Halloween Safety Tips

Children love Halloween: trips to the neighborhood haunted house, trick-or-treating, dressing up, and parties. However, for parents, there is normally a fine line between Halloween fun and concerns about safety.

Here are some Halloween safety tips from Physicians Premier, your emergency room in Bulverde, TX.

For homeowners:

• Keep  your homes safe for trick-or-treaters by making sure the front yard and porch is hazard-free. Remove anything that a child could trip over like toys, garden hoses, lawn decorations, and bikes.
• Replace burned-out bulbs and check outdoor lights.
• Sweep wet leaves on your steps and sidewalks.
• As an alternative to candles, use battery-operated candles or flashlights.

 For parents:

• Choose costumes that are light-colored.
• To avoid trips and falls, make sure that your kids’ costumes fit them properly. Avoid items like high heels, oversized shoes, long capes, and long dresses.
• To help drivers see your child better, put strips of reflective tapes on their costumes.
• Dress your kids for the weather.
• Don’t forget that hard candy and gum can pose a choking risk for young kids.
• Accompany your kids for trick or treating, most especially if they are under 10. Children aged 10 and up are most likely ready to go trick-or-treating with a group.
• Check your children’s costumes – which includes accessories and wigs – if they are flame-resistant.
• Avoid using decorative contact lenses without a proper consultation from an eye doctor. Decorative contact lenses can cause inflammation, serious eye infections and disorders, and pain. They can also lead to permanent vision loss.
• To prevent possible eye and skin irritation, be sure that your children remove all traces of make-up before bedtime.

Trick-or-treating without an adult:

• Ensure that your child is in a group with three or more people.
• Discuss the route that your child will follow in advance. Children should alert you if their group plans to go on a street that is not on the planned route.
• Arm your kids with a flashlight, and a mobile phone if possible.
• Set a curfew – agree on a safe time when they should head home.
• Instruct your kids to never enter a home for a treat, and not to go to homes without a porch light.

Keeping Safe from COVID-19

If your children are going to be trick-or-treating this Halloween or meeting up with other children, it is recommended that they factor safety into their Halloween costume. If they are wearing a scary mask, it’s advisable to wear a regular face mask underneath and to incorporate gloves into their costume. Do not paint or decorate medical face masks.

Transmission of coronavirus on surfaces is low. That said, it is still a good idea to first sanitize your children’s candy before allowing them to handle it.

There are safer alternatives to the traditional trick-or-treating. The family can plan a fun Halloween night at home with themed movies, games, and healthy Halloween treats. In addition, some local shopping centers have trick-or-treat activities in a more controlled environment. 

Halloween can be an exciting and fun time for children. Keep Halloween from being truly scary by keeping these safety tips in mind. If you need us, Physicians Premier, your emergency room in Bulverde, TX, is always open, even on holidays!