For some kids, it's the most exciting night of the year. But Halloween trick-or-treating can also be dangerous.
Children are more at risk for injuries while out walking on Halloween night than on any other day of the year.
Children's Health Injury Prevention team member Jesus Alderete provided some of the top tips.
Tip 1: Choose costumes that are visible at night so drivers can see them in the dark. Keep costumes short and snug. Baggy sleeves, capes, and skirts can cause kids to trip or fall.
Alderete: "You want to make sure that their costume does not catch on fire (if they brush against a Jack-o-Lantern), or trip as they cross the street."
Tip 2: Not only should your child be visible, but they should also be able to see everything around them.
Alderete: "Whatever the kids wear over their face should either be painted or tight to their face so they have good peripheral vision."
Tip 3: Make sure to trick-or-treat in groups with an adequate adult-to-child ratio.
Alderete: "There's safety in numbers. You want to make sure that when kids are going out they are always supervised by a responsible adult."
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Tip 4: Park in a neighborhood and walk with your children instead of driving from house to house.
Alderete: "You want to make sure you find a safe, well-lit community to trick-or-treat in."
Tip 5: Teach your kids to look left, right, and left again before crossing street corners.
Alderete: "There are a lot of kids that get excited and want to just dart into the street instead of crossing the street where it's meant to be crossed, which is at the corner near the stop sign."
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