Halloween is a colorful, fun, and exciting season for children. From creative costumes and pumpkin carving to loads of sweet candy, Halloween is filled with spooky delight! At the same time, it’s essential to address how both adults and children can stay safe on Halloween. That’s because even though Halloween is a lively and fun festivity, this beloved holiday does come with some risks, such as costume malfunctions, distracted drivers, and the risk of contamination through classic “trick-or-treat” activities. That said, there are plenty of ways to stay safe and healthy on Halloween.
Want the inside scoop on how to keep your family safe on Halloween? Then read on for some simple safety tips for Halloween night that come straight from the counsel of a registered nurse.
Halloween Health and Safety Tips
Halloween night is a time of year when children can let their imaginations run wild. From dressing up as their favorite superheroes or skeletons to wearing spooky monster masks, children rejoice in the creativity of the Halloween season. At the same time, adults can also join in on the fun and complement their child’s costume with a unique costume of their own. Likewise, it is important for adults who are accompanying children to be aware of some of the dangers of Halloween night, such as pedestrian accidents caused by decreased visibility from drivers due to dark costumes. Moreover, studies show that nurses and healthcare workers witness greater admissions to the emergency department (ER) on Halloween night with injuries particular to Halloween, such as ocular wounds due to flying eggs or intestinal perforations from common sewing needles. Needless to say, being familiar with a few safety tips for Halloween night could prevent trivial to more serious accidents from happening.
COVID-19 Safety Tips
Before diving into some important safety tips for Halloween, let’s address the obvious: COVID-19 safety on Halloween. While the world has made great strides in treating and preventing the spread of this virus, unfortunately, we still need to learn to live with it. That said, COVID-19 will be lurking about on Halloween night. Therefore, the most effective way to protect ourselves on Halloween night against it is by practicing the usual precautions to help reduce the risk of contamination. That said, below are the most straight-forward COVID-19 Halloween safety measures to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy on Halloween night:
- Consistently wear a mask (it helps if your Halloween costume already has one!).
- Avoid direct contact with other trick-or-treaters.
- If hosting a Halloween party, limit your guest list.
- Stay home if you or your children feel sick.
- Disinfect candy wrappers before opening them.
- Use social distancing when passing out candy.
- Enjoy Halloween outside rather than indoors.
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations.
Safety Tips for Parents: How to Avoid Trick-or-Treat Injuries
Understanding trick-or-treating safety themes can keep accidents at bay on Halloween night. Fortunately, the risks of trick or treating, such as people tampering with contents, remain relatively rare. Still, precautions should be taken if you notice any of the following inconsistencies in your children’s trick-or-treat candy:
- Discoloration of wrappers or the inside contents of the candy
- Tears or holes in candy wrappers
- Unwrapped candies should be thrown away immediately
- Home-cooked goods are generally not considered safe
- Monitor candy intake, as excess sugar consumption can lead to an upset stomach
At the end of Halloween night, parents should take the initiative to inspect and sort through all trick-or-treat candy brought home by their children. The general rule of thumb when it comes to trick-or-treating safety is this: When in doubt, throw it out. Therefore, if you feel that any trick-or-treat candy looks or smells unusual, toss it in the garbage.
Safety Tips for Kids
In addition to being cautious about COVID-19 and making sure you inspect all trick-or-treat candy, there are a few other tips to help your family stay healthy on Halloween. First, make sure that your child’s costume and makeup are free from toxic materials, as certain fabrics and ingredients could produce an allergic reaction. Moreover, a child’s costume should not contain needles or objects that could cause injury to others or themselves; this also includes the use of sharp costume props such as knives or fake weapons. Lastly, if a child chooses to dress up in a darker-colored Halloween costume, you should consider adding reflective tape to keep the child visible to local drivers.
Other safety measures to keep in mind during the Halloween season are setting curfews for adolescents trick or treating on their own, as well as making sure that young children are always under the supervision of a responsible adult. Ultimately, by practicing these Halloween safety tips, you can prepare yourself and your family for an enjoyable and secure night out in the neighborhood.
Have a Spooky and Healthy Halloween!
As you can see, staying safe and having fun on Halloween can be done. All it takes is a bit of mindfulness, preparation, and vigilance in order to have an enchanting night of ghostly entertainment. With that in mind, you can start organizing this season’s trick-or-treat safety plans by following the tips mentioned above. Cheers to a spooky, happy, and healthy Halloween!
