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Besides Christmas, Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays for kids. It’s a time for costumes, candy, trick-or-treating, and fun. However, like any activity, it’s crucial to keep your little ones safe. Here are a few tips to ensure your little ghosts and goblins have a fun, safe Halloween holiday.
Choose Safe Costumes
Visibility
When you and your kiddos are shopping for a costume, look for light-colored ones, and add reflective tape so drivers can see your child more easily.
Fit
You don’t want your kids to get their costumes snagged on anything while they’re trick-or-treating, so look for a costume that fits well without being too snug to restrict movement. Avoid oversized shoes, trailing gowns, and capes.
Fire Safety
Most costumes you buy from the store are fire-resistant, but always check the label to be sure. Also, beware of long, flowing items that could easily catch fire.
Safe Trick-or-Treating
Pre-Plan Your Route
Before heading out for the night, familiarize your kids with the route they’ll take, even if they’re going along with an adult or another group, in case they get separated. Plan a well-lit route in an area with neighbors you know and trust.
Cross Safely
Teach your kids to cross streets at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks when possible, and remind them always to look both ways before they cross. Your older kids may groan, but they’re never too old to be reminded how to be safe.
Supervise Young Children
Never let young children go trick-or-treating alone; always have a trusted adult accompany them. When it comes to solo trick-or-treating, many parents find that kids can start at about age 13, depending on the child and the neighborhood. Still, other parents insist their older children travel in groups
of other kids to ensure they don’t get lost and to minimize risk.
Inspect Your Candy
We’ve all heard the stories about poisoned Halloween candy. And while sociologists agree most of these stories are urban legends, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Tempting as it may be, discourage your children from eating any candy until they get home and until you’ve had time to look everything over. Inspect the candy for any opened wrappers, choking hazards, and ones with food allergies that could make your child sick.
Keep Visitors Safe
While most of the focus of Halloween will be on your children and their fun night out, remember that other kids will be making the trip to your house. Clear the yard and pathway from obstacles, replace burned-out bulbs, and be sure your home is well-lit and inviting.
Be Mindful of Strangers
Halloween is when people dress up in scary costumes for fun, but remember, as unpleasant as it is to think about, there are real monsters out there. Stress to your children to never enter a stranger’s car or house, no matter how good the offer sounds. Teach them only to accept treats at the door and tell a trusted adult if they ever feel uncomfortable.
Consider Organized Events
Door-to-door trick-or-treating is waning in many communities, with people focusing on organized trunk-or-treat events or Halloween parties at churches or community centers. These are offered as a safer alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. Since many of these events happen indoors, you don’t have to worry about Mother Nature ruining your evening.
Stay Connected
One advantage this generation of kids has over the previous ones is their ability to stay connected to their parents and other group members with their phones. You probably won’t have to remind your older kids this, but make sure they have their phones with them when they go out for the night.
Halloween should be spooky fun, and not genuinely scary. With a little preparation and the right precautions, you and your kids will have a memorable experience and, if you’re lucky, enough candy to get you through until Thanksgiving.
Take Advantage of Our VPK Program
Children grow up so fast and need to learn so much to become well-rounded, successful adults. Our VPK program can set them on the right path by giving them a foundation of learning, creativity, and fun to jump-start their educational development.
Kids R’ Kids at Avalon Park, Florida, is a family-owned facility that prepares your kids for kindergarten and beyond. If you’re interested in our program, call us today at 407–306–9035 or fill out our contact form.