Safeguard your family as you prepare for Halloween!
These tips will help you have a happy and safe Halloween!
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It’s Halloweentime!
Halloween will be here before you know it. With things back to as normal as they have been in a few years, children are looking forward to trick or treating, just as much as adults are looking forward to trick or treaters!
Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year for kids and parents. However, for many parents, the fun can be accompanied by stress and anxiety for the safety of their children. This year, I want to help by offering some easy and effective safety tips for Halloween that will make this spooky holiday a fun filled and safe Halloween for the entire family!
Hopefully these tips will help safeguard your family as you prepare for Halloween, ensuring that a great time is had by all!
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National Halloween Safety Month
October is national Halloween Safety Month, so now is the time to pick up some much needed tips for Halloween. The National Safety Council (N.S.C.) encourages people to observe October as Halloween Safety Month in an attempt to reduce accidents during Halloween.Â
During Halloween, road accidents increase and there is a higher risk of fire accidents. In their excitement, children sometime forget the safety rules when crossing the street. Increasing awareness for children and motorists is important during this time.Â
There is also a higher risk of fire accidents during Halloween. Making sure lit pumpkins are always attended to, along with ensuring your child’s costume are made of high-quality, fire-resistant material is essential.
25 helpful tips for a happy and safe Halloween
I broke down each of the tips into sections, making it easier to use and prepare you, your child and your home for Halloween.
The Pre-Halloween Fun
There is much to do before the night of Halloween! There’s decorating, pumpkin carving, and preparing your home for Trick or Treaters! Here are a few ideas to help you prepare.
1. Don’t let small children carve pumpkins. You can instead have them paint them or draw a face with markers.
2. Try lighting your pumpkin with a flashlight, LED lantern, or battery operated tea light. If you have to light a candle, votives are the safest.
3. Make sure that pumpkins lit by candles sit on a sturdy surface away and not too close to the path of trick or treaters.
4. Ensure that your home is safe for the trick-or-treaters! Examine your front porch, steps, walkways, and yard and remove anything that could cause children or adults to trip, slip or fall.
5. Make sure the bulbs in all outdoor lights are functional. Ensure that your walkway and front door are visible and brightly lit.
6. It’s probably best for your pet and the trick or treaters is your family pet(s) are temporarily put away.
7. Make sure electrical cords are wrapped or tucked out of the way of key foot-traffic areas or are taped down to prevent tripping hazards.
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The Costume essentials
While allowing your child to choose their costume, be sure that it won’t cause any safety hazards or restrictions. Here are a few tips for choosing a costume.
8. Clothing, accessories, and wigs should all be fire-resistant or flame-retardant.
9. Avoid masks whenever you can. They are fun, but they can obstruct your child’s vision. A great alternative is face paint.
10. Be sure shoes fit well and are tied on tightly. It may be better to leave costume shoes at home.
11. Make sure costumes fit well, so no one trips or falls.
12. All accessories (even swords and canes) should be short and flexible.
The Trick or Treating Basics
It’s a good idea to go over these Trick or Treating basics with your child before heading out. Knowing the rules before leaving the house will ensure everyone is on the same page and will remain safe.
13. Map out your route before leaving the house, and notify others what time you plan to return home.
14. All adults should carrying flashlights with fresh batteries, and have fully charged cell phones.
15. When crossing the street, be sure to use crosswalks at corners.
16. Put away any electronic devices when crossing the street.
17. Only visit homes with their porch lights on.
18. Remind your child to not to eat any treats until they get back home.
19. Stay together as a group.
20. Allow your child to carry glow sticks while trick or treating
Safety Comes First
Safety comes first! These treat safety tips will ensure you and your child have a safe and fun Halloween. Safety guidelines are set to keep everyone in your family safe.
21. Check every single treat to make sure it is sealed.
22. Be sure to dispose of anything that is:
-
- torn or has tampered with packaging
- homemade treats prepared by anyone you don’t know
- suspicious or questionable in any way
23. Be sure to inspect candy labels thoroughly, especially if your child has food allergies.
Halloween Fun Alternatives
These are just extra tidbit tips that may come in handy for families looking for alternatives.
24. Encourage a healthy Halloween time; instead of consuming all the extra sugar after the fun of trick-or-treating, provide your child with alternative swaps like a book, a toy, or an outing to a park, restaurant, movie, or museum.
25. Remember, going out trick-or-treating isn’t the only way to celebrate Halloween! If for any reason your child would like to do something else instead, there are many alternatives that they can participate in. A movie night, pumpkin decorating party, or a costume fashion show are all great options!
Related post: 5 fun alternatives to traditional Trick or Treating
In conclusion
In the end, making sure your child’s costume is comfortable, preparing your home for trick or treaters, and keeping safety as your first priority will help ensure that everyone has a happy and safe Halloween; you, your child, trick or treaters in your neighborhood, and your fellow neighbors!
I’d love to hear any Halloween tips you would add to this list! Do you have any additional ideas that you think I missed? Please share them in the comments!
Hoping you have an amazing, fun Halloween!
These are great tips! We don’t have much foot traffic where I am (houses aren’t close enough) so the accidents don’t tend to happen here thankfully, but it’s always something to think about.
Perfect reminder for the coming halloween! It’s good to have a good reminder every now and then especially that kids are involved.
I did not realize that halloween is just around the corner. Thank you for sharing these tips. I love the idea of lighting the pumpkins with a battery operated tea light. It is definitely safer than a real candle.
Love all of these ideas! Halloween is so much fun for kids and adults alike
We absolutely love Halloween and safety tips are a great idea! This day and age.. it is a good thing to be proactive with safety and will use these tips when I go out with my daughter đŸ˜‰
Great safety tips! Halloween is such a fun time for kids and adults!