With Halloween around the corner, it’s time to be prepared! Scary ghouls and jack-o’-lanterns are staples of the fall holiday, but you can minimize danger with these tips and resources.
Halloween is a time to dress up in costume, trick or treat, and get into fall activities like pumpkin carving. Here are some ideas to keep these activities fun and safe:
- When carving pumpkins, always have adult supervision and let adults do the carving (kids can draw patterns on pumpkins and be responsible for cleaning out the inside pulp and seeds). When adults do carve, always cut away from the body and cut in small, controlled strokes. For more pumpkin carving tips, check out our video below.
- Costumes should be light-coloured and flame resistant with reflective strips so that children are more easily seen at night. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms, too!)
- Remind children to keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flammable.) Consider using electric candles in your pumpkin.
- Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover the eyes.
- Provide yourself or the children with a flashlight to see better and to be better seen.
- Make sure children know they should accept treats at the door and must not get into cars or enter the homes or apartments of strangers.
- Remind children not to eat their treats and goodies until they are examined by an adult at home. And candy should not be eaten if the package is already opened. Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.
- Set agreed-to boundaries with your children. Explain the importance of staying within them and arriving home on time.
See a full list of tips for
Halloween Safety on the Canadian Red Cross web site.
In case of real gore, like an accidental burn or cut, be ready with
first aid preparedness. Download the Canadian Red Cross
first aid app to have helpful resources at your fingertips.
And always be prepared for a zombie apocalypse, or power outages, with your own
emergency preparedness kit.
Happy Halloween!