Before you dress your little one up as a goblin, ghost, or baby Yoda, take a look at these tips to keep them safe on Halloween.
Stay Together
Sticking together in a group is important for anyone headed out on Halloween. For children under the age of 12 that’s doubly important. Younger children should stay with a trustworthy adult throughout their Halloween adventures. If you’re older children will be trick-or-treating with friends and they don’t want you to cramp their style, make sure at least one person in their group has a fully charged cell phone for emergencies.
Costume Safety
No matter what you or your kids would like to be for Halloween, you should follow these costume guidelines.
- If you plan to go out at night, wear a brightly colored costume. If your little one picks a dark and spooky costume, add reflective or glow-in-the-dark tape to the front and back of it.
- Don’t wear a super long costume. If your child wants to be a princess don’t choose a costume with a long train, and if they opt for a ghost costume make sure the white sheet doesn’t drag on the ground. Long garments can create a trip hazard, and a hard fall will likely cut your Halloween fun short.
- Ditch your mask. Masks can obstruct your vision, so if your costume has a mask component, take a picture of the full costume but leave the mask at home. You can use face paint or makeup to complete your look instead.
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Candy Safety
The trick-or-treating experience itself is fun, but we all know that the kids are in it for the candy. Even though your kids will want to gobble down their candy as soon as they get it, make sure they hold off until you get home. It might be a good idea to bring along a bag of candy and treats they can munch on while you’re out. That way your eager little goblins won’t be too impatient to wait. When you get home, make sure to inspect your child’s candy for open or broken wrappers or items that might be a choking hazard. Throw those items away. Remove any candy that contains ingredients your child is allergic too. Finally, make sure they give their teeth a good scrub after their candy binge.