Trick or Treating Safety

It’s that spooky time of year again! The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling, and it’s time to start thinking about trick-or-treating safety. 

Aside from concerns over the amount of sugar your child might eat during holidays like Halloween, safety is often our biggest concern. This may mean different things for different families, but here are some tips we think might help your holiday be spooky and not scary. 

The first thing to begin preparing for is your child’s costume choice. Whether your child has sensory sensitivities or not, having the right costume can make a world of difference. Consider the weather in your area. Will your child need to be wearing a snowsuit under their Superman muscles? Ensure your child is prepared for the extra layers if necessary (avoid being 7-year-old me crying about wearing a leotard under my Josie and the pussycat’s costume. It WAS the end of the world). 

After the costume is chosen, consider adding bright or reflective pieces to increase your child’s visibility during the dusk hours. Reflective tape strategically placed, light-up shoes, reflective candy bags, etc. Not only do you want to be able to spot your child running from house to house easily, but you want to ensure motorists especially will easily be able to see you and your child crossing the street. 

Know where you are going to go. Unsafe situations during Halloween often arise when we find ourselves in areas that are poorly lit or do not have adequate sidewalks. Avoid having to risk a brisk walk along a dark road by planning your route. It’s a great idea to visit or even walk the route beforehand at the same time you plan to trick or treat. A street that is quiet at noon might be different later in the evening. That spooky house on the corner might be cute in full sunlight, but when the shadows start creeping out, it might be better for nervous kids to skip that one.

This can also be a great time to prime your child before the big day. Halloween is often filled with new sights and sounds. It can be overwhelming for anyone, including the parent whose idea this was to go in the first place. By practicing walking the pre planned route, you can give yourself and your child a chance to acclimate. Hopefully having some idea of what to expect can increase the likelihood all of the novelty experienced on Halloween will not be too overwhelming.

Just in case it is, have a plan. Consider bringing along some toys or items that your child might need to make the experience more enjoyable. A change of clothes, headphones, fidget, or sensory toys as well as an escape plan! Each child will have a different threshold for tolerating the sights, sounds, and excitement of the night. Have a plan for when it’s time to call it a night, especially if your group contains multiple children with different needs. 

Have a plan for emergencies. Remember to practice answering safety questions with your child before there's ever a need. If vocal speech isn’t your child’s main form of communication, try having your child practice typing your number into a phone in case another adult is trying to help them reach you. Consider using safety information cards your child can hand to adults in case of emergencies. 

And just because you are safe in your car, doesn’t mean we don’t have to remember to be extra vigilant on Halloween night. Lots of families will be out and about at different times. Make sure to turn on your headlights a bit earlier to ensure visibility. Take extra precautions around areas where people may be crossing: corners, driveways, alleys. Popular trick or treating times are between 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm.

We hope you have a wonderful time with whatever spooky plans your family likes to participate in. Take a moment to decide what pre planning might help make sure your biggest worry on Halloween night is counting just how many pieces of candy the kids really ate. 

For more safety information, check out: Healthy Children: Halloween Health & Safety Tips and Safe Kids: Halloween Safety Tips. 

Infographic text: 

Costume Choices

When preparing for trick or treating, consider your costume choice! Look for costumes with bright or reflective pieces to ensure your child is easy to spot. ALSO, practice putting the costume on! Different clothing and textures can be difficult if your child has sensory sensitivities.

Plan your Route

Success often starts with a plan. Plan the route you will take your child on. If possible, go for a walk a few times before Halloween. This can allow you to practice and anticipate things like busy crosswalks or scary barking dogs. This is especially important when visiting a new neighborhood.

Walking Safety

Stay in groups and communicate where you are going. Only cross streets at crosswalks. Make sure your cell is charged for communication emergencies. Make sure to put all distractions away when crossing streets. Pedestrian injury is the most common injury to children on Halloween.

Priming

Practice trick-or-treating routines leading up to Halloween. Create a visual story to prime your child on what to expect. Consider using communication cards to hand out instead of requiring vocal communication. Make sure to have calming items like headphones, toys, and fidgets.

Emergency Plan

Fill out your emergency plan and make sure multiple people have a copy. Practice safety info questions with your child. Consider your child carrying a safety card with parent info on it. Practice having your child handing the card to adults and/or asking for help. Have local emergency numbers saved.Driving Safety

Turn headlights on earlier to spot kids from further distances. Slow down and be alert. Remove all distractions. Children may dart into the street unexpectedly. Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully. Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.