Posts tagged Jack-o-Lanterns

18 easy safety tips that will help make sure the spookiest night of the year is scary for the right reasons only!

By Eve Jones

Danger-Free Dressing Up

* Props such as knives, swords and axes should be flexible, non-pointed and short: small children can easily trip over long items

* Incorporate reflective tape or EL wire into costumes. It’ll look great and make the wearer much more visible to motorists

* Make sure masks have decent eyeholes and good peripheral vision. Trim if necessary and fill in the eye area with face paint to match the mask

* Yes, it’s cute, but does your pet really want to be dressed as a pumpkin or as Spiderman?! He’s likely to be stressed enough with the noise from the street and the doorbell ringing

Do I LOOK Happy?!

Trustworthy Trick-or-Treating

* The dark, masks and the excitement may make it hard for your child to spot your car. If you’re on taxi duty, place a battery operated lantern like this one on the dashboard to make it easier for them to find the right vehicle

* Younger children should always trick-or-treat with an adult. No exceptions.

* Ensure older kids who are trick-or-treating with friends have a set route and that you check in with them regularly by phone

Stick Together in a Group

* And a set route means no short cuts through alleys or across playing fields!

* No matter how old and wise (!) you are, if you’re heading out to a bar or party, tell a friend or roommate where you’re going, who you’ll be with and what time you’ll likely to be back

* Driving at night is bad enough, especially in poorly lit areas. Stay alert and watch out for anyone crossing the road in a dark costume or people having too much fun to pay attention to traffic

* Take a flashlight and a cell phone. And make sure both have fully powered batteries!

* Easier than it sounds, granted, but encourage your kids to bring home their treats for you to check before they eat them. Care should be taken with home baked goodies too

* They may roll their eyes and say “We know….” But it’s always worth impressing on older children and teenagers that they should NEVER enter a home or a car to accept a treat

* Walk facing the traffic and stay on the inside of the sidewalk

Peril-less Partying

* Keep Jack-o-Lanterns and candles away from doorsteps, stairs, curtains and pet’s tails!

Now I have 2 Tails to Look Out For!

* If you live in a friendly area, instead of letting the kids hit the streets, why not organize a block party? Or serve treats and drinks for friends and neighbors from your front yard. That way you’ll know where everybody is

* Serving a spooky dry ice punch bowl? Place the dry ice and hot water in a large bowl with a smaller bowl placed inside for the punch. Be careful not to mix: dry ice can cause damage to internal organs if swallowed

* Finally, when carving your Jack-o-Lanterns make sure small children can still join in the fun – knife free. Get them to draw their face on the pumpkin with marker pen so that you can carve it for them

Scared Yet?!

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Do you have any other safety tips for this time of year? If so, please share them in the box below.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Posted by Eve in Uncategorized