A costume fit for safety:

• Choose a light-colored costume so it can be more easily seen at night. Add reflective tape or glow-in-the-dark tape to the front and back of the costume and the trick-or-treating bag.
• Make sure costumes are constructed of flame retardant materials.
• Avoid masks – they make it difficult to see and breathe. Instead, use nontoxic face paint or makeup. Test the face paint or makeup on the child’s arm or hand before applying to make sure it doesn’t irritate the skin.
• Make sure wigs and beards don’t cover your child’s eyes, nose or mouth.
• Put a name tag – with your phone number – on your child’s costumes.
• Make sure the costume fits well, and avoid oversized and high-heeled shoes. This can prevent trips and falls.
• Make sure props such as wands or swords are short and flexible.

Trick-or-Treating trouble free

• Young children should be accompanied by an adult.
• For older kids who trick or treat on their own, find out the route they’ll be taking and when they’ll be coming home. Be sure they:
  • Carry a cell phone.
  • Go in a group and stay together.
  • Only go to houses with porch lights on and walk on sidewalks on lit streets.
  • Stay away from candles and other flames
  • Never go into strangers’ homes or cars
  • Cross the street at crosswalks, and never assume that vehicles will stop
  • Give kids flashlights with new batteries. They may also enjoy wearing glow sticks as bracelets or necklaces
  • Limit trick-or-treating to your neighborhood and homes of people you know.
  • When your children return home, check all treats to make sure they’re sealed. Throw out candy with torn packages, holes in the packages and any homemade treats.
  • And make sure kids who visit your home are safe, too – remove anything that could cause kids to trip and fall. Make sure lights are on outside your home.

Enjoying the Halloween goodies

• Offer a filling meal before your kids head out, reducing the likelihood they will gorge themselves on candy.
• Know how much candy your child has collected, and store it somewhere besides their bedrooms. Consider being lenient on Halloween, within reason, and talk about how the rest of the candy should be handled. Consider allowing a limited number of treats each day or giving some of the treats away.

Drive extra safely on Halloween

• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully. Spot the Tot® by walking around your car before backing out.
• Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
• Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
• Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.

 

“Safety takes some extra time and thought,” says Janet Brooks, manager of child advocacy for Primary Children’s Hospital. “The simple step of talking to your children about safety before they go out may make all the difference.”

Links:

SafeKids Worldwide Be Safe; Be Seen campaign: http://www.safekids.org/be-safe-be-seen-halloween

KidsHealth Safe and Spooktacular Hallooween: http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=5&dn=PrimaryChildrensHospital&article_set=32683&cat_id=168

Spot the Tot® Safety in and around vehicles: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/primary-childrens-hospital/hospital-information/child-health-safety/spot-the-tot/