10 trick-or-treat safety tips

The spookiest day of the year is quickly sneaking up on us. You're probably already on your way to being knee deep in pumpkins, costumes, candy and creating great Halloween memories for your child.

While Halloween is a highly anticipated occasion, the Children's Health℠ Injury Prevention team reminds parents that safety should be top of mind. Children are more at risk for injuries while out walking on Halloween night than on any other day of the year.

Trick-or-treat safety tips

Here are 10 frighteningly easy tips to help make sure your child has a safe, fun Halloween.

1. Enhance visibility. Choose costumes that are visible at night so drivers can see them in the dark. Having kids carry a flashlight or wear glow-in-the-dark bracelets, or other reflective gear, is also a smart way to make sure your child is easy to see.
2. Clear eyes. Not only should your child be visible, but they should also be able to see everything around them. Make sure the eye holes in their masks are wide enough. Or, better yet, paint their face using kid-friendly, glow-in-the-dark face paint.
3. Inspect costumes. Keep costumes short and snug. Baggy sleeves and long capes and skirts can cause kids to trip and can catch fire if they brush up against a jack-o-lantern.
4. Make sure shoes fit. Big floppy shoes that are hard to walk in may cause kids to fall.
5. Check props. Make sure props are flexible. Costume props can hurt kids badly if they fall. Props should be made of plastic or rubber.
6. Stay together. Don't allow kids under 13 to walk alone. Make sure to trick-or-treat in groups with adequate adult-to-child ratio. And, have kids older than 13 go with buddies.
7. Look twice. Teach your kids to look left, right and left again before crossing at street corners. Don't let your kids cross between parked cars. Encourage kids to use the sidewalk when possible. Drivers should also look twice, slow down, and be extra cautious on Halloween night.
8. Inspect candy. Have children avoid eating candy until you've had the chance to inspect it first.
9. Never enter homes. Teach kids that they should never enter a stranger's home while they are out trick-or-treating. The rules of "stranger danger" apply just as much Halloween night as they do every day.
10. Be cautious with food allergies. If your child has a food allergy and is planning on going trick-or-treating, be cautious. Although some homes now offer candy alternatives, you should still carry your child's auto-injectable epinephrine in case an accident happens.