Kids love Halloween. The costumes, the parties, going trick-or-treating.
Moms and dads want their children to enjoy the yearly event. However, safety should also be a priority.
“In addition to helping plan for a fun holiday, parents must also take some precautions to make sure their children are safe on Halloween,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D., M.S.Ed., child health medical officer for the County Health and Human Services Agency.
Here are some tips to help ensure children have a safe Halloween:
- Children should wear bright, age-appropriate costumes that are made of fire-safe materials. For example, this Kids superhero cape would make a great costume for a Halloween party. Get creative but make sure you’re buying good quality outfits that are not flammable.
- Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible
- Young children should be accompanied by an adult or older sibling
- Older children trick-or-treating without supervision should walk in groups and have a set time to return home
- Children and adults should put electronic devices down and keep heads up while walking, especially crossing streets
- Teach children to look both ways when crossing streets, to use crosswalks and to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
- Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them be seen by drivers.
- Children should not enter homes of people they do not know
- Throw away anything that looks tampered with or unwrapped
- Do not eat homemade treats, unless you know the person who made them
“Parents should inspect all candy and goodies before their children eat them,” Sidelinger concluded.
In addition to these tips, make sure your children are up to date with their flu shots. With the evening breeze and sugar craze, the last thing you need is a sick child on hand!
Happy Halloween and stay safe and healthy out there folks!
