Halloween Safety Tips

A great alternative to Trick or Treating is for parents to organize parties at home, in schools, at a mall, community center, or places of worship.

If you do make the rounds in a neighborhood, here are some safety tips:
# Have adult supervision.
# There is safety in numbers. If they’re old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, tell your kids to stay in a group.
# Map out your plan. Plan out a route before your kids begin trick-or-treating, and make sure they stick to it.
# Take the long way around. Have your kids trick-or-treat in areas where there are a lot of people around. They should also avoid taking short-cuts through alleys and parking lots.
# Try tick-or-treat-friendly homes. Ensure your kids only visit houses with lights on. And, you might also suggest the houses they visit have some sort of Halloween decoration on the porch.
# Stay outside. Make sure your kids don’t go inside someone’s house. They can get their candy from the porch.
# Remain visible. Dress your kids in a bright costume so others can see them. If their costume is dark, have your kids wear reflective strips or carry a glow stick or flashlight.
# Remember, shorter means safer. This goes without saying but just in case you forget, make sure your kids’ costumes aren’t so long that they can trip over them.
# Don't cover the face. Instead of masks, have your kids wear make-up so they can see better.
# Check your kids’ candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with.
# Say "no" to strangers.