Halloween is a great time of the year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to dress in crazy costumes and, for kids, to go trick-or-treating. There are some simple things you can do while taking your kids trick-or-treating to make sure they have fun but also stay safe.
Costume SafetyYou may not have considered that a costume itself could be dangerous, but there are some that might present a potential hazard or inconvenience to your child. When picking out a costume, think about how it might affect their safety. For example, some costumes might inhibit their movement.
Photo by heltje, sxc.hu
- Some costumes might have a trailing cape, tail, or dress. If this is too long, the child wearing it or even other children following behind could trip over the fabric. So for dragons, dinosaurs, vampires, princesses, etc. you should find a costume that fits well and doesn’t drag behind.
Face Paint - Latex rubber masks can be uncomfortable and can make it difficult to see. If possible, use hypoallergenic face paint instead. This also gives you a chance to be a little creative. You can custom design your own scary creature, fairy tale character, or anything else you can imagine.
Reflective Tape - If your child is wearing a particularly dark costume, you should consider using some reflective tape to make sure they’re visible. This is especially important if you’re trick-or-treating along busy streets. You could find creative ways to incorporate the tape into the costume. For example, you could create shining cuffs for a vampire’s dress shirt.
Trick - or - Treating StrategiesKeeping your kids aware and together while you’re trick-or-treating is very important to their safety. Here are some trick-or-treating strategies that can help you work toward that goal.
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- Many children will fight for the opportunity to ring the doorbell. This could easily get out of hand as you go from house to house. To reduce squabbles over doorbell ringing, set up a rotation. Doing this will give each child an equal opportunity to ring the doorbell.
Snacks - All that walking during trick-or-treating can really be tiring, so it’s a good idea to bring water and a few snacks along for your kids (and for you). This will help you to maintain energy levels. Having snacks handy will also prevent your kids from digging into their candy prematurely.
Ghost Stories - It’s possible that kids will start to get excited or overly anxious while walking between houses, especially if the houses in your area aren’t that close to each other. Ghost stories can be a great way to fill that walking time and to keep the children engaged and close by. They’ll also add to the mood. You could also sing some Halloween songs.
Emergency Call and Meeting Point - You should have a plan of action, should a child become separated from the group. You can set up a meeting point and a custom call. The custom call would be something that you yell so the child knows where you are. Tailor this specifically to your group so that your call doesn’t become confused with others.
TIP: One particularly memorable call used by the writer’s aunt always help corral her three children when trick-or-treating. The call is: “Igga-ninnyga-socka-boola-yocka-yoohoo!” (It certainly is something you don’t hear every day!)
Plan Ahead - It’s a good idea to plan your route in advance so that you will know exactly where you should be during trick-or-treating. If you plan a route and stick to it, there’s little chance you or your kids will get lost.
Back Home AgainOnce you’re back home safe and sound after a successful evening of trick-or-treating, there are a few things you can do to make sure the night ends well.
Photo by heltje, sxc.hu
- One of the most important things you can do to keep your kids safe on Halloween is to check their treats before they eat or use them. Over the years, people have come up with many ways to tamper with candy or leave unpleasant surprises for kids. Throw away any candy that has been unwrapped or has broken seals. Check all toys to make sure they are safe and age appropriate. Also look at the ingredients to make sure the candy doesn’t have anything your child is allergic to. It’s worth it to have your kids wait for a few extra minutes to be sure they’ll enjoy their treats.
Treat Exchange - Finally, give your kids a chance to do a treat exchange. Sometimes kids will have candy or toys they don’t want, but other children might. A candy exchange will give them the opportunity to barter goods and make trades so that everyone ends up having the happiest Halloween.