5 Halloween Safety Tips for Parents

As kids anticipate the candy they’ll collect on Halloween, parents want to ensure that trick-or-treating is more fun than frightful. By preparing with these basic Halloween safety tips for parents, you can help ensure safety, whether you are accompanying young trick-or-treaters or handing out candy at home.

1. Plan your route.
Without a plan, eager trick-or-treaters may venture several streets away and tire themselves out before they make it home. One of the best recommendations for staying safe on Halloween is to map out a route to keep kids on familiar paths.

If your kids are old enough to trick-or-treat without supervision, know their proposed route. Find out whom they’re going with and how to reach their parents. Even if they have cellphones, older kids should establish a time and place to meet if they get separated.

2. Dress accordingly.
Creative Halloween costumes shouldn’t pose safety risks. Make sure kids wear comfortable shoes and well-fitting clothing that won’t trip them up. Avoid masks, which can obscure their vision, and opt for nontoxic face paint instead. Also, plan for cool weather; have kids wear close-fitting layers under their outfit to stay warm without covering up the costume.

3. Stay visible.
Trick-or-treating often takes place in the dark, so make sure children are well lit and visible to oncoming traffic. Parents should be armed with flashlights, and kids who have their hands full toting candy should deck their costumes with reflective tape or wearable lights. Consider building costumes out of accessories that light up, such as shoelaces, ball caps or safety vests.

If family pets join the trick-or-treating fun, they should be leashed and well lit, too, with light-up leashes and collars to keep them visible.

4. Protect your home.
While your kids are out asking for treats, others might try to play tricks. Someone should stay home on Halloween night, both to hand out candy and to watch for vandalism. You don’t need to buy motion-sensor lights or security systems solely for Halloween. Just be home, be aware, and keep your home well lit — both inside and out — so people know you’re there.

5. Watch what you eat.
After trick-or-treating, inspect your kids’ candy before they dig in. Watch for signs of tampering, and toss anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.

While this holiday may be the night specifically associated with scares, these Halloween safety tips for parents should be part of your family’s precautions when going out any night — especially as daylight fades earlier this time of year.

By: Bill Treacy
Bill Treacy is Mace’s director of sales for sporting goods and consumer accounts.