When we think of Halloween we mainly think of our children dressing up in their cute costumes and heading out the door to go trick-or-treating. We don’t always think about the dangers those costumes may have for our children. When purchasing or making costumes keep the following Halloween safety tips in mind. Accidents do happen but if certain precautions are taken we can reduce the chances of anything happening to our little ones.
Here is a list of some things to look out for.
1. If they are wearing masks, hats, or scarves make sure their vision isn’t obstructed in any way. Use bobby pins to keep hats and scarves from slipping down over their eyes. Make sure eye holes in masks are big enough so they see clearly in all directions: sides, front, at their feet (so they don’t trip over anything), and above their head (so they don’t walk into a low hanging branch).
2. Halloween make-up is a good alternative to a poor fitting mask. However, some people are allergic to the make-ups. Test in a small spot a week before using it. Make sure the make-up you buy is labeled non-toxic.
3. The costume needs to fit well. Make sure it’s not too long that they risk tripping on it. A too tight or too loose costume can affect their mobility. Try it on at least a few days ahead and preferably even earlier so you have time to adjust it. If you don’t sew you can use safety pins to shorten it or take it in. Even duct tape can be used to temporally shorten a costume. If the costume is just too small consider buying or making a larger one.
4. Make sure the child is visible in the dark. Reflective tape can be put on the back shoulders, waist, and even the back of their shoes. For the front of the costume you can put reflective stickers or flashing Halloween pins. Reflective tape can also be put on their trick-or-treat bags. Flashlights should always be used by older children going out by themselves.
5. Shoes should be worn for safety, not fashion on young children. Sturdy athletic shoes will help reduce falls as the children run up to the houses to ring the doorbell.
6. Accessories need to be age and size appropriate. If they are too large for the child it may cause him to trip or accidentally trip someone else. Make sure any swords, broom sticks, shields, guns, wands, or axes are made of soft rubber or flexible plastic materials.
7. If you are taking out young children don’t let their trick-or-treat bags get too heavy. It could cause them to trip. Carry extra bags to dump the candy out of their bags.
Pedestrian accidents go up on Halloween. These few Halloween safety tips could make the difference between happy trick-or-treaters or injured ones.