Top 10 Essential Halloween Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treating with Kids
Oct 27, 2024
Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays for kids, filled with costumes, candy, and neighborhood fun. But, as parents, safety is always in the front of our minds—especially when it comes to trick-or-treating. Here are some tips and tricks to ensure your night is full of spooky fun without the scares.
1. Choose Safe, Comfortable Costumes
Visibility First
Children love picking out their own costumes! But, many Halloween costumes are very dark or muted colors. So while it may be a nice idea to make sure that costumes are bright or reflective to make your child visible to drivers this may not be realistic. What can you do to make sure they are seen by drivers when crossing the street? Add reflective tape or glow sticks! or one of these Reflective vests!
Proper Fit
With all of the excitement of trick-or-treating, kids love running between houses. But, trips and falls do happen. One way to decrease the risk of a tumble...make sure costumes aren’t too long or loose to avoid tripping hazards. It's also important to choose shoes that fit well. This will keep your child steady and comfortable.
Masks and Makeup
If your child is wearing a mask make sure that they can see!!!! If it keeps covering their eyes they are more likely to bump into someone, trip and fall, or not see an oncoming car. When it comes to face paint grab non-toxic options or makeup. These are often more comfortable and not as painful if they get into your child's eyes.
2. Bring a Flashlight or Glow Sticks
Kids love flashlights and glow sticks so this won't be a hard sell!!! By equipping each of your kids with a flashlight or glow stick fewer accidents and injuries are likely to happen. Not only will this help others see them, but it’ll also help them see any obstacles on the path, like curbs or uneven sidewalks. Here's a fun animal shaped flashlight/lantern that they can use over and over again.
3. Stick to Familiar, Well-Lit Areas
If you can, plan your route ahead of time. We discuss some fun ways to do this with fun maps HERE. Choose well-lit neighborhoods where you feel comfortable. Encourage your kids to only stop at the houses that have lights on. Teach them that this is the sign to let them know that the house is participating in trick-or-treating. If the front porch light is off...skip the house and head to the next one.
4. Set Trick-or-Treating Ground Rules
It's important to talk with your kids ahead of time about your boundaries, rules, and expectations. You don't have to put a damper on the fun. But, getting hurt isn't fun either! Let them know that the night is about fun, but there are a few guidelines to follow. Not many...just a few. Here are a few Trick-or-Treating rule ideas to keep your kiddos safe
Stay on Sidewalks
Teach your kids to stick to sidewalks and use crosswalks at intersections. Even though it may be tempting to run through the grass or yards, remind them not to cut across yards, because they might trip on hidden objects or decorations.
Stay Together
If you’re trick-or-treating with a group, create a buddy system so that no one wanders off alone.
Review Safety Protocols
Go over basic road safety, like looking both ways before crossing the street, and emphasize the importance of staying aware of their surroundings. Discuss what to do if someone does get lost.
5. Plan for Safe Treats
Candy Checks
Before your kids dive into their candy, (even though it's a pain and can make you seem like a party pooper) inspect each piece to ensure it’s in its original wrapper and hasn’t been tampered with. You never want your child to be the one who has the rare bad experience of getting "bad" or "dangerous" candy. Prevent this if you can. Maybe that means that you have a rule with your kids that no candy until an adult takes a look at the piece. You can do this on the go so your child doesn't feel tortured having to wait until the end of trick-or-treating.
Allergy Awareness
If your child has food allergies, consider having a backup stash of treats to exchange any unsafe items they may receive. Look out for houses participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, which means that they have non-food treats for kids with food allergies. Click the link provided if you would like to purchase a bucket to participate this year!
6. Bring Cell Phones for Communication
If you’re going with older kids who want a bit more independence, make sure they have a charged cell phone for emergencies (we aren't recommending that they have their own cell phones...but consider a smart watch like a gizmo or let them borrow a phone from one of the adults in your group). Set specific meeting points and check-in times to keep everyone on the same page.
7. Discuss Stranger Safety
Although Halloween is a fun community event, remind kids about stranger safety. You don't need to scare them but you can teach them to be cautious. Having some simple boundaries like the following can be helpful.
- Never enter someone’s home or car
- Always stay with their group
8. Make Sure Everyone Knows Your Address and Emergency Contacts
Especially if you’re in a new area, make sure your kids know their address and how to contact you in case you get separated. For younger kids this may mean that you write down the information in their trick or treat bag or pin it inside their costume. Make sure that they know it is there in case of an emergency.
9. Carry a Small First Aid Kit
Accidents happen, so carrying a small first aid kit with bandages and antiseptic wipes can be helpful if someone has a little scrape or cut along the way. You may want to grab some of these halloween bandaids to have on hand. These can make booboos better in no time! 
10. Have a Plan for Candy Limits
We are all about saying, "yes" a little more on Halloween night when it comes to candy.Some kids do a good job of limiting candy. It just stops tasting good after they have had their fill. But, some kids may not know when enough is enough. To prevent candy overload (and a tummy ache), you may want to set a limit on how much your child can eat that night. This may lead to meltdowns and could put a damper on the night. If you're up for that then great! But, here are a few different options if limiting candy feels like a nightmare.
- Offer a trade-in option
- for "better" candy options
- candy you know they like
- "healthier" candy options with less sugar or no added dye (click to purchase)
- for a small toy
- for an activity
- This can be something simple like an extra book at bedtime
- 5 extra minutes of screen time
- Come up with simple things and make little coupons
- for "better" candy options
- Candy for Cookies
- Have your kids separate out a portion of their chocolate candies for you to save for cookies. Then in the coming weeks chop up the candy and use it instead of chocolate chips! If kids know another even better treat is coming soon they may be more willing to put it aside.
- Have a donation bin
- Many organizations will accept unopened Halloween candy so consider donating to one of these organizations.
- Let your kids go through their buckets and "donate" some pieces they may not like or want. This is a great way to teach them about others.
Planning ahead and following these safety tips can help you and your kiddos have a magical Halloween night full of treats, laughs, and playful memories. Enjoy the night, and remember: safety doesn’t have to take away from the fun—it just helps ensure you’ll have an amazing time with peace of mind!
We would love to hear your ideas on ways that you make Halloween safe for your kids. So please comment below!
Happy Halloween!
Dr. Emma and the Aparently Parenting Team
Disclaimer: We have included a few Amazon links above to make it easier for you to locate things you may need or want. We do partner with amazon as an amazon affiliate so we may get a few pennies if you make a purchase through our link. In no way does Amazon influence the items that we suggest or promote. We know what we like and recommend based on that alone!
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