A Few Tips For A Safe Halloween!

Since the kids will be doing plenty of walking through the night, you'll definitely want to make sure that it's not impeded in any way. Make sure the costume isn't too long, or have any beads or fringe that the kids can trip on. If a costume needs to be shortened, you don't need to be a wiz with a sewing needle... just grab some double-sided tape or a hot glue gun (or the always popular duct tape), and you can get it fixed in a jiffy! Also, if a costume comes with a mask, make sure your child can see while wearing it.

Costumes that are lighter in color are always more easily spotted than dark ones, but if your kid's costume is on the dark side, no worries! Reflective tape is one way to brighten things up. You can stick reflective tape on their costume, their shoes, and their trick-or-treat bag. You can also grab some glow sticks! Glow sticks come in lots of sizes and shapes, and kids love them too because they're so much fun!

Streets are for cars, sidewalks are for people. It's always going to be way safer to stick to the sidewalk then to walk in the street. That being said, if for some reason you do need to walk on the road... keep to the side and walk so that you're facing traffic and can see the cars coming.

If you're out tonight with the kids and think a street or neighborhood isn't safe, don't go down it. There's PLENTY of candy in areas that are well-lit and well traveled. Also, if you've got kids that are old enough to go out without an adult, make sure they go out with a group, that they stick together, and that they stick to a pre-determined route; that way you can have a better idea where they will be.

In a perfect world, no one would have to worry about a child's candy being tampered with, but unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Before your kid has any candy, make sure you double check their haul to make sure none of it's been tampered with.

A note for drivers: Lots of children and families will be out tonight, be extra careful when on the road. Eyes on the road, not on your phone. And, driving a bit slower in residential areas isn't a bad idea either; kids can be so excited and focused on getting candy they may dart between cars or cross streets without looking.