We love watching the trick-or-treaters come to our door every year with their enthusiasm and clever costumes. So we want a safe Halloween for all children this year, which is why we’ve come up with a few safety tips. If you plan on preparing your home for Halloween, safety should be the biggest priority.
Do not leave out candy. Do not give out homemade candy or food. If you don’t plan on being home the night of Halloween to hand out candy, do not leave it on your front porch. Simply leave the porch lights off. Unattended candy has the potential to attract wild animals and people with bad intentions. Also, do not hand out homemade candy. While you may mean no harm, some parents do not want their kids consuming homemade goods, a simple safety precaution.
Choose decorations for all-ages. Your terrifying front yard decorations may look pretty cool to a ten-year-old, but a four-year-old might be frightened. Choose decorations appropriate for all-ages.
Decorations should be secure and not obstruct any walkways. Your decorations, especially any cords or wires, should be secured. You don’t want any children tripping or falling on your property. You also want a clear, well-lit walkway for all trick-or-treaters.
Your property should be well lit. There’s nothing spookier than walking up a dark porch covered in spider webs with the moonlight illuminating the way. However, this could be dangerous for younger trick-or-treaters who might accidentally trip or fall on your property. To prevent a scrapped knee, make sure the path to your door is well-lit.
Keep your pets in a safe area. If you’ll be opening up your door to trick-or-treaters, you want to make sure your family pets are safe in a secure area. They will be less likely to escape and less likely to harm a smaller trick-or-treater.
Do not use candles in your Jack-‘o-Lanterns. You can purchase realistic flameless candles for relatively cheap at a local supermarket. You do not want to use real candles as they pose a fire safety threat.
Avoid “scaring” children off your property. While pretending to be a scarecrow or jumping out of a trashcan seems like a creative way to scare trick-or-treaters, it can be potentially dangerous for children. Scared children might run off your property into the street without looking both ways. Prevent any unintentional traffic accidents by focusing fun versus fear.