Halloween is right around the corner, which means youngsters will soon head out in their neighborhoods for a fun night of trick-or-treating!
Of course, it's important for everyone to be safe while celebrating the spooky holiday. That's why the experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics shared some essential tips that help every trick-or-treater have the most fun!
Whether the advice keeps them safe from harm or simply helps them enjoy their time without any temper tantrums, each of these helpful hints will keep you and your little monsters happy.
For instance, I never thought about how big of a difference just eating dinner before hitting the streets could be!
Take a look to see more awesome tips from the experts on how to have a safe and happy time trick-or-treating this Halloween.
And don't forget to SHARE their advice with your friends on Facebook!
1. Eat Dinner Before Heading Out
Having a good meal before hitting the streets can help keep your kids from snacking on the treats they pick up along the way — and the always-inevitable sugar crash.
2. Plan Your Route Ahead Of Time
For older trick-or-treaters heading out on the own, this will make sure they know exactly which streets they need to stick to.
Going over a route with younger kids can help avoid them becoming lost if they wander away from a big group in between houses.
3. Wear Bright Costumes
This can be tricky with so many spooky costumes embracing dark colors, but encouraging them to pick a bright costume will also make sure they're more visible at night.
4. Consider Adding Reflective Tape
If their costume isn't bright enough on its own, a few stripes of reflective tape on their bag or outfit can ensure drivers will easily notice them while crossing streets.
5. Use Makeup Instead Of Masks
First, you should test a small patch of it on their skin long before you head out on Halloween to make sure they won't have any bad reactions.
If they're fine with the product, makeup is a better choice than masks, which can restrict their line of vision and make walking around in the dark even more difficult.
6. Make Sure Kids Aren't Swapping Wigs
Halloween accessories like wigs and hats getting passed around between youngsters can lead to a spike in cases of lice.
Keep a close eye on your kiddos to make sure the only creepy-crawlies they catch are the gummy worms in their bag.
7. Always Carry Flashlights
Even if you start early in the day with the sun still out, you might end up in the dark before realizing hours have passed by.
8. Never Go Inside A Home
Obviously, if you're good friends with your neighbors and they invite you and your trick-or-treaters inside, that's up to you to accept or decline.
If you're unfamiliar with whomever lives inside a house, even if they have it open for everyone to look inside at their spooky decor, it's better to keep on moving down the road.
9. Cross Streets As A Group
Even if you're out with just one little monster, you might want to wait to follow the flow of other groups while they cross the street in order to be as visible as possible to traffic.
10. Inspect Every Piece Of Candy
Even though tampering with candy is rare, experts still advise taking a quick scan of all the sweets before letting your kids chow down.
11. Try Your Best To Ration The Treats
After working hard to earn as many sugary treats as they can stuff in their bag, it can be difficult to convince trick-or-treaters that it's a good idea to save the sweets to enjoy gradually over the next week or so.
You can try making a game out of it to see who can hold onto their candy the longest!
Be sure to SHARE all of these awesome tips for trick-or-treating with your friends on Facebook.
