Toys to Kids - How to Have a Safe and Healthy Halloween

Halloween is one the of most highly anticipated events by children every year. It is the time of the year that they can get to wear scary costumes and go trick or treating with family and friends. It is quite possibly the only time of the year that parents allow them to hoard lots of candies and other sweets. Some tots do look forward to getting those simple toys to kids that are only hip during Halloween.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published some Halloween safety tips relating to dressing up your tots, using toddler educational toys as props, and keeping the home safe during the holiday not only for your kids but also for visiting trick-or-treaters.

A. Safety tips when choosing costumes

1. Choose costumes that are bright in color and are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement, or contact with flame. Make sure the children’s shoes fit them well.

2. For greater visibility, put reflective tapes on the child’s costume or trick-or-treat bags. You can shape the reflective tapes as additional designs on the costumes.

3. Non-toxic makeup and hats are safer alternatives to masks or any accessory that can obstruct your child’s vision. When choosing hats, make sure that they fit properly so they won’t slide over the child’s eyes.

4. Choose wigs and other accessories that have been labeled as fire resistant.

5. If simple kids’ toys like canes, swords, or magic wands are part of the costumes, make sure that they are not sharp or too long. These kids’ toys can bring harm to a child or his playmates when he stumbles or trips.

6. Let the children and their escorts bring flashlights with fresh batteries.

7. Instruct children to call 9-1-1 or any other local emergency number if they get lost or have any emergency.

8. Do not allow small children to carve pumpkins. Let them participate by drawing a face with markers, but parents should do the cutting for them.

B. Safety tips for the home during Halloween

1. Use votive candles to light pumpkins.

2. Do not leave candle-lit pumpkins unattended or near curtains and other flammable objects. Place them on sturdy tables.

3. Remove tripping hazards from the porch and yard like garden hoses, kids’ toys, bikes, and other lawn decorations. Keep your home safe for visiting trick-or-treaters.

4. Check outdoor lights and if there are burned out bulbs, then they should be replaced.

5. Free your sidewalks and steps from wet leaves and other tripping hazards like tree roots or rocks.

6. Keep pets away, especially dogs, to prevent accidents with visiting trick-or-treaters.

The AAP also suggests these ways to make Halloween as healthy as possible:

1. Give the children a good healthy meal before they go out for trick or treat to discourage them from overindulging on Halloween treats.

2. Consider giving visiting trick-or-treaters non-food items like coloring books and pens instead of sweets.

3. Tell the children to sort and taste their stack of goodies at home after you checked them for spoiled, unwrapped, or suspicious items.

4. Try to ration the treats for the days after the holiday.

Halloween is a memorable time of the year not only for kids but also for adults. Keep Halloween safe for everyone involved.

Filed under: kids and toys on October 31st, 2008