Tips for a Spooktacular and Safe Halloween

Kids love Halloween, with costumes, trick-or-treating, classroom parties and trips to the local haunted house. But for moms and dads, there’s a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns. Here are a few tips to keep you and your trick-or-treaters safe while enjoying the playful spookiness:

For parents sending out trick-or-treaters:

• Leave the porch light on. 
  This helps lighten up the neighborhood, letting kids know they're welcome to come and get a treat. Make sure your kids know to only approach houses with their lights on. 
• Older trick or treaters should walk in groups. 
  There’s safety in numbers. If kids are mature enough to be without supervision, tell them to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups. It goes without saying that young children should have adult supervision.
• Wear reflective tape on costumes and goodie bags.
  Add reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see your trick-or-treaters. 
• Kids should stay on the sidewalk and use crosswalks.
   Drivers may not see kids if they're walking in or crossing the street. Tell them to watch traffic signals and crosswalks and always look left, right and left again before crossing the street.
• Use make-up instead of masks. 
  There are plenty of distractions on Halloween, don’t let masks be one of them. Masks can limit vision, especially peripheral vision. Use makeup as an alternative to Halloween masks (be sure to test make-up first to prevent skin irritation).
• Costumes should be non-flammable. 
  No one should stand too close to a lit jack-o’-lantern while wearing a flammable costume. Candles should be kept in places where they're not likely to be knocked over or bumped into.
• Inspect treats. 
  Before the kids start going through all their treats from the night, make sure to get a look at what’s in their bags. They should only eat factory-wrapped treats and avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

For drivers out on Halloween:

• Drive slowly. 
  Kids are likely to be distracted by all the festivities and won't be looking for you. It's a good idea to honk your horn or flash your high beams on dimly lit streets to let kids know you're there.
• Be on the lookout. 
  Actively look for kids walking in the middle of the street, crossing the street in the difficult dim light, and even running out between cars.

With these simple tips and tricks, it will make Halloween safe and fun for everyone, especially for your little ghouls and goblins on this spooky night.