Candy lovers rejoice, your favorite time of the year is near! What’s better than carving pumpkins with the kiddos, dressing up in crazy costumes, binge-watching scary movies and gorging yourself on Halloween candy? Not much, right?! Halloween does bring with it some dangers for those little ghouls in your life, so we encourage you to keep safety top of mind. We’ve put together a list of important Halloween safety dos and don’ts for both you and you’re children to help keep them safe.
Trick or treat safety tips for you and the youngin’s
When traveling on foot
- Be aware, the roadways are very dangerous for pedestrians on Halloween.
- Always stay on the sidewalk unless crossing the street.
- Only cross the street at intersections with stops signs or traffic lights – never cross between parked cars
- Look both ways before crossing and keep watching as you cross. This goes for when you are crossing over a driveway as well.
- If a driver is stopped, make eye contact before you begin to cross, to be sure they see you.
- Walk – don’t run.
- Bring a flashlight or glow sticks if you are trick or treating in a poorly lit area. It will help drivers to see you.
- Don’t visit a home that is not well lit.
- Never go inside a stranger’s home or car.
- Encourage your child to child to travel with a group.
- An older sibling or adult should always accompany children when trick or treating.
- Plan out a trick or treat route in advance.
When traveling by car
- Be sure to drive distraction-free and focus completely on the road.
- Enter driveways, alleys and other roadways with extreme caution in anticipation of trick or treaters.
- Drive SLOWLY.
Make safe costume choices
- Don’t let your children wear masks that can obstruct their view. Try some non-toxic face paint instead.
- Be sure the costume fits the child and is not dragging on the ground causing a trip hazard.
- Opt for brightly colored costumes that are easy to see at night, rather than dark colors.
- Add strips of reflective tape to your children’s costumes so drivers can easily see them.
- Steer clear of flammable materials when making or purchasing a costume. All costumes, wigs, and accessories should be fire resistant.
Those tempting treats
- Don’t eat any treats until returning home and an adult has inspected them.
- Encourage your child to be extremely careful if he or she has any food allergies. When it comes to a serious allergy, sometimes even touching an item may cause a reaction.
- When you’re child returns home, be sure to check all treats very carefully. If anything looks suspicious, has a loose wrapper, or looks like it was opened or tampered with in anyway, toss it right in the trash. Get rid of any homemade items that came home in your child’s treat bag as well. That is unless you know whom the item came from and you know it is safe. People should really steer clear of handing out homemade goodies to trick or treaters.
Alternatives to trick or treating
If you’re a bit hesitant to take your children trick or treating door to door, there are plenty of other options where they can still have fun and get their candy fix. By now you’ve heard of or taken part in Trunk or Treat I’m sure. There are many happening in our area throughout Halloween week. Call your local city hall or municipality to check what Halloween events are going on near you. Many smaller local municipalities and area business groups and organizations will be hosting both trunk or treats and costume parades for local children.
If you just don’t feel like going out, you can have a home Halloween party for your children and their friends. There are many ways to make it just as much fun as trick or treating. Encourage costumes, have lots of decorations, pumpkin decorating, themed games, bob for apples, slightly scary movies, and of course plenty of themed snacks and delicious treats. Don’t feel like going overboard with a full-blown party? Family movie night with pizza, popcorn, and personalized Halloween treat bags can be just as enticing!
Your friends at Choice One Community Credit Union hope our tips will help you and your family have a safe and happy Halloween. Tune in to our Choice Words Blog next week for another helpful article and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for some awesome content in the meantime.
Talk soon!