4 Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe While Having a Blast This Halloween 2024

With Halloween quickly approaching, neighborhoods will be overflowing with holiday festivities, food and fun. Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind when going about your evening or planning out your family's trick-or-treating experience.

What are some safety tips for motorists?

Neighborhoods that don't normally have a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic may experience an increase on Halloween night. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, kids are more than twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween night than on any other day of the year.

If you are driving on Halloween, stay alert and drive slowly. Make sure your headlights are on and be especially cautious in areas where cars are parked along the side of the street. Remember – kids will be excited and may forget to stop, look and listen before they cross the street.

What are the best costume safety tips?

Regardless of if your little one is dressed up as a witch, pirate or their favorite superhero this year, make sure costumes fit properly so children don’t trip and fall. Double check that your child’s costume is fire resistant and avoid masks or wigs that could impair a child's hearing or field of vision. If necessary, make ear and eye holes in masks a little larger so they can see clearly, or use makeup to create special effects instead of wearing costume pieces that cover their eyes and ears.

Don’t forget about safety-proofing costume props. Tie hats and scarves securely to keep them from slipping over your child's eyes. Also, be careful if your kid's costume has a toy sword or wand, as these can unintentionally cause eye injuries.

Since it’s likely to be dark while your family is out and about on Halloween night, decorate costumes, candy bags and other costume pieces with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car's headlights. Reflective tape can be purchased at bicycle, hardware and sporting goods stores, and even online. You can also give your child a glowstick bracelet or necklace to wear to add more visibility.

Are there tips for making trick-or-treating safer?

Before setting out for trick-or-treating, discuss safety rules with your kids. Talk about the importance of only crossing the street at the corner or crosswalks and that they should never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars. Before crossing the street, tell your children to look left, right and left again to make sure the path is clear and to stay with the group at all times. Stick to areas that are well lit and designate a responsible adult to accompany children while trick-or-treating around your neighborhood.

How can I encourage good hygiene during Halloween?

First thing's first: Wash your hands. Keep your hands clean before, during and after handing out candy to any trick-or-treaters. Be sure to have your kids wash their hands thoroughly before enjoying their candy, too! Examine all your child’s Halloween treats before they are eaten by looking for any signs of open packaging. Don’t allow your child to eat any treats that are not commercially packaged or have been prepared by strangers.

Remember to avoid trick-or-treating if your child has had a fever in the past 24 hours or is displaying any signs of illness to prevent the spread of infection to others. Last, but not least, be sure that both you and your child have received your annual flu vaccine. 

Here’s to a safe and healthy Halloween!