Halloween Treats and Safety
Here are a few simple tricks to help your children enjoy their Halloween treats.
Halloween should be fun and safe
Children are often too excited about their costumes and the treats they will collect to be mindful of their safety. Help keep your kids safe this Halloween with these tips concerning their “goodies.”
- Snacking while trick-or-treating—Children shouldn’t snack on treats from their goody bags while out trick-or-treating.
- Don’t send them out on an empty stomach. Give them a light meal or snack before they leave home.
- Urge them to wait and let you inspect their treats before they eat any of them.
- Checking treats for safety—Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn’t commercially wrapped and sealed.
- Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, odors, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers.
- Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
- Be extra-cautious about food allergies—If your child has a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen is not present.
- Do not allow your children to eat any home-baked goods they may have received unless you know who gave them.
- Be sure to confirm that whatever triggers your child’s allergy is not in the treat.
- A word about choking hazards—If you have young children, remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys from their goody bags as soon as possible.
Alternatives to trick-or-treating
Going out trick-or-treating is fun, but it isn’t the only way to enjoy Halloween! If you choose to refrain from trick-or-treating this year, your child can still have a fun-filled fall holiday with some of the following activities:
- slumber parties
- games
- candy trades
- costume contests with prizes
- supervised activities (Church, school, parent-sponsored)
- pizza parties
- movie nights
The options are plentiful, increasingly common, and can also be scheduled at a time more convenient for you and your family. Feel free to start fun new traditions that may also prove safer for your children.
The Moultrie County Health Department encourages everyone to have a safe and enjoyable Halloween. Check your local newspaper and websites for trick-or-treat nights or other locally sponsored activities in area communities. Additional safety tips can be found here.