Have a Safe Halloween
We all want our children to be safe this Halloween and with a few simple reminders, it can be a fun and safe time for everyone. Safekids.org has ten good rules of thumb to follow.
The first five are for trick-or-treaters:
1. Cross the street safely at corners. Use traffic signals and crosswalks. Walk, don’t run, and always look left, right then left again before crossing.
2. Stay on sidewalks or paths. No sidewalks? Then walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
3. Slow down, stay alert. Keep an eye out for cars turning or backing up. Don’t dart into the street or cross in between parked cars.
4. Young kids should always be with an adult. Especially those younger than 12.
5. Costumes should be safe. Reflective tap is essential. If possible, choose a light-colored costume. Choose nontoxic face paint over a mask that can obstruct a child’s vision. Have kids carry glow sticks and flashlights. Make sure they can be seen.
The last five are for drivers:
6. SLOW DOWN. Especially in residential neighborhoods and school zones. Most often, trick-or-treating is done between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m.
7. Be especially alert. Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Kids can be unpredictable so be on guard.
8. Enter and exit driveways slowly and carefully.
9. Reduce distractions when driving. Don’t talk on your phone or text. It only takes a second to miss a child darting out in front of your car. Concentrate fully on the road and your surroundings.
10. Keep your headlights on so you can spot kids at a greater distance. Children may not be able to see your vehicle.
Let’s keep these 10 important tips in mind so everyone has a safe and happy Halloween.
-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com
Halloween with a toddler
Those of us celebrating this fun holiday with a toddler, may be thinking “My child is too young for trick-or-treating, but I can’t let the day go by without some festivities to create that picture perfect moment of my little one in full costume.”
Here are some ideas that might be a bit more toddler-friendly than trick-or-treating.
Have a get together at your house. This works especially if you have other friends with toddlers. They can have food and games just for them.
Go to the zoo. The Oklahoma City Zoo sponsors “Haunt the Zoo” every year, and we go … every year. You won’t see the exhibits, but you’ll meet alot of friendly zoo employees who will be giving out all kinds of goodies. They also provide plenty of picture opportunities. Go to www.okczoo.com for more information.
Festivals. There are plenty around the metro. It seems that every church, YMCA and other community center is hosting a fall festival or carnival. Take advantage of these, as many are free and they’re a fun, safe alternative to trick-or-treating.
Hand out candy. Dress your toddler up in their costume and let them pass out candy to visiting trick-or-treaters. Chances are, they’ll just love the opportunity to show off their costume to neighbors. And you’ll get to watch Halloween specials on TV.
And if you do decide to brave the neighborhood for goodies, just be sure to follow the basic rules of trick-or-treating:
-Wear light-colored clothing and/or reflective tape on costumes. Don’t cross streets between parked cars.
-Go in a group, and while it is still light out. Use flashlights if it’s dark. Don’t go to any house that has the lights turned off.
-Inspect all candy carefully and discard anything that has a torn or missing wrapper or could have been tampered with in any way.
If you have any more good safety tips or suggestions for Halloween, post them here or email esmith@opubco.com and I’ll post them for you.
~Erica Smith
