Trick or Treating Safety Tips

Trick or treating safety tips for kids. The Halloween candy collecting is one of the highlights of the fall season for kids. 

As parents know, however, Halloween costumes and dark, spooky nights can create some ghoulish nightmares for little ones out cobbling around door-to-door in clunky heels and sight-impairing masks in search of sweet treats. 

With a little parental oversight, these potential pitfalls of trick or treat time can be avoided. These trick or treating safety tips can help ensure a devilishly good night is had by all.

Plan a Potty Stop Prior to Trick or Treating

Few things are more disappointing to the preschool set than having to stop all the door-to-door fun to deal with life's necessities. When all they really want to do is go trick-or-treating!  

But if mom doesn't anticipate this, the result could be embarrassingly soiled costumes. So, first things first before heading out the door.

Trick or Treating Safety Tips: Take Younger Ghouls To Only a Few Houses

Over-ambitious, longer trick-or-treat routes around the neighborhood for younger kids often result in little one's tears and a ride on dad's shoulders.

Trick or Treating Safety Tips: Don't Let Little Goblins Fly Loose

Hold preschoolers' hands or confine them somehow while trick-or-treating (parental herding on all sides works well.) You could offer to pull them in a wagon. That way, you don't have to insist on holding their hands.

If your little princess is going as Cinderella, decorate the wagon as her coach. If Billy wants to be a firefighter, equip the `fire wagon' with a bell.

Dress Kids Warmly Under Halloween Costumes

Nothing spoils the trick-or-treating fun of Halloween night faster than a chilly child whining to go home to thaw out.

Trick or Treating Safety Tips: Make a No Eating Until Home Rule

Make a no-eating Halloween treats until you get back home rule. First, it will make trick-or-treating goblins and princesses more eager to fly home when you want them to.

Secondly, you can make sure the Halloween treats are appropriate for your little goblin.

Trick or Treating Safety Tips: Inspect the Halloween Haul Before Kids Chow Down

You'll only be taking your tots to homes of friends, so you probably don't have to worry about some monster tainting the goods.

However, the kindly octogenarian next door may forget that 2-year-olds can choke on gum or Sweet Tarts. So sit down with your preschooler and spill out the trick or treat loot.

Help her divide it into stacks by size. Then have stickers or safe treats to trade her for any candies that look worrisome.

Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips for Kids Ages 6 to 10:

As kids get older, they're going to want some distance from the parents when they trick-or-treat. But you still need to go along and keep them in sight. If they start the disappearing act, take them home.

Give them glowsticks or lightsticks to light the way. There are even Halloween glow sticks like these kids can wear as part of their costumes.

And make sure they wear comfortable walking shoes. These guys are too big to carry.

Then inspect the candy before they're allowed to devour it. There should be no problems, but at least you can pull out the stuff that's liable to muck up their braces.

Trick or Treating Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens Ages 11 to 17:

Around the age of 11 or 12, your child should be able to trick-or-treat around the neighborhood with friends.

But set strict guidelines regarding how far, how long, and with whom they can trick-or-treat. 

You can make a safety flashlight part of their Halloween costume to ensure it actually gets out the door with the little monsters.

Here are a few creative and decorative Halloween flashlights kids might actually use and wear.

Give them a set time to be home - and insist they answer their cell phones while on the trick or treat route. (Or at least text to let you know they're okay.)  

Remind them not to go inside the homes of people you don't know well. Even older teens need to be reminded occasionally. Have a safe and happy Halloween!