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Safety Alert Bulletin |
San
Diego Community
College
Halloween Safety
Halloween can be a fun
holiday for kids,
but for parents, trick-or-treat time can be a little tricky. Concerns about children's
safety -- whether they are out in the neighborhood or back home with bags of
booty -- can darken the day more quickly than a black cat. But not to worry! To
make Halloween a treat, follow these safety tips.
Make sure
your kids dress up safely
Make sure costumes are flame-retardant (video, Flash
5 required) so the little ones aren't in danger near burning
jack-o-lanterns.
Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and
other bumps in the night.
Try
make-up (video, Flash
5 required) instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable and they
can obstruct a child's vision -- a dangerous thing when kids are crossing
streets and going up and down steps.
Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective
tape (video, Flash
5 required) on their costumes.
Make
trick-or-treating trouble free
Create map of safe trick-or-treat route.
Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups so they
aren't a tempting target for real-life goblins. Parents should accompany young
children (video, Flash
5 required).
Make sure older kids trick-or-treat with friends.
Together, map out a safe route so you will know where they will be. Tell them
to stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on.
Try to get your kids to trick-or-treat while it's
still light out. If it's dark, make sure someone has a flashlight and pick
well-lighted streets.
Make sure kids know never to enter a stranger's
house or car.
Keep a safe distance from moving cars.
Treats
It's hard for kids hold back from eating their
treats until they get home. One way to keep trick-or-treaters from digging in
while they're still out is to feed them a meal or a snack beforehand.
Check out
all candy (video, Flash
5 required) in a well-lighted place when your trick-or-treater gets home.
What to eat? Only unopened candies and other treats
that are in original wrappers. Don't forget to inspect fruit and homemade
goodies for anything suspicious. By all means, remind kids not to eat
everything at once or they'll be feeling pretty ghoulish for a while!
Halloween can be a lot of
fun for parents and kids alike -- if everybody remembers the tricks and the
treats of playing it safe.
Resources
Playing it Safe on Halloween: Pointers
for Parents
(PDF, 772 KB).
A companion coloring page is also available (PDF, 235 KB).
More tips and activities from NCPC.org.
McGruff® of the National Crime Prevention Council © www.mcgruff.org
David Worden
Chief of Police