Halloween Safety Tips for Both Kids and Adults

In the cool autumn months, both children and adults look forward to the Halloween festivities. The colourful costumes, lively decorations, trick-or-treating, house parties and other celebrations make it one of the most enjoyable holidays for people of all ages. Make sure your Halloween is a safe one by following these holiday safety tips:

Supervision

Small children should always have adult supervision during trick-or-treating. Older children can trick-or-treat in groups if they follow a safe, pre-determined route. Children should stay with their group at all times. Have older children trick-or-treating alone carry a cell phone with them at all times. Encourage children to avoid dark homes, dark streets and warn them never to go into a stranger’s house. Encourage going to community events or children's house parties. 

Candy

All candy should be checked before eating. Throw out unwrapped edible treats to ensure safety. Examine wrappings to protect against tampering. Don’t let younger children eat hard candy, which can be a choking hazard. Encourage your community to offer other types of treats such as small toys for children who are allergic or cannot eat candy. 

Costumes

Choose costumes that allow free movement when walking, negotiating stairs and turning the head from side to side. Ensure that vision is not obstructed by masks or head coverings. Costumes should be flame-retardant. Make sure handheld props such as swords or wands are flexible and without sharp edges. 

Traffic Safety

Reinforce rules about crossing only at crosswalks and avoiding darting from between cars to ensure that drivers can see children who are trick-or-treating. Carry glow sticks or other illumination to help drivers see groups of children.

Fire Safety

Halloween is a time when lit jack-o-lanterns and candles in various shapes are commonly used. Keep them out of reach of small children and warn older children about loose sleeves, capes and other costume parts that could be in danger of igniting. 

Home Safety

Give your home a safety inspection to ensure that children are not injured while on your property. 

• Make sure that entry doorway lights are functioning properly and provide good lighting of stairways. 
• Secure exterior Halloween decorations and hang them away from walkways and other traffic areas. 
• Ensure that stairs and railings are tightly secured. 
• Remove wet leaves and other debris from entryway stairs to avoid tripping and slipping hazards.
• Remove low-hanging branches from bushes and trees that can catch on costumes or injure trick-or-treaters
• Avoid candles in pumpkin, which can cause a fire hazard for draping costumes. Use flashlights or glow sticks instead. 
• Keep pets confined during trick-or-treating hours to avoid scaring trick-or-treaters. 

Halloween is exciting, spooky, and thrilling, all at the same time! Using these safety precautions will help ensure that both you and your children’s night of thrills and mischief remains safe and full of fun.

Photo credits: shutterstock.com

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