when choosing your child’s Halloween costume can go a long way in helping to ensure that they do not get injured when they are out trick-or-treating.
Safety Tip #2: Inspect your children’s candy.
While you have likely heard this one before, it’s worth reiterating that you should wait until you are home to let your children start eating their candy. While tampering is rare, it does happen. Make sure kids eat a healthy meal or a snack before heading out for trick-or-treating, to help reduce their temptation to nibble on candy before you get home.
Once you are home, examine all treats and throw away any candy that looks spoiled or tampered with. You should also toss any homemade treats from anyone you don’t know personally. While homemade treats are a thoughtful gesture, there is no way to know what is in them or if they are safe for your child to consume.
Safety Tip #3: Have kids trick-or-treat in groups.
To help prevent something from happening to your child while they are trick-or-treating, it is important children don’t trick-or-treat alone.
For Younger Children
Younger children should always be accompanied by an adult or two when trick-or-treating to be supervised. Older kids may feel ready to head out without supervision, but you should still have them go out in a group for everyone’s safety.
For Teens
If your older child is trick-or-treating without adult supervision with their friends, give them a curfew and discuss their route with you to ensure their safety. You should also review trick-or-treating safety tips with them such as the importance of not eating candy till they get home, only walking on sidewalks, and only crossing the street at designated crosswalks and intersections.
Safety Tip #4: Take caution when driving.
If you plan on taking your kids to another neighbourhood to trick-or-treat with their friends or you are attending a Halloween party, use extra caution when driving on Halloween night. The fact is that there will be many families out and about trick-or-tricking, and you may have a hard time spotting kids in dark costumes. You must slow down and drive with extreme caution in residential areas.
Drive well under the speed limit in residential neighbourhoods because you may not have enough time to react should a kid run out into the street. Be extra cautious at intersections and pulling out of parking spaces in case there are trick-or-treaters around. Also, consider rolling down your windows when driving through residential areas so that you can hear kids coming.
Safety Tip #5: Preparing your home.
If someone in your household will be at home on Halloween to hand out candy, take a few precautions to keep your property safe for trick-or-treaters. For instance, your yard and front porch should be clear of toys, hoses, and lawn equipment to avoid tripping hazards. Turn on outdoor lights before sunset and make sure the path leading to your front door is well lit. Finally, use LED candles in pumpkins, as an excited child may knock over your jack-o-lantern, which could start a small fire.
Parents and children should not have to stress about their safety when they are out on Halloween. Taking basic precautions can go a long way in ensuring the safety of your family and other trick-or-treaters this Halloween.
