Trick-Or-Treating Safety Tips

Trick-or-treating is a popular fall activity that brings families and neighbors together. Many kids look forward to this opportunity to dress up and get treats all month. To ensure that your kids have a safe, fun time, follow these ten trick-or-treating safety tips from our teachers at Kids R Kids.

Planning for Trick-or-Treating

1. Ensure your costumes are safe.

Dressing up is the highlight of this activity for many kids. When you buy or make your child’s costume, keep these safety tips in mind:

• Opt for non-toxic face paint over a mask since masks can obstruct children’s vision and breathing.
• Hem their costume if it’s too long to ensure they won’t trip as they skip from house to house.
• Be sure all accessories—like fake wands, swords, or other props—are made of a soft, flexible material.
• Add reflective tape or glow sticks to their costume, shoes, or bags to make your child more visible to you and cars when it gets dark.

2. Plan your route ahead with as many sidewalks as possible.

You can prevent arguments and the risk of someone in your party getting lost by planning out your trick-or-treating route. Try to plan a route with sidewalks so you can avoid walking on the street. Also, keep in mind that small children don’t have the endurance for long walks. If you are trick-or-treating with little kids, you may want to shorten your route or bring along a stroller to accommodate them.

3. Establish your candy consumption rules beforehand.

Leading up to trick-or-treating, let your kids know that it’s not safe to eat their candy until you’ve checked it out. If you have any other candy consumption rules, go over those too!

Many parents use trick-or-treating as an opportunity to teach children about moderation and healthful indulgence. You may want to set a limit on how many pieces of candy your kid can eat that night and in the days following. Many parents collect the candy afterward and store it in a hard-to-reach location where they can ration it out. Some parents even allow their kids to trade their candy for non-edible treats like a toy or screen time.

Going over your candy consumption rules before you trick-or-treat can cut down on friction. It also gives you a chance to share with your child the reasons for your rules.

4. Go over safety precautions with your kid(s).

Walking around at night surrounded by many strangers can cause some kids anxiety. You can reduce their anxiety and yours by reminding them of the safety precautions they should follow while you trick-or-treat, such as:

• Only go to homes with a porch light on.
• Never enter anyone’s home or car for a treat.
• Wait for you, another adult in your group, or an older sibling before ringing a doorbell or knocking on a door.
• Always cross the street at crosswalks or corners and look both ways before crossing the street.
• If there isn’t a sidewalk, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
• Call 9-1-1 (or another local emergency number) if they ever have an emergency or become lost. It may also be helpful to plan meet-up spots along your route. That way, if anyone in your group gets separated, they’ll know where to go to reconnect with you.

5. Make your home safe for trick-or-treating.

If you plan to pass out candy, take a little time to make your property safe for trick-or-treaters.

• Clear away any tripping hazards in your yard or on the walkway.
• Replace any dim or burnt-out bulbs, so your walkway or porch is well lit.
• If you have a pet that often bolts when the door opens or tends to be aggressive around strangers or kids, plan to house them outside or in a closed-off room during trick-or-treating hours. Even if your pet is extremely friendly, you may still want to keep them away from trick-or-treaters since some visiting children or adults could have an allergy.

When You Go Trick-or-Treating

6. Bring flashlights.

Trick-or-treating can be scary for kids when it gets dark. Bringing along a flashlight can ease your kid’s mind. It can also help your group stick together and reduce the risk of a sprained ankle or another injury from tripping in the dark.

Even if you are trick-or-treating in a well-lit subdivision, it is a good idea to bring along a flashlight or two just in case you come across a dark area. We don’t recommend using a flashlight app on your phone. It’s smart to save your phone’s battery in case you need to use it for an emergency.

7. Make sure everyone has comfortable shoes on.

Sneakers or tennis shoes may not match your costumes, but they are the best option for trick-or-treating. We especially recommend avoiding high heels, flip-flops, and costume shoes with thin soles. Before you leave the house, it’s a good idea to make sure everyone is in practical, comfortable walking shoes to avoid getting blisters or tripping.

8. Stick together in a group.

To keep your kids safe and prevent anyone from getting lost, be sure to stick together as a group! If your group is made up of more than 5 people, you may want to have a buddy system. We recommend pairing young children with an adult or trusted older child.

9. Avoid candles and other luminaries.

If any neighbors have candles or luminaries on their walkway or porch, make sure you and your kids maintain a safe distance from them. While many costumes are made of flame-resistant materials, you don’t want to risk a cape or pant leg catching on fire.

10. Inspect candy before it’s eaten.

To protect your children from unsafe homemade treats or candy that’s been tampered with, health experts recommend checking your kid’s trick-or-treating haul before they consume it. Any homemade treats (unless they are from a close family friend) or candy with an opened wrapper should be thrown away. While inspecting their candy at home, you may also want to look for small toys they received that could be a choking hazard.

We hope these 10 trick-or-treating tips help you plan a safe, fun evening with your kids! If you’d like to read more trick-or-treating dos and don’ts, check out this helpful safety and prevention sheet by the American Academy of Pediatrics.