Halloween is an exciting time of year for children and families. As the big night approaches, it’s important to ensure that fun is paired with safety. Here are some practical safety tips to keep your Halloween celebrations enjoyable and worry-free.

Careful Costume Considerations

Think Visibility:
Visibility is one of the biggest safety concerns for trick-or-treaters, especially after dark. Help children be seen by adding reflective tape to their costumes and treat bags. Glow sticks and flashlights with fresh batteries are also great ways to ensure that your child stands out in the dark.

Think Safety:
Make sure your child’s costume fits properly to avoid tripping hazards. Instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision, consider using face paint. This not only enhances the costume but also ensures better visibility while walking around the neighborhood.

Trick-or-Treat Triumphantly

Walk Safely:
Encourage children to stay alert. Phones and electronic devices should be put away while walking, so attention remains on the surroundings. Teach children to watch for cars, especially those backing out of driveways or making turns. Only cross streets at corners or crosswalks, and always make eye contact with drivers before crossing.

Use sidewalks or pathways whenever possible, and if there are none, stay on the far left side of the road, walking toward oncoming traffic. Stick to well-lit streets to increase visibility and overall safety.

Stay with a Group:
Safety is in numbers! Go trick-or-treating with family or friends, and always ensure there’s at least one adult accompanying younger children. When crossing streets, do so as a group for added visibility and protection.

Remind Children of Safety Measures:
If your child is old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, make sure they have a planned route, and a set time to return home. It’s also a good opportunity to teach your child how to contact you in case of an emergency, as well as basic safety info such as their home address and your phone number.

Remind children to only visit houses with porch lights on, and never enter a stranger’s home or vehicle, even if offered candy or other treats.

Consider Alternative Celebrations

If you prefer to avoid the traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, many local malls, churches, and community centers offer safe alternatives where children can still dress up and enjoy candy in a well-lit, monitored environment.

Healthy Halloween Habits

Distributing Halloween Treats:
Consider offering non-candy treats to trick-or-treaters, such as small toys, coloring books, pencils, or stickers. Many families will appreciate these alternatives to sweets.

Also, ensure your walkway is clear of obstacles and your porch is well-lit. For jack-o-lanterns, opt for battery-operated LED candles instead of open flames to reduce fire hazards.

Check for Allergy and Safety Concerns:
Once home, adults should inspect all treats for tampering, discarding any opened or unwrapped candy. Watch for allergy concerns and ensure younger children avoid hard candies or other choking hazards.

Ration Out Candy:
To prevent overeating, divide candy into portions and ration it out over the following days. This helps avoid stomach aches and teaches children patience and self-control.

Too Much Candy?
Many local dentist offices participate in candy buy-back programs where collected candy is sent to troops overseas. You can visit Halloween Candy Buyback to learn more.

Encourage STREAM Fun:
Use leftover candy for educational fun by incorporating it into science experiments. Try out these fun STREAM activities using Halloween candy: Candy Science Activities.

Stepping Stone School wishes you and your family a safe and happy Halloween! 

Resources:

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2017). Halloween Safety Tips. Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Halloween-Safety-Tips.aspx

Kids Health. (2017, Oct.). Playing it Safe on Halloween. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/halloween-safety.html

Safe Kids Worldwide. (2015). Halloween Safety Tips: Everything you need to Know to Keep Your Kids Safe on Halloween. Retrieved from https://www.safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips