10 trick-or-treat safety tips

Tips

• Make your kids as visible as possible by having them carry a flashlight, wear glow-in-the-dark bracelets or necklaces, put reflective tape on the front and back of their costume, paint their face with glow-in-the dark face paint, or choose a lighter-colored costume rather than a darker one.
• Keep your child’s eyes clear by ensuring eye holes in masks are wide enough to see well out of, and that hats or head coverings are not so big that they cover a child’s eyes.
• Keep costumes short and snug by avoiding long skirts, capes, or baggy sleeves which can be tripping hazards or catch fire; choose costumes that fit well and allow safe movement.
• Wear good-fitting footwear; avoid shoes that are too big, loose, or floppy, and encourage comfortable, supportive footwear like sneakers instead of dress-up shoes.
• Check props for safety by ensuring items like swords or wands are flexible and made of plastic or rubber, avoiding rigid or pointy items.
• Stick together; younger kids should always trick-or-treat in groups with adult supervision (ideally one adult for every two to three children), and older kids (13 and up) should go with friends and avoid trick-or-treating alone.
• Use extra caution when walking, driving, or crossing streets by teaching kids to look left, right, and left again before crossing, not crossing between parked cars, walking instead of running, using sidewalks, holding hands when crossing, and for drivers, looking twice, slowing down, and being mindful of small children.
• Inspect your child’s candy at home to ensure it has not been tampered with and does not contain anything dangerous before letting them eat it.
• Take extra care if your child has food allergies by reading ingredient lists carefully, tossing candy if unsure, looking for teal pumpkin houses offering alternatives, and carrying an auto-injectable epinephrine.
• Teach kids to never enter homes and that treats should always be brought out to them, applying 'stranger danger' rules.