Halloween Safety Tips for Trick or Treaters

By Laura Strachan, Esq. on October 29, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Happy Early Halloween. The costume-themed holiday is one that is sure to be filled with lots of treats, but sometimes there can be some tricks involved, too. As the nation's most secular holiday, Halloween has always drawn a range of participants for it's October 31st celebration date. There are, unfortunately, some increased safety risks that come with the holiday. So, in no particular order, here are some important Halloween safety tips for trick or treaters:

  • Costumes: There are a couple areas of concern when it comes to purchasing costumes, especially for children. First, make sure that all material is flame retardant. Second, although a witch or vampire may seem like a fun option for a young child, putting your son or daughter in a brightly colored costume is a much safer choice. Bright colors will alert motorist to his or her presence much easier than a dark color would. It is also a good idea to have children carry flashlights with them -- not only will this increase visibility to everyone, it will also help your son or daughter get to the candy faster!
  • Decorations: Spider webs, jack-o-lanterns, and other ghoulish items are a hallmark of Halloween decorations both for residential homes and stores. When decorating your home or store, keep the foot traffic in mind and make sure to limit your use of extension cords, candles, and extraneous items that may be in the path of a pedestrian.
  • Treats: There may be some tricks hidden within the treats that parents should be on the look out for. First and foremost, if the candy is outside of a type of commercial wrapping, it should be discarded immediately. For young children, make sure the size of the candy is not too big or too small for them to handle.
Halloween is supposed to be a fun holiday filled with neighborhood parties, door-to-door candy hopping, and costume contests for both young and old participants. Staying connected to the potential safety concerns associated with the holiday should be on par with the costume trends for the year. Stay safe everyone!

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