Celebrating Halloween is fun for kids and adults alike. You and your kids’ safety are an essential part of a successful celebration. To keep the fun going all night long, we’ve scared up our top 13 Halloween safety tips to keep your children, pets, and home protected on Halloween.
Read on to learn more about how to have the safest Halloween yet, whether you’ll be handing out candy at home or collecting it around your neighborhood!
General Halloween Safety Tips
1. Use Proper Tools to Carve or Decorate Pumpkins Safely
Halloween safety starts well before the actual day. If you like to kick off the festivities by carving pumpkins, make sure you are keeping safety top of mind. Consider decorating pumpkins with paint, stickers, or other craft supplies rather than carving them, especially if you have younger children. If you do opt to carve pumpkins, be vigilant about using the proper knives and following all instructions and safety measures carefully.
2. Use Battery-Operated Candles to Light Pumpkins
Lighting up the inside of your carved pumpkins are a must during the holiday! Skip the traditional candles and instead opt for battery-operated flameless candles, flashlights, or glowsticks to get the perfect spooky affect.
3. Prep Your Home, Inside and Out, for Trick-or-Treaters
Before the evening arrives, make sure everything is in order, inside and out. Inside, make sure that your security system is working properly, including your cameras, smoke detectors, and CO detectors. Then move outside to check exterior cameras, video doorbell cameras, and any additional security equipment.
You’ll also want to turn on your exterior lights to make sure they are working. Now is a great time to swap out any burnt-out lightbulbs. Make sure to clean your yard, putting away bikes, toys, tools, or debris that people may trip over. To keep others safe, also check for and remove any hazards from your driveway and sidewalks.
If you don’t want a notification every time a trick-or-treater approaches your door, you can temporarily pause IVAN notifications. Watch the video below to learn how.
4. Use Your Video Doorbell or Outdoor Camera to See When Trick-or-Treaters Arrive
If you’ll be home handing out candy, you can use your CPI Security system to see when trick-or-treaters are at your door. You can monitor them right from your inTouch™ app with the CPI Video Doorbell Pro or outside cameras.
5. Arm Your Security System to Protect Your Home if You’re Out
If you won’t be home on Halloween night, be sure to arm your security system when you leave. That way, should anything spooky or suspicious happen while you’re away, CPI’s professional monitoring team can check on the situation.
6. Park Your Car in a Safe Place
Whether you’re at home or away, park your car in the garage or in a well-lit area to avoid break-ins, theft, or vandalism. Signs of a security system will help deter this kind of trouble as well. 84% of burglars check for an alarm system before attempting a break-in.
7. Be Extra Vigilant of Pedestrians While Driving
If you’ll be behind the wheel on Halloween, remember that driving safety goes hand in hand with Halloween safety. Turn your headlights on early in the evening, put away your phone and other distractions, and be mindful as you come out of driveways or intersections. Keep an especially close watch for people in dark-colored costumes without reflective tape, and for small children excitedly darting out into the street.
Trick-or-Treating Halloween Safety Tips
8. Wear Bright, Reflective Costumes for More Visibility
Trick-or-treat safety begins with a smart costume. Wear bright colors if possible. Consider adding reflective tape to your and your child’s costume or treat bags to make yourselves easier to spot. If you plan to use a scooter, wagon, or bike to get around, make sure they are reflective as well.
Bring a flashlight to make yourself easier to see and consider giving your kids glowsticks to carry. Dress appropriately for the weather, which may mean wearing warm layers under your costume.
9. Beware of Costumes or Accessories that Could Cause Skin Irritation, Breathing Issues, or Tripping Hazards
Make sure that your costume and accessories are safe. Rather than wearing masks that could make it hard to see or breathe, consider using hypoallergenic, non-toxic makeup to complete your costume.
Just remember to remove the makeup at the end of the night to prevent skin or eye irritation. Plan your costume in advance and think about tripping hazards like long capes. Costumes should also be fire-resistant whenever possible.
10. Be Proactive in Keep Younger Kids Safe When You’re Trick-or-Treating with Them
Young kids shouldn’t go trick-or-treating alone. And even if you are with them, there are proactive steps to take to keep them safe.
You can put a piece of paper in your child’s pocket with their name and your address and phone number. Or even write your phone number on their arm. These tips help in the event that you get separated from them.
Make sure your kids know to cross the street at corners and to look before crossing streets and driveways. They should also learn to look for cars that may be turning or backing up.
11. Make a Trick-or-Treating Safety Plan and Set Ground Rules for Older Kids
Children old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult still need a few ground rules to keep them safe. Make sure you discuss things like:
- Where they’re allowed to go
- Their curfew
- To stay on the sidewalk and out of the street
- To only go to brightly lit homes
- To stay with their group
- To never go inside a car or house to get a treat
12. Check Your Kids’ Treats at the End of the Night
Once you get home, inspect your child’s candy before allowing them to dig in. Remove anything that is unsealed or looks questionable. Also look out for choking hazards for younger children like peanuts, gum, and jawbreakers. If your child has food allergies, you’ll also needs to carefully look through treats for items they can’t have.
Halloween Safety Tips for Pets
13. Keep Your Pets Safely Secured
We can’t forget about our four-legged family members on Halloween! Set your pets up for a safe Halloween by making sure they are leashed or secured inside. Some pets may get overly stimulated by all the trick-or-treat excitement. This could cause them to get scared, run away, or even bite, scratch, or jump at a child.
If you ask us, holiday fun is always maximized when you know the proper safety measures are in place. We hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Halloween! For more information on safety, security, and innovation, continue exploring the CPI blog.
