Safe and Healthy Tips For Halloween From Children's Medical Center

Did you know more children under 14 get struck by a vehicle on Halloween than on any other day of the year?

Definitely not what you want to hear, but this fact is a good reminder that things can go bad if you don't take a few precautions for a safe and healthy Halloween. 

As you and the kids prepare for a fun night of trick or treating, make sure to remember these tips from Children's Medical Center Dallas to ensure this fun event doesn't turn into a nightmare. 

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

1. Remind kids that spooky decorations are only for fun and aren't real. A good night can go real bad if a child gets scared and doesn't understand the difference between what's real what's make believe.
2. Costumes should be short and snug. Baggy sleeves, long capes and skirts can catch fire if they
3. Shoes should fit. Big, floppy shoes that are hard to walk in may cause your child to fall.
4. Eye holes in masks must be wide enough. Make sure your child’s mask fits well and the eye holes allow him or her to see fully. Better yet, paint his or her face using kid-friendly, glow-in-the-dark face paints.
5. Drivers cannot see costumes in the dark. Be creative and attach retro-reflective tape, stickers or have your child wear glow-in-the dark bracelets.
6. Always cross streets at crosswalks and intersections. Stop at street corners. Look left, right and left again, and don’t cross between parked cars.
7. Always buckle up. Children should be buckled up even on quick trips between houses while trick or treating. 
8. Make sure an adult checks all the treats before kids eat them. Teach children to pick only wrapped candy when they trick-or-treat.
9. Keep hands and teeth healthy and make sure to wash hands often with hand sanitizer and brush those teeth after eating all that candy! 
10. Got a big loot of candy, but don't want to consume your weight in candy? Then give it away! Bring your extra Halloween candy to the Endocrinology Center at Children’s. We’ll send it to Operation Gratitude which sends care packages to troops serving our country.

Hope you have a safe and fun Halloween!