Trick-or-Treat Safety

Kids love Halloween because they get to dress up in crazy clothes and torment their neighbors for candy...without getting in trouble! But as all parents know (and kids easily forget), there are still plenty of ways to get in to trouble on Halloween. If you are the one doing the trick-or-treating, these tips are for you to refresh your memory on how to have a safe Halloween. Parents can review the list to make sure they've touched on all the important points before turning their little monsters and princesses loose on the neighborhood.

1. When trick-or-treating, stick to neighborhoods you know well. Only go to the door of houses that are lit. If there are no porch lights on or if Halloween décor lighting is not on (like black lights, strings of lights, lighted displays), stay away from the house. Even if there are decorations, the house may be closed for the night if no house, porch, or decorative lights are on.




2. Never go in to people's houses, even if they have candy inside! Stay on the porch, they can bring it to you or will leave it next to the door outside. Likewise, never go anywhere with strangers. Don't get in a stranger's car or walk away with them, even if they've got the golden ticket to Willie Wonka's candy factory!




3. Carry a flashlight. There are many variations on the flashlight designed specifically for Halloween. If you'd feel like the neighborhood dork carrying your parent's giant, police issue looking flashlight, look for the fun kind shaped like a ghost or pumpkin or get one with colored light covers that projects shapes like a bat or witch. A flashlight, even the fun kind, helps you be seen by others as well as helps you see where you're going.




4. It's a good idea to also wear something with reflective tape or markings if you aren't dressed brightly. Try to incorporate some reflective tape in to your costume if you don't want to wear anything over it or opt for reflective shoes.




5. Getting bags full of candy for free is exciting, but try not to run from house to house. You might trip on your cool costume, do a face plant in front of your friends, and thereby decreasing your cool quotient by several factors. Or more importantly, you might hurt others by speeding down the sidewalk. Kids of all sizes will be out there with you and if you hurt someone or mow down a toddler, you can expect some unhappy parents to put a damper on the rest of your Halloween fun.




6. Stay on sidewalks and look out for cars when crossing driveways and streets. And don't cut across yards or mill around in people's landscaping. Stick to walkways or paved areas unless you don't mind trick-or-treating in peed pants after cranky old man Winters chases you down and scares you off his property. Or even scarier, your spying neighbors might report your bad behavior to your parents!




7. Obey traffic laws, stay out of alleys and places not lit well, and if you are in an area with no sidewalks, walk on the side of the street that allows you to face oncoming cars (walk against traffic).




8. Sidewalks or not, don't walk down the street with your herd of friends in a lackadaisical way, coming halfway out in to the road, not paying much attention or expecting drivers to swerve around you (which they may or may not do). Be aware and respectful of drivers.




9. Try to You do not have access to view this node  that fit. You don't want to be falling over what you have on or constantly adjusting it. If you wear a mask make sure you can see out of it or consider wearing makeup instead.




10. Choose an outfit that is appropriate for your climate. If you are trick-or-treating in Maine, dressing like Princess Jasmine or your Olympic swim hero Michael Phelps is probably not the best choice. Likewise, going as Sasquatch in Phoenix, AZ, could be a little toasty.




11. Have your parents inspect your candy before you eat it. Throw out any pieces that are open or suspicious looking.




12. Don't approach or pet animals who aren't very familiar with you. You might be dressed like a blood stained mummy for Halloween, but you don't really want to be wrapped up and wounded days after your trick-or-treating ends. A night that ends in a trip to the hospital and tetanus shot doesn't make for a fun ending to your Halloween.




13. If your costume calls for props, make sure they are just that, props. If you're set on being a swashbuckling pirate complete with a sword, don't bring dad's sword from his Samurai collection. Stick to fake, flexible versions of things like swords, knifes, or anything that could be used as a weapon. And don't use it as a weapon! It's a costume accessory, not a device to torture your little sister with!




14. Don't go trick-or-treating alone. Make sure someone in your group has a way to tell time that can be read in low light and a working cell phone.

Pulling together a themed Halloween party or searching for great costumes and decorations? Use GiftStasher to create a personal registry and save the costumes, music, and party supplies you are considering in one convenient place. Shop from any store, save what you like, purchase when you are ready to buy.

Browse it, stash it, buy it later! Try GiftStasher today!