14 Important Halloween Safety Tips
Halloween season is upon us and most of us get pretty excited. From taking our kids to haunted houses and trick or treating, to decorating our own yards and porches with the latest ghouls and ghosts, Halloween can be dangerous! If we don’t take special precautions and pay close attention, Halloween can go from being a ton of fun to being a real life nightmare.
Never fear, however. We have all the tips you need to make sure your Halloween is perfectly safe. Here are 14 extremely important Halloween safety tips to follow this coming spooky season:
Make sure costumes are not flammable and fit – Costumes that are flammable are among the most dangerous on the market. While most commercial costumes are now flame retardant (make sure you check anyway), homemade costumes are not. Be super careful about what materials you use and that the costume fits snugly and comfortably. A loose or ill fitting costume can make your kids trip, fall and hurt themselves.
Travel in groups – Never be alone on Halloween if you are leaving the house. That goes for kids and adults. There is no good reason to be outside on Halloween alone.
Coach your kids to politely decline an invitation to come indoors – Even if it is cold outside, you should always coach your little ones to stand on the porch and not go inside unless they know them.
Make sure walkways are well lit – When you go to put your decorations together, make sure you light up the walking areas and any part of the trick or treat zone. Kids will otherwise trip, fall and hurt themselves on your property. That is not good for anyone. We suggest carrying a flashlight.
Avoid decorations that could be dangerous – Decorations that can be dangerous might be spikes, sharp points of any kind, open flames and even smoke such as what comes out of a machine. These things can be really cool looking and scary, but they can cause far more problems than they are worth. Use the fake stuff instead that is soft and harmless.
Inspect all candy – Homemade candy is great and all but it should not be eaten from strangers. Be sure your kids know to hold off on eating candy until you get a good look at it. Look for signs of tampering and damage.
Wear reflective clothing strips – These are now sold all over the place and you can literally make any costume glow in the dark. Take these strips and paste them on their bags of candy, backsides and front. The strips are not going to mess up the costume and will light your little one up and make them easily seen.
Carry a light – It helps for them to see where they are going and it also helps to let them be seen. These lights could be incorporated into the costume. If you are a Star Wars character, your light could be a light saber. If you are a pirate, why not carry a lantern?
Use crosswalks whenever possible – Crosswalks are not foolproof by any means but your odds of safely crossing goes up when you use them. Corners are the best options even if there are no crosswalks simply because cars tend to naturally slow down in those areas.
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Leave the electronics at home – Why bring the tablets, computers and video games? A cell phone tucked away in case of emergency is okay, but a distracted kid on Halloween night is a dangerous proposition.
Use the sidewalk – The sidewalk is the safest place for you and your trick or treaters so spend some time making sure they stay there. Coaching your kids before they go out really does make a difference.
Always supervise younger kids – The younger set should always be followed closely by a parent or guardian. There are too many dangers to trust a teenager or other child to do it.
Avoid masks when possible – Masks are great from Halloween parties and haunted houses, but not for trick or treating. They make your child even more clumsy than they are without one. Why not paint the face they want instead and allow them to see where they are going?
Slow down – The number one safety rule on Halloween night is to slow down. That goes for drivers, children and parents. We all need to take it easy, enjoy the night and get home safely. Slowing down will help us all to do that.
Don’t forget our 31 Days of Halloween Hacks & Tips (Pin to Pinterest) and 31 Halloween Food Crafts (Pin to Pinterest).
Also take a look at these 31 Family Halloween Costume Ideas (Pin to Pinterest).
WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.
Last Updated on September 27, 2015 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living
Robert @ Frugal Buzz says
Reflective strips attached to costumes are a must-have for safety. Always remember that drivers sometimes cannot see you as the street lights might blind their vision (the windshield can blind drivers as they reflect the light). Be sure to always wait to cross the street when you see cars (headlights) coming down the streets.