Halloween Safety

Halloween is a “spooktacular” time for kids with treats, costumes and fun galore! However, all the excitement can cause kids and parents to forget about safety. For a safe Halloween, follow these tips from the SafeKids Campaign:

Costumes:
• Make sure that drivers can see your child. Have your kids wear costumes that are bright and decorated with reflective tape.
• Always have your child carry a flashlight.
• The costume should fit short and snug. Baggy sleeves, capes and skirts can cause your child to trip and may catch on fire if they brush against jack-o-lanterns or candle flames. Be sure shoes fit properly to prevent falling.
• Costume accessories such as swords or knives should be made from soft, flexible material with no sharp edges.
• Wear face paint or make-up instead of a mask. Masks can hinder your child’s ability to see.
• If making your own costume, use materials that are fire resistant. If buying a costume, make sure it is labeled as “flame resistant,” which means it could catch on fire, but will burn slower than other materials.

Decorations:
• Small children should never carve pumpkins. Let them draw a face instead.
• Remove all objects outside your home that could cause children to trip and fall. Keep outside lights on.
• Avoid using candles to decorate pumpkins. Small flashlights can be used instead.

Streets:
• Don’t go trick or treating alone. If under the age of nine, make sure you go with an adult. Children older than nine should go with an adult or in a group with older children.

• Children should know how to cross the street safely. Stop at all street corners and look both ways before crossing the street. Cross only at street corners and crosswalks. Don’t cross between parked cars.
• Children should walk not run from house to house and stay on the sidewalk or at the side of the road facing traffic.
• Be extra careful when driving on Halloween. Children may forgo safety rules in the midst of all the excitement.
• Children should stay in well-lit areas and visit homes that have outside lights turned on. Children should never enter other homes.

Treats:
• Tell your children to bring treats home before eating them. Inspect the candy and throw away treats that are not wrapped, those that are torn or open, or any that have small holes in the wrappers.
• Be sure to avoid small hard candies for children under three years old, as these are a choking hazard.

Kids will be kids and should enjoy the treats offered on Halloween. However, be sure that your kids are following a healthy diet the majority of the time, such as the Truestar kids meal plans as well as staying active using Truestar kids exercise plans.

Have a haunted and safe Halloween!