With the holiday just around the corner, amidst all of the expected fun, there’s also the ever growing concern with Halloween safety and how to keep kids safe this Halloween. The kids and I really enjoy Trick-or-Treating, but it can be really overwhelming with elaborate masks, car traffic and the extra measures parents have to take to keep our kids safe on Halloween night. Fortunately, with the proper precautions, trick-or-treating can be a fun and safe experience for children of all ages!
In just a few short weeks, while millions of families will be out trick-or treating, here’s a really handy Halloween Safety Guide with some really helpful tips for keeping our children safe on Halloween.
Halloween Safety: Tips for Keeping Kids Safe:
Make sure your kids, their costumes, and YOU can be seen in the dark
Remember that invisible Halloween costume that came out a few years ago? Yeah, don’t do that! The fear of losing your kids in the midst of the crowd is huge stress on Halloween night. Make sure you can see your kids’ costumes easily in the dark. In the past, I’ve applied reflective tape to their costumes in multiple places. However, this year, our friends at Energizer sent us some wonderful tools to help keep kids safe on Halloween night while we’re out and about in the dark.
For starters, this hands-free, wearable Energizer® 2-in-1 Personal Light and Energizer® LED Magnet Light are the perfect tools to illuminate after-dark activities. Also, since creativity is the name of the game when it comes to Halloween Costumes, you can let your princess shine bright with a flashlight wand (i.e. the Energizer® with Light Fusion Technology™ 2-in-1 LED Flashlight) or let your superhero find her way to save the world.
Also, just remember that your kids worry about finding you too, so it’s a great idea to wrap an Energizer® Vision HD + Headlight around your wrist or attached to a headpiece!
Check any Halloween costume masks ahead of time
Many costumes come with masks and, while it may not seem like a big deal, the fit of those masks is particularly important. Kids will be crossing streets and walking near traffic, so you want to make sure the holes around the eyes are cut wide enough so your child’s vision is not impaired.
Travel in well lit areas
If your neighborhood contains areas that are not so well lit, bring along a flashlight to help make sure you can always see who and what’s
around you. You know, just in case there’s a creepy clown lurking around in the bushes. Haha.
I also received this perfect Energizer® Weatheready® 360º LED Area Light to carry with me while out trick-or-treating in the dark. I love this thing so much not only for Halloween, but just to have around the house in case of a blackout.
Plan your route in advance
Especially if you’re not planning to Trick or Treat with a group of people, have a plan in place ahead of time for the areas you will be visiting. This can be as simple as deciding and communicating to your kids that we will be trick-or-treating down this side of the street and then returning on the other side. This keeps kids from trying to hop back and forth across the street just because they see a porch light on.
Check your child’s candy!
This is another one of the most critical ones for parents only because, sadly, there are so many sickos out there. Try, if you can, to stick to trick-or-treating in homes and neighborhoods where you are familiar with the people, but if not, check all candy wrappers and dispose of any candy that appears to have been tampered with.
Carry a cell phone and have your kids carry one too.
I know I never leave my home without a cell phone, but if you’re kids are old enough to be responsible for one, you might consider either giving them one of their own, or purchasing an inexpensive, prepaid phone for any emergencies. Program important numbers inside their phones ahead of time for them to use if lost or in danger.
Be Fire Safe
Last, but not least, whether you’re out trick or treating or at home greeting trick-or-treaters, lighting candles around the home is not a good idea. You can light your entrance with a few of the Energizer® Weatheready® 360º LED Area Lights which not only illuminate the area, but also add a festive glow. If you have a carved pumpkin, the Energizer® LED Magnet Light I mentioned earlier is a great alternative to a candle. These water resistant lights offer up to 30 lumens and 15 hours of glow, and are perfect for keeping your jack-o-lantern radiant through Halloween night.
Do you have any more tips for keeping your children safe on Halloween?
Energizer sponsored and inspired this post. As always, all opinions are mine alone.
Shoes! Make sure your kids are wearing comfy shoes even if it doesn’t go with the costume. I can remember one haloween saying to my oldest daughter those boots will suck for trick or treating. She said she will be fine and we let her wear them. Well by the end of the night she had moms shoes on, mom had dads, and I was walkinh the streets in socks carying boots. We all learned that night. Oh ya we also had snow for haloween night.
Comfy shoes are a must!