7 Critical Halloween Safety Tips for the Whole Family

Ready for Halloween? Make sure it’s a safe one with these 7 clever tips.

1. Some people still use candles to light pumpkins… so, costumes should be non-flammable and fit properly (a few inches above the ground will keep material away from flames while decreasing the likelihood of tripping!)

2. Kids need to see all of the cool Halloween decorations and where they are going! Masks should have eye holes that allow for peripheral vision (ie: masks that don’t cover any area of the eye socket)

3. Have a plan and stick to it! Plan where you will trick-or-treat and give each child a map of the area with your agenda highlighted. Write your name and mobile phone number on the map and place it in each child’s candy collection vessel.

4. Children love things that glow and parents should too! Flashlights work, but can get annoying to carry. Try placing a glow stick or glow necklace on each child to make him or her visible as the sun goes down.

5. Check the treats for holes, open wrappers and bacteria? Of course you want to check your child’s candy for tampering, but you also need to think twice about homemade treats as they may have been prepared by unwashed hands or assembled on a dirty surface.

6. Stay in touch! When kids get older and want to break away for a moment (or for the night) stay in contact with walkie talkies or cellular phones. For younger kids, place a name tag with your mobile phone number on their back in case they get separated from you in a crowd!

7. Halloween is not ideal for driving, especially for teens! The streets are filled with kids, parents are often distracted and driving can be dangerous with costumes. These are just a few reasons not to drive on Halloween. If you can encourage new drivers to walk or be dropped off, this is the safest alternative.

For more Halloween safety tips or to learn more about child safety, visit Responsible Family blog and sign up for our Safety Pops newsletter!