Come October and everybody is running around trying to find the perfect Pumpkins, costumes and decorations to make sure their Halloween is the best one they’ve had yet. However, it is important to stay safe on Halloween. It can be easy to get wrapped up with all the fun and frolic around without a care about what is going on around us. Read on to find out tips on how to have a safe Halloween with kids.
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Halloween Safety Tips According to the American Academy of Paediatrics
It’s a strange time to be living in due to the pandemic that has swept the world over. This issue could stretch on well into the next few months without a solution in place. While that may be the situation, safety should be of utmost priority for everybody. Here are some Halloween safety tips for parents as well as some Halloween safety tips for kindergarteners.
1. Safe Walking Tips
You might think that walking is easy but since it is a holiday night and many people are out and about, it is important to keep in mind tips about Halloween traffic safety.
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While crossing the street, make sure that you cross at corners. While doing so, ensure that you are using the crosswalk and traffic signals. Look left and right before crossing and while you cross to be sure that there is nobody approaching you.
Be careful to watch out for cars that are backing up. Teach children to not run out into the street or run around between parked cars.
Try to take a route with the least number of crossings so that the risk for anything unforeseen is mitigated. Direct routes are generally preferred when kids are around.
Make sure to always stay on the sidewalk and only walk there. In case you find that there are no sidewalks, walk while facing traffic.
Join in on the fun with kids if they are under 12 years of age because they will require supervision. If the kids are mature enough to go trick-or-treating on their own, tell them to be in familiar areas that are lit well. Ideally, if they go in a group, it will be safe.
Try to stay away from electronic devices when you go out because it’s important to be vigilant. Make sure your head is up and that you are not running across the street.
Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing to the road so that they both are aware of what they should do.
2. Costume Tips for a Safe Halloween
Safety in all aspects is important so here are some Halloween costume safety tips to help you out.
Add reflective tape to your costume if possible so that you are visible clearly in the dark.
If you decide to dress up as something with a mask, try and avoid that. Masks can partially block vision which can be a hazard after dark. Try using non-toxic makeup as a substitute.
You can hand the kids some glowsticks or small torches in order for them to cross the street.
Make sure that the costume that the kids choose fits correctly so as to prevent any falls or tripping.
Try to avoid any sharp aspects to the costume like swords or knives to prevent any injury to the kids.
Try to buy flame-resistant costumes. Usually, the costumes will have tags on them that say this.
3. Halloween Pumpkin Carving Tips for Kids
As fun as Pumpkin carving might be, it can be difficult for kids. Make sure to follow these safety tips to have a safe Halloween.
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If the kids are too small, do not allow any kind of carving on the Pumpkin. Instead, hand them markers and get them to draw on the pumpkin.
Try to not use candles inside the pumpkins and replace them with glowsticks or LED candles.
Do not place any pumpkins that have candles inside them on any pathway. Make sure that they are not unattended.
In case you decide to allow the kids to carve the pumpkin, you can help with the parts that they want to carve after they have marked out the kind of design they like with a marker.
4. Halloween Candy Safety
Candy is every kid’s favorite part of Halloween. Here are some safety tips to ensure that you have a safe Halloween.
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In case you find yourself in the middle of a pandemic, you can ditch the candy bowl altogether. Instead, you can lay out the candy separately on a table for kids to grab and go.
Before going out trick-or-treating, make sure that the kids have been fed. They tend to start munching on the candies throughout the evening and that is never a good idea!
Make sure to get back home and check your child’s bag of candy to throw away anything that is unwrapped, looks unsavoury or spoiled.
Halloween is definitely a fun holiday which is enjoyed equally by both, adults and kids. But like we mentioned, it is easy to get caught up in all the fun and let your guard down. Ensure that you are vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times. This is even more important in case you are going out with kids. Many kids can be unpredictable and totally ignore safety protocols because they get too wrapped up in the evening. You must be the responsible one to make sure that everybody involved has a safe and fun evening. We hope our safety tips have helped you and that you have a happy and safe Halloween!