Halloween is one of the most exciting nights of the year for kids. From wearing and dressing up in costumes to filling baskets with candy, it’s a very fun time. However, with all the spooky excitement, it’s easy to overlook safety, especially when children are out trick-or-treating. Here are tips to help your kids avoid injuries on Halloween.
Choose Safe Halloween Costumes
Everyone, including kids, looks forward to wearing costumes on Halloween. It is always fun, but sometimes, costumes can be unsafe. The first thing to make sure is that your kid’s costumes fit properly and are the right size. Undersized costumes can cause your kid to lose breath and suffocate.
Oversized costumes, especially in the legs, can cause your child to trip, fall, and injure themselves.
When it comes to masks, make sure your kid can see clearly out of them. Masks can limit your kids’ vision, making it hard to see other people, objects, bicycles, and cars. This can especially be a problem at night as well, as the darkness mixed with a mask that doesn’t allow your kid to see clearly will increase the risk of injury. If you are skeptical and have trust issues with your kids’ mask, one alternative is to use face paint instead. This will allow your child to have clear vision without having to worry about vision problems with the mask.
With trick-or-treating being an activity that carries into the night, one trick that has been used more often throughout the years is adding bright-colored reflective tape on your child’s costume to improve visibility. This is helpful for people, bike riders, and cars at night to see your kids, especially if your child has a darker-colored costume.
Supervise Your Kids During Trick-or-Treating
Always chaperone and accompany your kids during trick or treating, especially if they’re younger (preferably if they are under the age of 12). Adult supervision is key to making sure your kids stay safe when they go out and collect their candies. You never know what can happen. For older kids who are trick-or-treating, give them a set time to return home and a specific route to travel to and from home.
During your supervision, choose well-lit areas and encourage your children to walk on sidewalks rather than the street. This will keep them safe and avoid any incidents involving cars and other vehicles. Lawyer Doug Brannon states “Many pedestrian accidents happen during Halloween night due to vehicles and not following street rules.” If there are no sidewalks, try to walk facing traffic so you and your children can see oncoming cars.
Bringing a flashlight is also an essential tool for visibility at night to watch your kids and keep them safe. Make sure you plan and buy a flashlight if you do not already have one.
Be Careful Around Cars
Teach your children to look both ways when they cross the street and only use crosswalks and corner streets. Kids are twice as likely to be hit by a car and suffer a fatality on Halloween. There are many distracted drivers during Halloween night, and making sure your kids stay aware and alert at all times will help them avoid a serious injury.
Keep Your Home Safe For Your Kids and Others
Decorating your home with pumpkins, inflatables, lights, and scary statues is a highlight for many Halloween enjoyers. Although it is fun, it can be somewhat dangerous for other children who are not careful. Make sure you clear pathways that lead up to your door. Obstacles like garden hoses, decorations, extension cords for lighting, and steps without lighting can cause trips, slips, and falls for other children trick-or-treaters.
If you have pumpkin jack-o-lantern decorations in your walkways, make sure they are out of the way of kids reach. This will help prevent kids from brushing against them and knocking them over, which could lead to fire hazards and potential burns. If you are worried about fires, use battery-operated lights instead to reduce the risk of heat-related injuries.
Check Your Kid’s Candy Before They Eat Them
Before your kids eat their sweet treats from their candy baskets, make sure to check for any opened candy. I know this can be a long and tedious task, but keeping your kids safe from eating candy from a stranger is well worth it. Remember, it is better to be safe than sorry.
For younger children, some candies are very small in size. Make sure to watch out for them in case you think that your kid could potentially choke on them.
Be Spooky While Safe
Halloween can be a fun time, however injuries on this holiday are very common, especially for kids. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study in 2022, there were 3,200 Halloween-related injuries that were treated in hospitals during a three-year span. Injuries and fatalities are no stranger.
If a fatality or a serious injury happens as a result of an accident on Halloween night, having access to contacting police officers, first responders, medical personnel, and even legal representation through a personal injury firm if another person is at fault is very beneficial and helpful.
With some planning and mindfulness, parents can ensure their kids enjoy a safe and fun Halloween without injuries. Make sure to follow these tips to ensure your kids’ safety.