Halloween Safety Tips

Kids love Halloween! They love the excitement this holiday brings. During the month of October, everywhere they go they see the decorations in stores, in yards, or on houses, and in school classrooms. The anticipation of October 31st is hard to contain. But there are some hard facts that parents should be aware of to help reduce the risk of injury and protect the safety of their child.

On average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween as any other day of the year. So to avoid this tragedy from happening to your child, consider a few safety tips.

• Use reflective tape and stickers to decorate your child’s costume, shoes, hat (or headdress) and candy bag.
• Have your child carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and to be seen by drivers.
• Supervise your child’s choice of trick-or-treat house stops. Be familiar with the area that you visit for Halloween candy stops. Remember to check all treats at home before allowing your child to eat the candy.
• When selecting your child’s costume, choose light reflective colors. Make sure there are no tripping hazards with the costume’s design.
• If your child is wearing a mask, remind him/her to remove the mask when walking to and from the car.

Make sure the eye holes are large enough for your child to see clearly. Halloween celebrations offer an opportunity for family bonding. Engage your child in designing his/her own costume from old clothes, hats, wigs, and make-up. Let your child be creative with his/her design and have fun creating a costume that is scary or funny. No matter how your family celebrates this Halloween, remember to keep safety as the main priority for trick-or-treating and bring your child safely home.