For kids, Halloween is an exciting time.
Parents, however, often spend the holiday worrying about their kids’ safety. The good news is that with proper planning, trick-or-treating can be a very safe and fun activity.
Here are a few tips for a happy and healthy Halloween, along with some products to help you get started.
1. Make sure that your children go out wearing reflective gear.
We’d love to tell you that every driver exercises a little extra caution on Halloween night, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Reflective materials are absolutely essential, even if your kids won’t be trick-or-treating in complete darkness.
Your kids probably won’t want to wear reflective vests, but fortunately, that’s not necessary. You can get a cheap role of reflective tape, apply a few strips, and improve the safety of just about any article of clothing. You might even find ways to use the tape as part of the costume.
Get Gear Aid reflective tape on Amazon.
While you’re at it, look for other ways to bring a little light to your child’s trick-or-treating gear. A glow-in-the-dark candy bucket is a great example.
These will allow you to easily identify your child from a distance, and kids will love the spooky green glow. What’s the downside, other than all that room for sugar?
Get a two-pack on Amazon.
2. Get high-quality flashlights capable of lighting the ground immediately in front of your child.
Unfortunately, glow sticks aren’t enough; every trick-or-treater should have a working flashlight to avoid accidental trips and falls.
We recommend the Tronsnic 502B, a high-quality flashlight with a water-resistant design and a budget-friendly price tag.
Get it on Amazon.
3. Choose safe, protective shoes.
Costume shoes usually don’t work for safe trick-or-treating, especially past dusk.
Really, any high-quality shoes will work, provided that they aren’t heels. Shinmax offers an affordable set of LED shoes with rechargeable lights, which will bring some much-needed illumination to Halloween night.
Get them on Amazon (and be aware that the sizing runs a little large).
4. For younger kids, avoid masks.
We realize that this may take some of the fun out of Halloween, but masks impede your child’s vision, making an accidental trip much more likely.
The good news is that you really don’t need masks. Face paint is more fun, and it’s often less expensive.
Lasten’s body and face paint kit comes with everything you need for frightfully good special effects. All the ingredients are laboratory tested, free of parabens, and gentle on sensitive skin.
Get it on Amazon.
If you do decide to use a mask, make sure that your child can see, particularly when it comes to their peripheral vision. And don’t be afraid to cut the eye holes a bit wider if necessary!
5. Don’t forget to keep your home’s walkways lit.
Kids will be walking up your pathway all night (well, if you’re lucky, anyway), so stop them from stumbling by planting a few solar lights.
While there’s no shortage of Halloween-themed pathway lights, most are cheaply made and nearly useless at night. We prefer the look of Voona solar lights, which use AA Ni-MH batteries to store a powerful charge.
They’re slightly expensive, but are well worth the investment as they’re one of the few items on this list that doesn’t immediately lose its value on the first day of November.
Pick them up on Amazon.
And while you’re at it, put up a few temporary signs warning drivers to take it slow. We’re big fans of this orange pop-up safety cone, which is portable, lightweight, and ideal for this type of application.
Granted, some teenagers might snatch a pop-up safety cone, but the risk is worth it considering you’ll improve your neighborhood’s safety during trick-or-treating, and maybe even year round, when you put these things up while the kids are out to play.
Get one on Amazon.
6. Finally, make sure to keep your other Halloween activities as safe as possible.
If you’re carving jack-o-lanterns, allow your kids to help during the planning stages, but don’t let younger kids anywhere near your carving tools.
Older kids can help out, but to stay safe, consider investing in some cut-resistant gloves. Wislife offers an affordable pair that meets EN388 cutting resistance standards.
Note that these gloves don’t protect in all circumstances, so you’ll still want to guide your kids through their first pumpkin carvings. This is a good opportunity to teach knife safety, too, by the way.
Pick up Wislife cut-resistant gloves on Amazon.
To stay safe during Halloween, you’ll need to take a few extra steps. Check your kids’ candy, looking for any pieces that appear re-wrapped. Talk over trick-or-treat routes before they leave the house, and make sure that they know what to do if they get lost.
Ultimately, Halloween doesn’t have to be a frightening time for parents. Use common sense, communicate with your kids, and make sure you’re prepared so when All Hallow’s Eve rolls around, you’ll be able to relax with a nice glass of apple cider while the kids enjoy the holiday.