Halloween Safety

Children always enjoy Halloween but it can be a worrying time for parents. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust thinks Halloween should be a treat for everyone, so we have produced the following safety tips to help make sure your kids have fun in safety!

Dressing Up Safely

• Costumes should not be too long or restrict your child’s freedom to move – you don’t want any unplanned bumps in the night!
• Some masks can obstruct a child’s vision, a potential danger, especially when they are crossing roads. Consider using face paints instead.
• If your children are going to be out on the streets, make sure they are wearing visible clothing. Perhaps you could put reflective tape on their costumes.
• Some costumes – coupled with the excitement of Halloween – can encourage aggressive behaviour. Even fake knives, swords and other costume accessories can hurt or scare people.
• Make sure your children understand this and that any potentially dangerous items are made of cardboard or other flexible materials.

Having Fun in Safety

• Children like to go trick-or-treating at Halloween. They should always go out in groups and younger children should be accompanied by an adult.
• Older children should agree with parents or guardians in advance exactly where they are going and if possible which houses they intend to visit.
• As it is likely to be dark outside, make sure they have torches and only walk down well-lit streets.
• If your child has a mobile phone make sure they take it with them and check in at regular intervals to let you know all is well. Agree in advance a time when they will be back home and make sure one of them has a watch.
• Make sure they know not to enter anyone’s house and not to accept lifts in people’s cars.
• Talk through the idea of trick or treat, and make sure your children don’t do anything to upset or annoy the people they visit.

Safe Treats

• Ask your children not to eat any sweets or other treats that they have been given until they get home. Giving them a meal or snack before they go might help them resist temptation!
• Carefully check all the things they have been given. Sweets and food that are still in their original wrappers are safest.