10 Tips for a Safer Halloween

For many families, Halloween is the highlight of their year. Getting to dress up like whomever or whatever you’d like for the night and eating a seemingly endless supply of candy certainly make celebrating Halloween an attractive option.

And while Halloween celebrations can be fun, by nature, they can be full of safety hazards. Think about trick-or-treating alone. People are outside, walking in the dark, up unfamiliar walkways, to strangers homes, in oversized costumes to collect candy.

When we break it down, Halloween is full of safety disaster waiting to happen. To help make your Halloween experience safer, consider these 10 tips:

1. Pick a well-fitting costume

Opt for a costume that fits well and allows your child to wear makeup, rather than a mask that may obscure vision. Also consider flame retardant costumes and accessories that aren’t sharp or pointed.

2. Only trick or treat at houses you know

While this should go without saying, a reminder never hurts. Choose to visit the houses of family and friends you know when trick or treating.  If you do choose to trick or treat at houses you aren’t familiar with, never go in.

3. Wear regular shoes

Be sure your toddler leaves the princess pumps at home. When trick-or-treating, wear comfortable shoes that fit well. Doing so will reduce the risk of trips and falls.

4. Have small children decorate, rather than carve pumpkins

With young children, instead of carving pumpkins, opt to decorate them with paint or markers instead. Kitchen knives are too sharp and long for small children to handle and Halloween carving kits often include cheaply made tools that could break while using.

5. If accepting trick-or-treaters, keep your walkway clean and well lit and restrain your pets 

Be sure to brush away any debris in your driveway, make sure your walkway is well lit and turn your outside and/or porch lights on. Signal to potential visitors that you are home and ready to accept trick-or-treaters.

6.  Inspect all Halloween Candy prior to eating it

Before your child eats any candy, be sure to get it home and carefully inspected. Better yet, have a stash of candy at home and simply swap it out for your child’s collection. 

7. Go out in groups

When trick-or-treating, try to go with friends or family. Going with a group provided added security and visibility.

8. Carry a flashlight

Light your trick-or-treaters paths with flashlights or battery operated lanterns. Consider putting reflective tape on collection bags and buckets and on costumes.

9. Wash apples before bobbing for them to reduce bacteria

Limit the likeliness of illness when bobbing for apples by scrubbing them clean under cold water prior to bobbing.

10. Keep fright age appropriate

What’s not scary to you may be frightening to your child. Be careful what you expose your children to. Young children can’t always tell the difference between fantasy and reality so while the ghost with blood dripping down its face is clearly someone in costume to you, to your child, it may appear to be the real thing.

When planning your Halloween celebrations this year, keep safety at the forefront. Carefully consider your choices and be sure to follow these safety tips to minimize you and your child’s risk of injury and maximize your fun.