Came across this very useful “Halloween Safety” article at Safe Kids Canada:

Did You Know?

Halloween is a great time for children. However, all the excitement can cause them to forget safety rules, particularly when trick or treating. The tips below will help you to keep your kids safe during this fun time.

All about costumes:

Make sure that drivers can see your child. Use costumes with bright fabrics and decorate costumes with reflective tape. Give each child a flashlight to carry.

To prevent falling, your child’s costume and shoes should fit properly. Costumes should not be longer than your child’s ankles.

If you are making a costume, use materials that are fire resistant. If you are buying a costume, make sure it is labeled “flame resistant”. This means that the costume could catch fire, but it will burn more slowly than other materials. Avoid costumes with loose sleeves, pants, and skirts.

All costume accessories such as swords or knives should be made of soft, flexible material and should not have any sharp edges.

Your child should wear face paint or make-up instead of a mask. Make-up and face paint are better than masks because they don’t block your child’s ability to see. If your child is wearing a hat, wig, or scarf, tie it securely so that it won’t slip over your child’s eyes.

Tips for safe trick or treating:

Children under nine years of age should be supervised by an adult when trick or treating.

Children over nine years of age should trick or treat with an adult or in a group with older, responsible children. If your child is trick or treating without an adult, make sure he or she knows how to cross the road safely. Children should cross only at corners or pedestrian crosswalks. Children should walk, not run, from house to house and stay on the sidewalk or at the side of the road facing traffic.

Children should stay in well lit areas and should only visit homes that have their outside lights turned on. Children should not go inside homes.

Tell your children to bring their treats home before eating them. Before your children eat their candy, make sure you inspect it. Throw out any treats that are not wrapped, those in torn or open packages, or any that have small holes in the wrappers. Remember that small hard candies are a choking hazard for children under three years old.

When decorating your home:

Small children should never carve pumpkins. Instead, let your child draw a face on the pumpkin.

Make your home safe for trick or treaters. Remove all objects around the outside of your house that could cause children to trip or fall. Turn your outside light on.

Avoid using candles to decorate pumpkins. Small inexpensive flashlights can be used to light pumpkins safely.

Keep lit candles out of children’s reach and away from curtains and other objects that could catch fire.

If you’re driving on Halloween:

Be extra careful when driving. Children are excited and may forget safety rules.

When driving in areas with children, slow down and watch for them.

Enter and exit driveways and alleyways slowly and pay extra attention

I suggest you also play this fun Halloween safety game