Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, here is our Ultimate Guide to Halloween Safety. By following these simple tips, every parent and caregiver can help their child experience a fun – and safe – Halloween.
HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS
- Bright and reflective costumes are ideal.
- There’s a lot of walking involved for all that loot. Make sure that shoes are comfortable and fit well.
- Costumes that are too long could cause tripping, entanglement or contact with flame. Be sure to check that your kiddo’s night doesn’t get all banged up because of ill-fitting attire.
- Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
- Use traffic signals and crosswalks when crossing the street. Remind children to watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
- Look left, then right and left again when crossing the street and keep looking as you cross.
- Keep your head up while walking, not running, across the street being sure to keep electronic devices down.
- Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
- Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
- Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
- If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
- Never cut across yards or use alleys.
- Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items. Look for any evidence of the following:
- An unusual appearance
- Discoloration
- Tiny pinholes
- Tears in wrappers
- Throw out homemade treats unless they’re from someone you know very well. If something looks suspicious, throw it out, and if you find actual evidence of tampering, notify the police.
Halloween Safety Tips from Law Enforcement
- Know who’s living in your child’s trick-or-treating route by checking the sex offender registry https://sors.doc.state.ok.us/svor/f?p=119:1:
- Establish a return time and to only eat treats when kids get back home after being inspected by an adult (fully wrapped and not strange looking, smelling or feeling).
- Make sure your child knows their home telephone number and to call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency or become lost.
- Identify your child before they head out by pining a slip of paper with name, address and phone number in their pocket in case of an emergency.
Nextdoor Treat Map
Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods, offers a Treat Map to help trick-or-treaters hit the candy jackpot this Halloween. Parents and neighbors can use the Treat Map to plan where they will trick-or-treat on Halloween night, whether on their computer or on-the-go with Nextdoor for iPhone and Android.
To use the Treat Map, follow these simple steps:
- If you’re already a Nextdoor member, simply sign into your account. If you are not yet a member, you can sign up and verify your address to ensure you don’t miss out on the fun: https://nextdoor.com/treat_map/
- Once signed in, visit your neighborhood map. You will be given the choice to add a candy corn or haunted house on top of your home. If you live in or plan to visit a multi-tenant building, just click on the parcel to see the details of who will be participating in that building.
- Encourage your neighbors and friends to place the appropriate icon on the map so you’ll know exactly who is handing out candy or hosting a haunted house.
When it comes to childhood injury prevention, repeated and consistent messages are the keys to safety. Remember to review these safety tips with your children annually to help prevent pedestrian injuries, falls, poisonings, and other threats each October.
A Safe Alternative
Be sure to save some time on Halloween night to stop by Eastwood Tulsa for our annual Fall Festival held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Children of all ages are welcome to wear costumes and collect candy and that’s not all. You can enjoy face painting, photo booth, karate demonstration and participate in our costume contest and all for free.
See you then!
#HalloweenSafety
