Let’s keep Halloween fun and safe for you and your family! Here are a few tips to keep the little (and big) gremlins, super heroes and ballerinas smiling.
Kids: Here are tips for kids
- Carry a flashlight and keep it on while trick or treating.
- Make sure your home phone number and address are with you and accessible for emergencies.
- Never go up to or into a stranger’s house unless your parents are with you and say that it’s OK.
- Crossing streets make sure you look both ways and cross only at corners, crosswalks and when the cross walk light shows “walk”. If you are a big brother or sister make sure you are holding the little one’s hand crossing the street.
OLDER KIDS: The info above still applies with these additions.
- Be sure to let your parents know where you are going and who you are going out with.
- Vandalism is an epic fail and always wrong! Besides being wrong there are strict penalties for vandalism. The police are on high alert.
- Hurting animals is never acceptable behavior!
- If driving, make sure you have plenty of gas, your phone is charged, your parents know where you are and you obey your curfew.
ADULTS: Below are tips that can help adults and kids stay safe.
- Check the internet and local state website for sex offenders to see if there are any in your area. Mark those houses OFF LIMITS.
- Make sure that an adult is present when your kids are out trick or treating.
- If your kids are big enough to go out on their own, know their route. Have them check in hourly by phone or coming back to the house.
- When picking out a costume make sure it is fireproof or treated with fire retardant. If they are wearing a mask make sure that they have good peripheral vision.
- Implement a curfew for your child to be home by. They need to connect with you if there will be a delay.
- This is a great teaching opportunity for your kids about crossing the street safely and “stranger danger”.
- If you are attending or hosting a party with alcohol beverages make sure there are designated drivers for your guests and food provided.
- Driving on Halloween. Take it slow and cautious. You are experienced, kids are not!
Here is a fun Zombie Preparedness site by the CDC:
http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/
Have fun on Halloween but keep it safe!