The big day is almost here! Your house and neighbors' houses are probably fully decorated with the requisite skulls and spiderwebs, and a zombie or vampire is even ready to jump out of your windows! For the little ones, Halloween is without a doubt one of the most awaited holidays of the year, because they'll get to dress up, have fun, and—of course—collect as much candy as possible.
Sadly, though, during this time, accidents involving kids and adolescents, like food poisoning, burns, or traffic accidents, tend to increase as well. That's why various government health agencies have compiled a list of recommendations for parents so that they and their kids can enjoy Halloween safely. Read on for some tips below.
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Scary costumes made not-so-frightening:
- Any sword, knife, or dress-up accessory that looks like a weapon should be plastic, flexible, light, and without any sharp edges.
- Avoid any mask that can limit breathing, and also avoid costumes that are too big or can trip and lead to falls.
- Use only face paints that are designed to be applied to the skin and that are nontoxic. To avoid risk of allergies, test any makeup or anything you'll be putting on your kid's skin in a small area (like the inside of their arm) first. Food coloring is NOT recommended because it can be hard to wash off later.
Sweet temptations:
- Feed your kids before they go out trick-or-treating! That way, they won't want to eat every piece of candy they collect—and it will give you time to inspect the goodies to make sure they're not open or look suspicious.
- Only let your kids eat candies that are in their original, intact packaging. Eating homemade candy made by strangers is not a good idea.
- Limit the amount of candy your kids can eat in one day.
Careful where you walk!
- Never let your children go trick-or-treating alone! Make sure that either an adult is with them at all times or, if they're older, they go out in groups.
- Teach your kids that they have to walk and not run when they're going from house to house, especially when there are steps or stairs involved that could pose a particular danger with kids' costumes that can get tangled and lead to trips and falls.
- Tell your kids to be especially careful when crossing the street. On Halloween, pedestrian accidents increase (probably due to kids out and about in the dark and in dark costumes). If possible, outfit your older kids' costumes with reflective tape (like this one—make it fun and part of their costume!), or have them wear reflective vests or clothing.
- Never, EVER let your little ones walk with lighted candles. Wigs and other Halloween costume accessories can be highly flammable.
Prevention is definitely key during Halloween! That's why it's super important for us parents to be as vigilant as possible about any situation that could potentially pose a hazard to our kids.
In any case, we want to wish you a fun, scary, but—above all!—SAFE Halloween celebration with your kids!