Tips for a Safe and Happy Trick-or-Treat Season
Halloween is just around the corner, which means parents and kids nationwide are gearing up for a fun night out and about in the neighborhood trick-or-treating. While there’s lots to enjoy about Halloween — fun costumes, spooky decorations and free candy — it’s important to take steps to ensure your family stays safe while trick-or-treating. Check out these helpful tips for a safe and fun Halloween.
Costumes and trick-or-treat prep
- When picking out a costume for your child, try to find something that is brightly colored and reflective to ensure your child can be seen by drivers when they’re out trick-or-treating on Halloween night. You can add reflective tape to your child’s costume or their trick-or-treat bag as an added precaution.
- Make sure your child’s shoes fit well, as loose-fitting shoes can lead to accidental tripping or entanglement. More importantly, be sure your child’s shoes are comfortable, as they’ll be getting lots of steps in as they make the rounds trick-or-treating.
- Before your child heads out to trick-or-treat, give them a balanced dinner so they won’t fill up on Halloween candy throughout the night.
While out trick-or-treating
- Make sure your child, especially if they are young, is accompanied by a responsible adult to ensure they are safe in case of an emergency. Additionally, advise your kids to only knock on doors of homes that have a porch light on and remind your children not to enter a house or a vehicle to get candy.
- Remind your children to only walk on well-lit streets and stick to the sidewalk to prevent getting injured from a moving vehicle.
- To prepare your home for trick-or-treaters, remove any tripping hazards such as toys, lawn decorations or garden hoses from your walkway and make sure your walkway is well-lit to prevent a trick-or-treater from tripping on anything while approaching your door. Keep pets inside to prevent them from jumping on or biting trick-or-treaters.
Candy and treats safety
- After your child returns with their trick-or-treat haul, check through each piece of candy and throw away any candy that’s opened or expired.
- For young children, remove any hard candies, nuts or chewing gum from their trick-or-treat bag, as these treats can be a choking hazard.
