Pedestrian safety is a huge concern on Halloween.  Did you know that kids are more likely to be hit by cars on Halloween than any other day/night of the year?  To ward off mishaps while our young children are trick-or-treating, it's a good idea for a parent, family member or trusted adult to go with young children on their rounds.

Creatively dressing children in costumes decorated with or made of reflective materials, including reflective zipper tags and reflectors on their shoes, is a good way to alert drivers to ghouls and goblins on the scariest night of the year.  Kids can carry glo-sticks and reflective trick-or-treat bags (made of paper painted with non-toxic, day-glo type paint), and wear or carry lighted objects that night-time joggers use such as light-pulsing or reflective arm bands to alert drivers that there are pedestrians in non-traditional garb gamboling about.

Parents need to make sure too that kids' costumes don't interfere with their breathing (as in face masks or any costume covering the nose and/or mouth), seeing, walking, or going up and down steps.  If kids have difficulty in any of these areas, re-design their head-dress, costume or footwear!  Kids need to be able to clearly see cars, curbs, crosswalks, steps, and uneven sidewalks at night. Also, if you purchase costumes in stores, make sure they are marked "flame resistant."

Painted Faces! Booooo!

Parents Magazine recently ran a very short article about using Face Paint on Halloween and suggested parents follow these precautions from the Food and Drug Administration:

• "Double-check that paint ingredients are all FDA-approved (some slip past inspection).  At fda.gov, search for 'Summary of Color Additives.'
• "Dab a bit of paint on the inside of your child's forearm a few days before Halloween. If his or her skin breaks out, skip the face-painting.
• "Follow instructions for removing paint (usually with mild soap and water).
• "Avoid using paint (old or new) that smells bad, which could mean it's contaminated with bacteria. 
• "Keep paint away from the eyes--it can cause infection.
• "Don't leave paint on overnight!"
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Safety While Trick-or-Treating

Lastly, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) urges parents, family members and caregivers to Know the Rules and follow these Halloween safety tips:

• "Make sure to accompany younger children to the door of every home they approach, and make sure, as parents and guardians, that you are familiar with every home and all people from which the children receive treats.
• "Teach children never to enter a home without prior permission from you, their parent or guardian.
• "Teach children never to approach a vehicle, occupied or not, unless they are accompanied by you, their parent or guardian.
• "Teach children to stay alert for any kind of suspicious incident and to report any to you, their parent or guardian, immediately.
• "Teach children that if anyone tries to grab them, to yell loudly, "This person is not my father/mother/guardian!" and resist by running, kicking, and screaming.

ChildSafetyBlog.org agrees that organizing or attending parties at home, in schools, or community centers is a great alternative to Trick or Treating, and we hope all our readers enjoy a safe and happy Halloween!

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With appreciation to:

SafeKids World Wide, 2009, http://www.safekids.org/our-work/programs/walk-this-way/halloween.html

Safe Face Paint, Parents Magazine, October 2010, Meredith Corporation, New York, p. 33.

"Know The Rules: Halloween Safety", National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), c. 1990.