Making Halloween Trick-or-Treating Safe

By Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin, MD, FAAP, MOM
Created on Oct 03, 2008
Reviewed on Oct 13, 2012

I’m an old-fashioned trick-or-treat lover. I can’t think of another holiday when people open up their homes to complete strangers for the purpose of giving. I endorse this spirit of cheer and charity by giving treats and having my children trick-or-treat.

If you decide to let your children trick-or-treat, use the tips below to make Halloween safe for your children and other trick-or-treaters:

• When selecting costumes, consider choosing bright colors that show up easily in the dark.

• Avoid costumes with masks that limit a child’s vision.

• Use a wearable light or reflectors to make your child’s costume more visible at night.

• Avoid driving on Halloween night.

• If you must drive, be very mindful of trick-or-treaters.

• If possible, trick-or-treat on residential streets that are not associated with heavy traffic.

• I recommend adult supervision for trick-or-treating children of all ages.

• Teach your child to never go into homes to get treats.

• Check your children’s treats before allowing them to eat them.

• Eat only wrapped, commercially-prepared treats unless you personally know the preparer of a homemade treat.

• Make sure treats are age-appropriate. Hard candies, small toys, and nuts pose high choking hazards especially in young children.

• Check that the walkway to your home is well-lit. If not, festive Halloween lights provide a fun way to accomplish this.

• To prevent fires and burns, consider using battery-lit “candles” rather than real candles to illuminate jack-o’ lanterns.