6 Tips For a Safer Trick-or-Treating this Halloween

From the candy to the costumes, Halloween is a fun-filled time for kids and parents. However, trick-or-treating can pose dangers to young goblins and ghouls. To make this year a trick-free treat, follow these simple safety tips.

Trick-Or-Treating Safely

1. Limit trick-or-treating to your neighborhood and the homes of people you and your children know.
2. Carry flashlights with new batteries. Kids may also enjoy wearing glow sticks as bracelets or necklaces. This will help them be more visible to cars.
3. For older kids who are trick-or-treating on their own, talk about a route and when they’ll be home. Also be sure they:
   • Carry a cell phone, if possible.
   • Go in a group and stay together.
   • Only go to houses with porch lights on and walk on sidewalks on lit streets (never walk through alleys or across lawns.)
   • Walk from house to house. Don’t run and always walk facing traffic when walking on roads.
   • Don’t get close to candles and other open flames.
   • Never go into a stranger’s home or car
   • Cross the street at crosswalks. Never assume that a vehicle will stop.
4. Accompany young children (under age 12). Make sure they know how to call 911 in case they get lost. Check to make sure they know their home phone number.
5. When your kids get home, check all treats to make sure they’re sealed. Throw out candy with torn packages or holes in the packages, spoiled items, and any homemade treats that haven’t been made by someone you know.
6. Don’t allow young children to have hard candy or gum that could cause choking.

Safety Starts at Your Home

Don’t forget to make sure trick-or-treaters will be safe when visiting your home. Remove anything that could cause kids to trip or fall on your walkway or lawn. Make sure the lights are on outside your house and light the walkway to your door. Keep family pets away from trick-or-treaters, even if they seem harmless to you.