Halloween is one of our favorite holidays. Kids and parents get creative with costumes, the weather starts cooling down, and of course, we love the salted caramel, apple, and pumpkin spice flavored everything! Halloween is a time for fun and laughter, but when it comes to protecting our kids, it’s no laughing matter. As you prepare for Halloween 2015, be sure to follow these Halloween safety tips from our AllKids East Valley pediatric urgent care providers.
Tips for Costume Safety
Skip the mask, stick to face paint. Masks can limit visibility. Many wigs, hats, and masks are not resistant to flame. If any part of their headpiece comes in contact with a candle or flame, this puts your child at risk of serious injury. (We’re open on Halloween from 12pm-10pm! If you have a medical emergency, bring your child to one of our East Valley pediatric urgent care locations!)
Bright Colors or Reflective Tape Costumes with bright colors are unique, fun, and safer than most costumes with dark fabrics. Adding reflective tape to shoes and dark costumes will help keep your child visible to drivers and other pedestrians trick-or-treating.
Hem long capes and cloaks to keep kids from tripping.
Find a creative way to incorporate a flashlight into your child’s costume for added visibility and safety.
Stick Together
Children should never go trick or treating alone. Keep your eyes on your children at all times when you are accompanying them. Older children should go in groups and look out for each other.
Plan a route. If you get lost, check your phone and navigate back to the route. Older kids can carry a cell phone with them so they can call home or dial 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Stay on well-lit streets and do not approach homes without lights on.
Be sure your children know never to enter a home or vehicle to get a treat.
Tips for Haunted Homes
If you like to go all out on your Halloween decorations, consider these tips for making your haunted mansion safe for trick-or-treaters:
Use light bulbs, votive candles, or glow sticks in carved pumpkins instead of actual flames. If the candles or pumpkins get knocked over, the flame could cause harm or injury.
Make sure your porch is well-lit (even if you’ve got fun and festive lights)
Keep your yard free of anything a child could bump into or trip on. Clear a visible path for children to easily walk up to your door.
Keep your pets from scaring attacking strangers who come to the door.
Blow out the candles in your jack-o-lanterns at the end of the night.
Happy and Healthy Halloween
How much candy do you let your children eat on Halloween? If you’re looking for some healthier Halloween alternatives, try these:
Give kids a good meal before they head out trick-or-treating. This way, they won’t be as hungry for sweets.
If you don’t want extra candy in the house, buy a fun craft, game, or prize instead of candy! Boxes of crayons, coloring books, small dolls, erasers, pencils, or fruit are some inexpensive healthy Halloween alternatives.
Always check the candy bag before kids dig in. Toss unwrapped pieces in the garbage. Throw away any candy that is not age-appropriate
While it may seem silly, some small children do not know which candies to bite and which candies to suck on. Biting hard candies can damage teeth and cause mouth pain.
Have your kids donate their candy to charity!