Don’t let Halloween night get seriously scary by following these tips with your little Trick-or-treaters!

1. Set up a route with your kids and know where they’re going if you won’t be with them
2. Set a curfew for your kids so they won’t cause trouble or get into trouble. Most people will stop answering their door to trick-or-treaters at a certain time anyway.
3. Make sure your kids know not to accept a ride or enter the house of strangers.
4. Eat dinner with your kids before they go out so they’ll have energy to run from house to house and not only eat candy for the evening.
5. If your child is wearing all dark colors, it’s a good idea for them to carry a flashlight or wear something reflective or glowing.
6. If you are driving on Halloween night, be extra careful to watch for kids running around, not only at crosswalks and intersections.
7. Tell your kids not to eat any home-made treats until they get home so you can check them out.
8. To prepare your home for trick-or-treaters, remove any obstacles in the yard/driveway/sidewalk and have your lights on.
9. Make sure costumes are flame-resistant, easily visible and well fitted so they won’t trip.
10. Place carved pumpkins on sturdy ground away from where children stand or flammable decorations.

For more safety advice, check out these sites:

A huge Halloween Safety Guide

Guides from a Health and Safety blog

And be sure to stay in touch for posts later this month:

Halloween Crafts for Kids & what to do with your left-over Halloween candy!