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The countdown is officially on – only a scant few days until Halloween! If you still need some fast, easy DIY costumes check out these options. If you have a child who still insists on being Elsa, along with millions of other little girls, then you cal also grab these coupons and order your costume this second.

Once the Halloween costumes have been determined, the truly important part of Halloween must be addressed: trick-or- treating. Walking around in the dark, knocking on strangers’ doors is quite simply the most terrifying part of Halloween for most parents. Now that we’re a full decade into this, I have found that there are some things to consider to ensure a safe Halloween.

Here are the top 10 Halloween safety tips to keep your ghouls and Elsa’s supremely secure this year:

Before you leave the house

I can remember trick or treating a couple of years ago and was blown away when I saw one man with a crew of kids. I thought, how in the world can he manage that safely with all the chaos tonight? Sure enough, the kids scattered in different directions and I thought surely he had lost control. Yet, after two minutes he checked his watch, blew a whistle and called out, “line up!” Within seconds, each child ran back and stood inline, counting off by numbers that they had been assigned.

While this clearly isn’t the right plan for everyone, it was obvious this man had done some work prior to heading out for the night to convey the importance of Halloween safety to his group.

  1. Double check costumes – is there a way to add a reflective touch? Or stock up on mini-flashlights and glow sticks so that each kid has a light source. Be sure costumes are easy to walk in and won’t cause tripping.
  2. Limit the accessories – sharp swords, and oversized accessories make it far too easy to cause injuries. Use foam ones or small, blunt-edged items instead.
  3. Have a plan – lay out the ground rules for trick-or-treating. Divide children and adults up as equally as possible and use the buddy system to keep track of everyone. Or assign numbers like the man above, which allows for you to locate children quickly without using names. Have older kids? You definitely need to communicate expectations and an action plan for their Halloween safety too!
  4. Set the route – Do your research in advance to decide which neighborhood or area you plan on going to on Halloween. This is not the time to “try out” a new area so stick with ones known for safety and a child-friendly environment.

While on foot

Most of us will be out, walking around for Halloween. Some of us may be in quiet, suburban neighborhoods with established Halloween traditions. However, some will be making their way through more urban areas. Either way, there are a few tips to keep your Halloween group safe Friday night.

  1. Streets – cross streets at corners, where there is more lighting. In cities, use walkways and traffic signals. Look both ways, A LOT- Remind everyone in the group to look left, look right, and look left again. All streets are slightly scary on Halloween so being hyper-vigilant will be necessary.
  2. Sidewalks – always walk on sidewalks if possible. If there aren’t any then teach everyone to stay on the far side of the road FACING traffic.
  3. Houses – only approach houses that are well lit and have age appropriate decorations. No child wants to be traumatized by being forced to knock on the house with the scariest witch on the block.

In the car

Truthfully, the best Halloween safety tip would be to avoid cars altogether. Since that is simply not possible sometimes, here are some suggestion for those getting behind the wheel.

image source

image source

  1. Don’t get distracted – remove and any all distractions from your car – keep your phone out of your hands and eyes on the road at all times.
  2. Stay on high alert – drive slowly (yes painfully slow if needed!) and take extra time at intersections and driveways.

Candy

There is really only one thing parents need to remember about candy:

DOUBLE CHECK IT ALL!!

Halloween night is one of the most memorable nights for kids and parents, but be sure it’s only good memories everyone has! With these Halloween safety tips you can have  night full of spook-tacular adventures without anything truly rightening tacking place.