Halloween is right around the corner and, if your kids are like mine, they are super excited to go trick or treating! While this is a fun holiday for children and adults alike, it can also be a dangerous time for our little ghouls and goblins. Macaroni Kid has put together a few tips to make this fun evening a safer experience for our mini Macaronis.
- Make sure that costumes are bright or reflective. If they are dark in color, you can add reflective tape to their costumes and/or their trick or treat bags. You can also use glow sticks, glow necklaces, and glow bracelets to help make your child more visible.
- Give your children (and yourself) a flashlight with fresh batteries for better visibility and to help them watch for trip hazards.
- Only trick or treat in well-known neighborhoods and only at houses that have their porch light on.
- Remain on well-lit streets and stay on sidewalks as often as possible.
- If there are no sidewalks, walk on the farthest edge of the roadway facing oncoming traffic.
- All children should be accompanied by an adult while making their rounds through the neighborhood.
- Stay in a group, communicate where you are going and always remind children to walk…not run…while trick or treating.
- If children have props that accompany their costume, make sure that they do not present a trip hazard and make sure that they cannot be construed as real, i.e. guns, knives or swords.
- Also, make sure that costumes do not present a trip hazard, such as long skirts, flowing capes, and trailing costume parts.
- Teach children their home phone number and how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency in case they become lost. For small children, you can also place their emergency information (name, address, phone number) discreetly within their Halloween costume.
- Never enter a stranger’s home or car for a treat.
- Never cut across yards or alleys.
- Obey all traffic and pedestrian laws.
- Stay in crosswalks whenever possible.
- Remove masks or anything that limits eyesight before crossing the street. You might also consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives to masks.
- Always walk - NEVER RUN - across streets.
- Remember that motorists might have trouble seeing trick or treaters.
- Never consume unwrapped candy. Make sure that your children know to let you inspect their candy at home before they eat any of it. Adults should closely examine all treats and throw away any unwrapped, tampered with, or suspicious items.
Here is wishing all of our Macaroni families a SAFE and FUN Halloween!! Happy Trick or Treating!!
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Looking for fun activities to do with the kids in the Winchester area? Join us and receive a FREE weekly calendar: www.winchester.macaronikid.com
Make sure to share us with your friends so they can get in on the fun too!
