If your little monsters and goblins will be trick-or-treating this year, follow these safety tips to make sure they have a happy, healthy, and safe halloween.
Non-toxic face paint is a better choice than a mask which may obscure your child’s vision and hinder his breathing. If you do opt for a mask, cut oversized holes for their eyes and mouth and encourage them to take off their masks when crossing the street. Also, look at the labels and choose a costume that is flame-retardant.
Give your children a flashlight or glow stick and use reflective tape on the costume itself. Make sure children under 12 years old are being supervised by an adult or teen chaperone, if possible round up a group of children to trick-or-treat together. Not only is this more fun, it’s safer.
For your own decorations, light your walkway with lanterns instead of candles. Battery-powered light sources, such as light sticks or electronic candles, are just as decorative and not as dangerous. If you’re carving pumpkins with little ones, let them mark the design with a marker and you handle the knife.
Once they are home with the loot, check candy wrappers for pinholes, tears or unusually loose packaging as this can indicate possible tampering. Remove choking hazards from young children’s buckets and bags – things like small toys, peanuts, hard candles, or gum can sometimes cause problems.