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Trick or Treating Safety at Halloween

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Trick or treating safety during the holiday is a way to insure that everyone has a great holiday, without having any problems. It is important to be alert yourself, as well as make children aware of things to be careful and cautious about. This also means using good judgment about what to do and how to do it as well as making sure you do not frighten your child.

Trick or Treating Safety for Costumes

Halloween costumes are a great way to make the most of the holiday. There are some things to keep in mind, though, when it comes to costumes and trick or treating safety. The best thing you can do is have your child try on his or her costume and walk around the house or yard for a while. This will give you and your child an idea of how easily the youngster can maneuver in the outfit. Also, it will determine if the child is comfortable for more than a few minutes in the costume.

The other things to watch for are how well a child can see and if there appears to be anything that could become a “wardrobe malfunction” during trick-or-treating. Be certain the child doesn’t have anything that could obstruct his or her vision. Additionally, make sure there is nothing that dangles from the outfit that could cause the child to trip or get snagged on something. If either of these are a problem, usually just some minor adjustments or sewing mends will correct the problem.

While on the Streets 

Before leaving, make sure your child has a flashlight with fully charged batteries. Also, the costume should have some reflective tape somewhere. And be certain your child has his or her cell phone in a pocket that is easy to access but that won’t allow the phone to fall out too easily.

The child should wear comfortable and sturdy shoes, even if it goes against the look of the costume. Adults should plan out a route in advance and give each child a map of this route. Worst case, if the team gets separated, the child will have some indication of where the following stop would be to try to meet back up.

When possible, travel in groups of trick-or-treating goblins with as many chaperones as possible. Have the little ones ‘buddy up’ and make sure each child is accounted for before moving to the next house. Of course, be extra careful when crossing the streets and try to work one whole side of a street before crossing to cut down on the number of times this is done.

All about the Goodies

Since all treats must be checked over before a child is allowed to eat them, there are some tips to keep in mind about the collected loot before even making it home. To prevent your child being tempted to snack along the way, make sure she or he has a good, full meal before setting out to trick-or-treat.

Make it clear to your little one that he cannot have any treats until getting home. To help avoid the urge to sneak a snack from the bag, offer to carry the loot for him. If a neighbor suggests your child go ahead and take a cookie to snack right there, step in and tell the well-meaning neighbor you are closely monitoring your child’s sugar intake. Lastly, to prevent the chance your child may cheat and sneak a candy, bring a few from your own stash at home. That way, if the youngster won’t back down at least you know the treat you are giving him is from your own safe candy from home.

Once home, you should know the drill by now. Every single item gets inspected, and when in doubt, throw it out. Check all wrappers for even a remote sign of tempering. Any candy that has come loose from its wrapper is not an option. Any of these warning signs should result in immediate discarding.

Baked goods are rarely a great idea. Even a chef with only good intentions could accidentally make someone sick, not to mention the hazards if allergies are a concern. Accept only those goodies baked by someone you know. Fruit should be washed well and inspected for injection, puncture or slit marks. Cut up a piece of fruit before allowing your child to eat it so you can inspect the inside as well as the out.

Trick or treating safety shouldn’t be about being paranoid, just being safe and smart.

Candy and Food Safety Tips for Halloween

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[This was written pre-coronavirus a number of years ago, but masks are critical now, and some, such as Mayo, recommend skipping it in 2020 entirely. Just be safe.]

Candy and food safety is a big concern during the Halloween season. Whether it’s from door-to-door trick-or-treating or the goodies collected from a Halloween party, there are some ways to avoid potential problems. Most of all, use common sense. If something alerts you to avoid eating it or letting your child eat it, don’t ignore this. When in doubt, throw it out.

Candy Safety Tips for Halloween 

It should be an understood rule by now, but in case it isn’t, know that your child should not eat a single piece of candy until it has been inspected by you. That means, if your little ghoul is begging for one piece from his collected loot, stop and use a flashlight to inspect the wrapper before handing it over. If you are concerned your child may be too tempted to resist, offer to carry his or her treat bag while going door-to-door.

To avoid temptation there are two other things to try. One is to make sure your child ate well before leaving, so he or she will have a full belly and may not be as likely to want to snack. Also, bring a few of your own candies from home and if your child simply must have a sugary snack, make sure it is one from your own stash from home.

Once home, look at each piece of candy. Any faded wrappers, or those with holes or tears, must be discarded. Goodies without wrappers are not an option. Even if the wrapper fell off at some point during the night while trick-or-treating, it means it could be dirty or that the wrapper was tampered with to begin with.

Also, make sure your child’s candy is not a choking hazard. Avoid gum or jawbreaker type selections that may become a problem. This is especially true for younger children. By the way, also make sure the family pets do not end up chewing down on any chocolates, raisins or macadamia nuts. Dogs and cats can have a severe, and often deadly, reaction to these types of foods.

Food Safety Tips for Halloween 

Some people opt to give out fruit or baked goods during Halloween trick-or-treating, as opposed to candy. These options require just as much consideration before allowing your child to ingest them, though. As a rule, don’t even accept baked goods from someone you do not know. You can decline politely by saying they could become a mess in the bag, or that your child has been known to get ill from that particular type of baked good. If nothing else, set it aside from the rest of the loot to dispose of as soon as possible.

Check fruit for injection or puncture wounds or for the presence of foreign objects. Wash the item, feel and inspect the skin completely and slice it up for save serving. If you can’t be certain, discard the item. There are plenty more choices for your child to choose from, and one or two tossed items won’t put much of a dent in their collected stash.

Some Other Notes about Candy and Food Safety

Avoid offering or baking anything that could be an allergy risk to someone else’s child. Try to locate a recipe that is free from ingredients that could trigger allergic reaction.

Food safety also means limiting candy to prevent a child from getting a tummy ache or being sick. Also, if you are worried about the door-to-door trick-or-treating part of Halloween, make other arrangements. Opt for attending a party hosted by someone you know and trust, put together by a mall or throw your own monster bash for the holiday.

Also, as horrible as it sounds, keep the number for poison control handy just in case. Do not allow your child to ingest anything just before bed, so you can monitor them carefully after eating any treats. Again, this can help prevent a child from being sick in the middle of the night. Keep the candy stash out of a child’s reach so they don’t get tempted to devour a bag of goodies in the middle of the night. This also means keeping any food you have left from the stash you were giving out away from youngsters.

The idea is to be careful, safe and smart, but not paranoid. Do not scare your child, or stress yourself out, by going overboard with the candy collecting and eating process. On the other hand, trust your instincts. Candy and food safety at Halloween is meant to be a guideline system to making the holiday fun but safe for all.