Halloween Safety Tips

By Desiree Reynolds
Sentinel Writer

Halloween is fast-approaching, and with it, many parents are caught in a whirlwind of activities: costumes, candy, pumpkin-carving and trick-or-treating. Having more than one child can make Halloween even more challenging to pull off smoothly, and simple safety measures easy to forget.  With this in mind, here are some tips to having a safe, and happy halloween for you and your family, courtesy of halloween-safety.com.

General Safety Tips:

• Help your child pick out or make a costume that will be safe. Make it fire proof, the eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision.

• Keep in mind the weather when choosing a costume. Some costumes are very thin and revealing, so If freezing evening temps are predicted, be sure to have a backup plan or a way to make your existing costume suitable for cold weather.

• If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that kids’ costumes won’t accidentally be set on fire.

• Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.

• Kids always want to help with the pumpkin carving. Small children shouldn’t be allowed to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face. There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and are safer, although you can be cut by them as well. It’s best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.

Trick-or-Treating Safety:

• Treating your kids to a spooky Halloween dinner will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it for them.

• Teaching your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing streets and crossing when the lights tell you to, will help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating.

•  Let them know that they should stay together as a group if going out to Trick or Treat without an adult.

• Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren’t going with them. The best bet is to make sure that an adult is going with them. If you can’t take them, see if another parent  or a older sibling can go along.

• Stop only at familiar houses in your own neighborhood unless they are accompanied by an adult.

• Make sure you set a time that they should be home by. Make sure they know how important it is for them to be home on time.

• Know what other activities a child may be attending, such as parties, school or mall functions. Plan a safe route so parents know where their older kids will be at all times. Set a time for their return home. Make sure that your child is old enough and responsible enough to go out by themselves.

• Children should go out during daylight hours only unless accompanied by a responsible adult.
• Let your children know not to cut through back alleys and fields. Make sure they know to stay in populated places and don’t go off the beaten track. Stay in well lighted areas.
• Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism. Throwing eggs at a house may seem like fun but they need to know the other side of the coin as well, clean up and damages can ruin Halloween. If they are caught vandalizing, make them clean up the mess they’ve made.

• Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you. NEVER eat candy that appears to have been tampered with.
• Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.

Tips for holding Halloween parties:

• If using dry ice in a punch bowl, make sure that the person serving keeps any dry ice chips out of drinks! It can cause severe injury if ingested.

• If you are holding your party in your house, make sure that you move any breakable pieces of furniture or knick-knacks to another room where they can’t get broken. A forgotten heirloom vase that hits the floor could ruin the night for you.

• To keep things moving for either an adult party or child’s party, make sure that you have some games, like a scavenger hunt or a murder mystery planned in advance.

• If you are planning a party for your kids and their friends, see if you can get some of the other mothers to help out with the planning, baking and what ever else needs to be done. Make a block party out of it!

• Whip up a batch of Halloween cupcakes the day before, have the kids help you out. Any treats or party food that can be made in advance is always a big help!

• Having a pumpkin carving party on the night before Halloween can be a great way to start off the festivities. Either adults, kids or both, you can have a wonderful time and get all your pumpkins carved at the same time!

• Set up a table with treats, punch and goodies in your front yard if you live in a small neighborhood. Invite the children and their parents to stop by for refreshments, you’ll start a small party right in your front yard! Just make sure you set up a nice yard haunt, too!