Halloween Safety for Children

Before heading out for trick or treating, discuss a route with your children, even if you are attending with them. If you are letting them go without you, this is especially important for safety.

Discuss safety issues

This is always a good practice to go over with your children but even more so during trick or treating. Do they know the houses they will trick or treat at? Do they have a route in mind? Have you discussed talking with strangers? What should they do if someone approaches them? Asks them to get in a car? What if they see someone egging or Tping a house? Some of these discussions are common safety issues while Halloween offers additional safety obstacles.

Discuss to do and not to dos

Consider the possibilities of kids' actions on Halloween. Our children are not angles unfortunately and pressures from their peers can influence them. Have a serious discussion with them about scaring other children, about playing pranks and about harming people's property.

Travel in a group

Traveling in a group can be fun and festive, whether or not adults will chaperone. If your children are old enough to trick or treat alone, discuss the need and reasons for staying together as a group and watching out for each other.

Set a time limit

While celebrations can be fun and the thrill of how much candy you can collect can sway your judgment, make sure you set a time limit. Most towns have a time frame set for trick or treating. If your child doesn't have a watch, you can easily set a limit by allowing only so many houses visited or complete these two streets and then come home. Even checking in from time to time or calling from a friend's house along the way is a great plan to assist in making the evening a safe and enjoyable one for all.

Chaperone for younger children

Siblings or even friends can easily overlook younger children. Don't rely on someone else to parent your child. Go with them. Use this as a great opportunity to teach life lessons like how to greet someone at their door, how to be grateful and thankful for their treats.

Alternatives to trick or treating

If you just don't trust trick or treating of are having ill feelings about sending your child out on this holiday, make alternative plans. You can celebrate a fun evening with family and friends without buying into the holiday festivities. You can volunteer at a local shelter or even a haunted house that is run for charity. Whatever you decide, you can make it a yearly tradition and something to look forward to each year.