Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and we can all make sure that children have a safe holiday with the following tips. Pedestrian safety should be high on your list of precautions. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control roughly four times as many children ages 5-14 are killed while walking on Halloween evening than on other nights of the year. Remind your ghosts and goblins to use crosswalks and sidewalks, and to carry a flashlight. If you are driving, be extra careful of small witches and vampires, princesses, robots, and other beings.

All Dressed Up

• Masks should not obstruct a child's vision - consider face paint or makeup instead. If a child wears makeup, parents should look for non-toxic, hypoallergenic kits.
• Costumes should be flame-retardant and fit properly. Avoid oversized shoes, high heels and long skirts or pants that could cause a child to fall.
• Children who will be trick-or-treating after dusk should have reflective tape on their costumes and carry flashlights.

Regarding Pumpkins

• Small children should never carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers, then parents can do the cutting. Under parents' supervision, children ages 5 to 10 can carve with pumpkin cutters equipped with safety bars.
• Votive candles are safest for candlelit pumpkins.
• Lighted pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects and should never be left unattended.

Healthy Halloween

• Serve kids a healthy dinner (with foods they like) before trick-or-treating, so they won't fill up on candy.
• Offer trick-or-treaters something other than candy. Give them colorful pencils, stickers, large erasers, or decorative shoelaces.
• Set a number of days candy can remain in the house before it gets thrown out.
• Children shouldn't snack while they're trick-or-treating. Parents should check treats at home.
• Watch for signs of tampering, such as small pinholes in wrappers and torn or loose packages.
• Parents of young children should get rid of choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys.

Home Safe Home
To keep their home safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations. And remind your children to go only to well-lit houses and stay in the porch.

• Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
• Wet leaves should be swept from sidewalks and steps.
• Remember that Halloween is for children of all ages… so have some fun!