Halloween can be a time of great fun for children, but it is also a time when adults who care for children have special concerns about safety. The following tips should help ensure that Halloween is safe without interfering with children’s enjoyment.

Treats:

• Encourage children to have fun collecting treats, but tell them to wait until they return home before eating them.
• Inspect all treats and throw out any with torn or unsealed wrappers.
• Homemade treats should be discarded.
• Bringing candy or other treats to be X-rayed is not completely reliable since many objects cannot be detected this way.
• Report any suspicious treats to your local police. 
• If your child has allergies, check the ingredient list carefully. 

Trick or Treating

• Set curfews for your children.
• Children should understand that they can Trick or Treat at homes of neighbors they know.
• Check your walkways and lawns for obstacles, and leave your lights on.
• Keep pets indoors or confined to an area where they will not interfere with children.
• Younger children should always be accompanied by an adult.
• Consider sharing and planning neighborhood parties as an alternative to Trick or Treating.  

Costumes:

• Check masks to be sure children can see and breathe easily.
• Plan costumes that are flame-resistant and roomy enough to allow the child to dress warmly underneath. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping.
• Purchase face paints, glues, and glitters made of nontoxic materials. Be aware that some children can have allergic reactions to these products.
• Neon glowsticks and neck bands contain a chemical that is irritating to skin and could be harmful to eyes. Children should not bang, crush or throw glowsticks or neckbands, and they should avoid doing anything that might release the chemicals.

Jack O’Lanterns

• Let your child have fun drawing a face on the pumpkin and scraping out the contents, but an adult should do the carving.
• Jack O’Lanterns with candles should be watched carefully and placed where they can’t start a fire.