How to Enjoy a Safe Halloween in the Neighborhood
Friday, October 26th, 2018
Halloween may or may not be your thing, and for some very valid reasons. But it is a favorite “holiday” for many because:
- It is fun and very affordable as compared to Christmas and Thanksgiving
- Halloween provides value
- Consumer confidence is at its highest level in 10 years
And if you do plan to enjoy it, plan to make it a safe Halloween.
How You Can Make it a Safe Halloween
With so many out and about enjoying Halloween in the neighborhood, there are some things you can and should do to make it safe and lots of fun, too.
See and be seen in the dark
- Choose costumes that are bright and reflective
- Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags
- Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries installed
- Instead of wearing a mask, opt to wear non-toxic makeup and a hat
- Make your route on well-lit streets only and always use the sidewalk
- If it happens your trick-or-treating route has no sidewalk, walk at the far edge of the side of the road facing traffic
If you wear it, wear it safely
- Shoes should fit well and costume length should be short enough to prevent tripping
- Masks, hats, wigs, and accessories should fit properly so they won’t slide over your eyes
- Costume and costume accessory labels should indicate they are flame resistant
- Swords, canes, or sticks should not be sharp or too long. You don’t want your trick-or-treater getting hurt if they happen to stumble or trip.
- Avoid pain, inflammation, serious eye disorders, infections, and possibly permanent vision loss. (Now that’s scary!) Only wear decorative contact lenses that have been prescribed for you. They are dangerous and illegal if worn without a prescription.
Know your numbers and plan your routes
- Everybody needs to know how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) in case of an emergency or if someone gets lost
- Carry a fully-charged cell phone with you
- Plan and review a safe route with your trick-or-treaters
- If your trick-or-treaters are older and going out without an adult, know their route and set a specific time when they should be home
- Never go trick-or-treating by yourself. Stay in a group and always communicate where you are going.
While you’re out and about
- Parents or responsible adults should always accompany young trick-or-treaters
- Never get into a car or walk into a home to get Halloween candy
- Visit only homes that have their porch light turned on
- Never cut across yards or use alleys
- Cross streets in groups and in crosswalks only, not from between parked cars or out of driveways, not ever
- Always assume motorists cannot see you. Never cross in front of a car until you are sure they see you and have come to a full and complete stop
- If you see any suspicious or unlawful activity, notify your law enforcement authorities immediately
What to do at home to make it a safe Halloween
Instead of carving pumpkins, let young children draw a face on pumpkins with markers. Mom and Dad, you can carve the pumpkin faces for them- Flashlights, tiny Christmas lights, or glow sticks can be used in place of a candle inside your pumpkins. But if you choose to use a candle though, a votive candle is safest.
- Never leave a candlelit pumpkin unattended or near curtains or flammable objects
- Remove tripping hazards (garden hoses, toys, bikes, lawn decorations) from your porch or the pathway to your front door
- Replace burned out bulbs in your outdoor lights
- Remove wet leaves or snow that could cause trick-or-treaters to slip and injure themselves
- Kennel your pets to keep them and trick-or-treaters safe
Sweet “safely” on Halloween
- Send your trick-or-treaters on their way to pick up treats (aka sugar) with a good meal in their bellies. This will prevent them from filling their empty tummies with Halloween treats. (Talk about a sugar high/rush! Oh dear!)
- And if you don’t want to contribute to the onslaught of sugar, consider purchasing coloring books, pens, pencils, or games
- When trick-or-treaters arrive home, closely examine their loot. Throw away spoiled, unwrapped, or anything that looks suspicious to you.
- Ration the candy loot over the days and weeks following Halloween
There is a lot of fun to be had around Halloween, especially for our kids. But don’t be a pumpkin head. Strategize and prepare as needed to make this Halloween a safe Halloween for your kids, your pets, and everyone who combs the neighborhood for treats.
Click here for other Halloween events happening in our Brooklyn neighborhood. Although some of these 25 events started as early as the 22nd of October, many are still happening on the 31st.
Have a safe Halloween!
Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate knows Brooklyn. Call (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email [email protected] and ask him where the best homes in the best Brooklyn neighborhoods are today.
Charles D’Alessandro
Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent
718-253-9600 ext. 206
