Hints & Tips for Trick-or-Treaters ~ Safety First!

TIPS AND WARNINGS FOR A SAFE TRICK-OR-TREAT EVENING 

1. Go in a group accompanied by at least one adult, and  
2. carry a flashlight.  
3. Obey all traffic laws, cross streets only at crosswalks and walk on the sidewalk at all times.
4. Visit only well-lit homes with porch lights and/or other exterior lights on.
5. Wear costumes that are flame-resistant, and make sure costumes do not drag or otherwise pose the threat of tripping you.
6. Put reflective tape on costumes to make them visible to drivers at night.
7. Make sure you can see where you are going if you are wearing a mask.
8. Stand away from jack-o'-lanterns that contain candles, and 
9. never go into a home unless you know the occupants well and the adult accompanying you goes in also.
10. Make sure everyone stays in the group and stragglers don't get left behind. 

More Tips

• Consider going trick-or-treating before dark.
• Form a "trick-or-treat" group of people from your church or school. 
  *Go to those homes only, or have a trick-or-treat party in the parking lot of the church or school, with each family offering treats out of a decorated car or van.
• Some hospitals will X-ray the contents of trick-or-treat bags for foreign objects as a community service.
• Do not eat candy while trick-or-treating. Bring it home, inspect all the items and throw away any previously opened or otherwise suspicious treats.

 Read more

 

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 Bad candy? Just look for the obvious.  

• Look for breaks in the seal, throw away fresh fruit, don't accept unwrapped candy.  
• Check that the wrappers are all unopened and if they're not wrapped don't give them to your child, due to hygiene as well as any harmful substances being on them. 
• If someone gave your child unwrapped candy, throw it out.  
• If there is a piece of Christmas candy, I'm sure they meant no harm but throw it out.  
• If your child has a candy that you've never seen before and looks like it was made in some foreign country you've never heard of before, chances are it's okay and your just paranoid...but just throw it out! 

While the candy shown to the left was found in a college students dorm and was not given out to kids, it was intended for street sale because it was made with THC. This is still a reminder to parents to be safe and check your kids candy before allowing them to touch it. Throw away anything home packaged from people you don't personally know and trust.


Trick-or-treating is a rite of passage for kids. For parents, the overflowing bag of candy their child will bring home on Halloween night can be cause for concern. Aside from the guaranteed cavities, they want to know if the candy is OK to consume. These guidelines will help you toss the bad and keep the good, so your kids can have a safe sugar high.  Read more

• Lollipops that are particularly brittle or break easily are usually older than a sucker that doesn't fall to pieces during the first bite.
• Some cities are starting to use police detection services on Halloween to assist parents in identifying the bad candy. Check to see if your town offers this service.
• Remember the old saying, "When in doubt, throw it out."

1. Establish the "Bring it Home First" rule. Tell the children in your charge that they must bring home all candy for your inspection before eating it. Don't scare them, but make it clear that this is nonnegotiable.
2. Toss the fruit. Apples and oranges often get thrown in to Halloween bags with lollipops and chocolate. Unfortunately, you don't know where that ripe-looking apple has been or what it's been exposed to, so the safest action is to throw it away.
3. Examine everything that is not wrapped. Many parents throw out anything unwrapped, which is a good idea. However, in some circumstances, candy may not be wrapped because it was homemade or was bought in bulk. Accept this type of unwrapped candy only if you know the giver.
4. Smell everything. It's hard to tell with candy, but sometimes a slight stale odor can be a good indicator of bad candy. Some people like to keep leftover candy for next year's Halloween. Although it would probably be harmless for your child, foods have expiration dates for good reasons.
5. Study candy for texture and shape. Flattened candy bars are not great Halloween treats. Chocolate that looks spotty and has patches of white on the surface is old and stale or has been refrigerated for a long time.
6. Throw out all candy that has been opened. Chances are, your child's pillowcase full of goodies was tossed around and this caused some wrappers to come undone. If Halloween candy has even the slightest rip, tear or hole, put it in the garbage. 

Be sure to go to their website and look around too!  I usually post just the basics! Read more here. 

REMINDER!

Halloween Warning to Dog Owners - Dogs can be irresistibly attracted to the sweet flavors of Halloween candy. However, it's not the candy you need to worry about. It's those easy-to-swallow yet impossible-to-digest candy wrappers that can pose the greatest risk to your dog. Swallowed plastic or foil wrappers can create a life threatening obstruction inside your dog's digestive tract. So, don't forget to keep Halloween candies and their wrappers safely away from your pet. And be sure to share this important warning with other dog owners, too. Courtesy of Dog Food Advisor.

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I normally find my posting material from other blogs and shared information on the web. I do not claim to personally own the material unless I truly have authored it. Honesty is key. I usually try to share with you my overall understanding of any given shared post; but, if applicable, I want to give credit where credit is due by sending you to the original author for  the original information and any additional info. 
It's only fair.   

My personal suggestions and opinions are usually in this green italic type - so you will know when it is my own wording/opinion given.

I hope this information has been of some help to you. As always, if you would like to add a thought, question, give suggestions for another topic, or make a general suggestion, please post a comment below. Also, please follow / subscribe to this blog.  Thank you!