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10 Tips for Halloween Safety

With Halloween almost here, your kids are already thinking about how much candy they’re going to get.

But you’re just thinking about how to keep them safe. By just following a few simple tips, you can make sure you and your kids enjoy a safe and fun Halloween.

You should:

  1. Make sure your kids are trick-or-treating with an adult or a group of friends. Don’t let them go trick-or-treating alone.
  2. Incorporate fruits and veggies into your pre-Halloween dinner. Because let’s face it: As soon as your kids come home, they’ll dig into the candy. You can be happy that they at least ate some carrots earlier in the evening.
  3. Walk on sidewalks when possible and take a glow stick or flashlight to stay visible and safe from cars. Put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
  4. Make sure your kids’ costumes fit appropriately. You don’t want them to trip over their long, black witch dresses or super hero capes. If wearing a mask, make sure their vision is not obstructed. Also, be sure that your kids’ masks and/or costumes allow for plenty of ventilation and are made of fire-retardant materials.
  5. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
  6. Remind them: wrapped candy only. Homemade treats from strangers can be unsafe.
  7. Take a look at their “loot” to make sure it all looks OK as soon as they get home. Look for choking hazards and make sure the candy is age-appropriate, so your toddler doesn’t choke on a piece of hard candy.
  8. Consider not allowing them to carry swords, light sabers or toy guns (even if it matches their costume). If necessary, modify the prop so it could not be mistaken for the “real deal.” Make sure that any props your child has as part of a costume are unlikely to shatter or break, thus minimizing the chances that your child would be cut.
  9. Dress your kids warmly, utilizing long underwear or even tights to avoid wearing a coat over that perfect costume.
  10. Look for safe trick-or-treating opportunities, like community festivals or church “trunk or treat” events, especially if you don’t live in a neighborhood or area with many trick-or-treaters. Also, it is safer when trick-or-treating to go to the homes of neighbors you know.

By following these tips, you and your kids should stay safe and be able to avoid a trip to the emergency department on Halloween. The main thing is to keep your kids as safe as possible while they enjoy dressing up as a favorite character to collect candy.

Carousel Pediatrics, a Tanner Medical Group practice, is located in Carrollton. For more information, visit TannerHealthcareforChildren.org or call 770-834-0606.

Children's Health Care




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