Happy Halloween! It’s an exciting day for young and old alike – a day for ghosts and goblins, parties and playtime, costumes and cuisine. Want to keep your little terrors safe and happy for the big night? Here are some tips!

 

– Make sure your costumes are flame resistant / fire retardant. Good fabrics for this include nylon and polyester materials.

– Make sure you can be seen!!! Bright costumes with reflective surfaces or strips of reflective tape can help others see you in the dark.

– Make sure costumes are short enough so that there is no danger of tripping.

– Instead of wearing hats or masks that can obscure your vision, replace these things with makeup and special paint that’s safe for skin.

– When using costume makeup, test small patches of skin first to check for allergies. You can test makeup by putting some on your arm a couple of days in advance. Rashes, redness, swelling, or other irritation are signs of a possible allergy and that makeup shouldn’t be used.

– Avoid decorative contact lenses unless you have seen an eye care professional and gotten a proper lens fitting and instructions for using the lenses. These fancy contact lenses sold over-the-counter and on the internet are illegal and can cause serious eye problems. Learn more at USA.gov.

 

 

– Want to prevent yourself and the little ones from eating while trick-or-treating? Eat a snack before heading out – that way there’s no temptation to eat candy that hasn’t been checked over yet.

– Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.

– Tell children not to accept—or eat—anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.

– Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.

– Parents of children with diabetes, food allergies and other food sensitivities should keep an extra close eye on the candy bag during and after trick-or-treating.

– Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

– Inspection of candy should be done immediately after returning home. Unsafe, suspicious or unwanted items should be disposed of immediately to avoid issues.

– Candy can go bad—especially if it's made of chocolate. Learn more from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

 

 

– Children should never go into a stranger’s house or even ring their door for treats unless supervised by an adult.

– Be careful when crossing the street! Be sure to look both ways to be sure that there are no cars coming. Very young children should keep hold of a parent or sibling’s hand when crossing.

– Pranks such as toilet papering a home or throwing eggs at cars is vandalism. Never engage in negative behaviors – Halloween should be fun and positive for all ages to enjoy!

 

 

Photo courtesy of WikimediaCommons.com-