With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s time to pick out your pumpkin, choose your costume, and start preparing for Halloween festivities. Halloween is a fun time for adults and children alike, but it’s also a holiday that poses certain hazards, from fire risks to trick-or-treating temptations. In between decorating your home with spooky sights and picking out pumpkin-carving patterns, use the list of Halloween safety tips we’ve put together to help you ensure that this holiday remains accident-free.
When choosing your child’s costume, avoid loose or baggy clothing that could prove difficult to walk in, and be sure to select costumes made from fire-retardant materials.
- If your children have their hearts set on certain costumes, they may be difficult to convince, but try to encourage them to choose bright-colored costumes that will be visible to drivers. For dark-colored costumes, or as an added precaution for bright-colored ones, add strips of reflective tape to the material, as well as to your children’s trick-or-treat bags.
- If your child’s costume requires makeup, choose products that are labeled “FDA-Approved” or “Non-toxic,” to prevent allergic reactions.
- When carving your pumpkin, be sure to place the pumpkin on a flat, well-lit surface. Try using a pumpkin-carving kit that includes special cutting tools that are easy to use, especially if children are participating.
- For extremely young children eager to participate in the pumpkin carving, allow them to draw the pattern on the pumpkin’s face while you handle the actual carving.
- Instead of open flame candles, use glow sticks or battery-operated candles to illuminate your jack-o-lantern. If you prefer to use candles, opt for votive-style ones and keep pumpkins containing them out of the reach of children and pets.
- Place your carved pumpkin at least several feet away from curtains, decorations, and other flammable objects, and never leave your jack-o-lantern unattended.
- When preparing to trick-or-treat, remind your children to walk only on sidewalks, look both ways before crossing any streets, and only collect candy at well-lit homes.
- Never allow children to enter a home while trick-or-treating, unless accompanied by an adult, and be sure they know to never accept candy from anyone in a car.
- Although you may have family pets, you can’t predict how other people’s pets might react to strangers, so caution your children against approaching unfamiliar animals while trick-or-treating.
- If you have older children allowed to trick-or-treat without an adult, ask them to plan their route in advance so you’ll have an idea of their whereabouts during the night.
- Try to prevent your children from snacking on newly collected candy while trick-or-treating. Instead, tell them to wait until the end of the night, then sort through their treats and dispose of any unwrapped goods, treats that could pose choking hazards to young children like hard candy, gum or peanuts, and any other questionable candy.
From carving pumpkins together to trick-or-treating around your neighborhood, Halloween offers families many fun times to remember, but it’s important to keep safety in mind to keep your children happy and healthy on this exciting night. At Knapton, Reade & Woods, the safety of you and your loved ones is important to us. For additional Halloween safety tips and other safety information, please contact us, read our blog, or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.
