10 Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is tomorrow and here are some tips to help everyone have a safe and fun trick-or-treating experience.
- Make sure the children in your care are trick-or-treating in a group or with a trusted adult. Never let younger children trick-or-treat alone.
- If you have an older child who will be trick-or-treating without you, set ground rules. Plan and discuss a familiar route and set a curfew. Have the child carry a cellphone for the evening so he or she can contact you, if needed.
- Choose face paint or makeup as instead of masks that could obstruct a child’s vision.
- Fasten reflective tape to costumes or carry a flashlight so they can see and drivers can see them.
- Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating. Also avoid eating homemade treats from strangers.
- Limit how much candy is eaten in one setting. This can prevent tummy aches and poor nutrition.
- Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to left as possible. When crossing a street, look both ways first and never run out into the street.
- Only visit well-lit houses. Don’t stop at dark houses.
- Dress children in well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
- At your own home, make sure anything that trick-or-treaters could trip over, such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations are put away. Clear wet leaves, snow or other debris from the sidewalk.
Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so when driving, be especially alert for kids during those hours. Have a fun and safe Halloween!