Halloween is just around the corner, and many kids are looking forward to a spooky, fun night of trick-or-treating! We’ve gathered some safety tips to help parents avoid common Halloween hazards for a safe and sweet holiday for all to enjoy.

How to Keep Kids Safe This Halloween

1. Make sure your child’s costume is easy to see in the dark. Sure, dark costumes add to the spooky ambiance, but you want to make sure that your child is plenty visible to drivers at night. Pick a brightly colored costume. If your child insists on a dark costume, have him or her carry a brightly colored treat bag. Adding reflective tape to the costume and/or the treat bag is another way to add extra brightness to a darkly colored costume.
2. Look for flame-retardant materials. You’ve heard this one before, but it bears repeating.
3. Beware of tripping hazards! Make sure the hem of the costume isn’t so long as to trip your trick-or-treater. Nothing cuts off Halloween fun like a face plant into the sidewalk. Parents Magazine recommends that hems of pants, gowns, and capes be above the ankle.
4.  Dress for the weather.  No child is going to want to put a parka over their awesome superhero get-up, so if you live in cooler climates, get that costume a size bigger, so you can add warm layers underneath the costume!
5. Don’t over-accesorize. Masks can obstruct vision, so opt for kid-friendly face paint instead. Hats, when too large, can also fall into kids’ eyes to obstruct vision. And leave the hand-help props at home. Fairy wands, light sabers, pirate swords, etc. get in the way and can cause injury. Not to mention, parents end up carrying them anyway 15 minutes into the evening!
6. Accompany your kids. Parents Magazine recommends going with your kids to trick-or-treat at least until they’re 12.  Even when they’re older, it’s a good idea to make sure there is one adult chaperone in the group to keep tabs.
7. Talk to your kids about safety before you head out. Tell them what the expectations are beforehand, like holding hands while crossing the street and not running off to the next house without you. Kids can get so excited trick-or-treating. If you go over this stuff before you leave the house, you might not have to correct them as much while you’re out.
8. Review their candy loot before they dig in. While candy tampering is very rare, it never hurts to be careful. Examine each piece and throw out the ones that are unwrapped, or have tears or pin marks in the wrapper. Unless you know the giver, it’s probably best to toss the fruit and homemade treats, just in case.

Follow these Halloween Safety Tips, and there will be far more treats than tricks for your little ones!

by Pamela Layug Laney