Halloween Safety Tips for Kids, Parents and Homeowners

Have a fun and safe Halloween this year! Check out these holiday safety tips for kids, parents and homeowners.

Trick-or-Treaters:

• Carry a flashlight
• Walk, don't run
• Stay on sidewalks
• Obey traffic signals
• Stay in familiar neighborhoods
• Don't cut across yards or driveways
• Wear a watch you can read in the dark
• Make sure costumes don't drag on the ground
• Shoes should fit (even if they don't go with your costume)
• Avoid wearing masks while walking from house to house
• Carry only flexible knives, swords or other props
• (If no sidewalk) walk on the left side of the road facing traffic
• Wear clothing with reflective markings or tape
• Approach only houses that are lit
• Stay away from and don't pet animals you don't know

Parents:

• Make your child eat dinner before setting out
• Children should carry cell phones so they can call home
• Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult
• If your children go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark
• If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material
• Older children should know where to reach you and when to be home
• You should know where they're going
• Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything
• Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect

Homeowners:

• Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones
• Pets get frightened on Halloween. Put them up to protect them from cars or inadvertently bitting a trick-or-treater
• Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame
• If you do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing
• Make sure paper or cloth yard decorations won't be blown into a flaming candle
• Healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later
• Non-food treats: plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers, coins