Halloween is an exciting time for both children and adults alike. Who doesn’t love dressing up as someone else, enjoying seasonal treats, and celebrating with friends? This Halloween, make your child’s trick-or-treating experience a safe one with these suggestions.

Safe Costumes
The costume is the most important part of a night out trick-or-treating. Because you and your child will be outside in the dark, choose a costume that is brightly coloured and easy to see. Avoid darker-coloured costumes that will blend in with the scenery. To make your child’s costume easier to spot for you, other pedestrians and vehicles, try adding reflective elements. Use reflective tape to add cool accents to a costume, or have your child wear reflective wristbands. Remember, being visible is the key to staying safe when you’re in the dark.

You’ll want to make sure that the costume you choose will keep your children warm – either the costume itself is warm or its design allows them to wear a jacket underneath. A Halloween costume should fit properly so that your child will not trip as they go door to door. Also ensure that any masks or head coverings worn do not limit your child’s ability to see where they are going.

This year, consider making an eco-friendly costume. Why not be creative and transform an old costume into something totally new? You can also incorporate old clothes and accessories you find around the house or from thrift stores. Not only will the costume be environmentally friendly, it will also save you money! Instead of taking a plastic bag door to door to collect treats, try a re-useable shopping bag or pillowcase that can be used several times over. Another fun idea is decorating a paper bag. You can find large paper bags (with handles) at craft stores – they’re durable and re-usable, plus, they’re a lot of fun to decorate!

Safe Trick-Or-Treating
Your children will no doubt be excited at the prospect of going door to door trick-or-treating. However, it is important to give them some rules or guidelines beforehand to make sure they do it safely. Have your child choose a “buddy” – either another child or adult – who they will stay with throughout the evening. Advise them to never enter a stranger’s home and to leave if they feel uncomfortable. Always keep a close eye on your children. Let your child carry a shake, crank, or solar-powered flashlight to keep them safe in the dark and be environmentally friendly at the same time!

Healthy/Alternative Halloween Treats
You can also make this Halloween safer and healthier with the snacks you give out. Hand out healthier snacks, like snacks made from real fruit juice. Another great idea is putting together a goody bag as an alternative to candy – kids love stickers and little trinkets. Stop by a dollar store and pick up some Halloween themed pencils and erasers! Make sure the snacks you hand out are peanut- and nut-free to make them safe for children with allergies. If you do hand out snacks that may contain traces of nuts, make sure you warn children and their parents.

When your child brings his or her treats home, take a careful look over all of their goodies to check for torn wrappers, ingredients that they are allergic to, or anything else that could be unsafe. You may want to let your child choose a few treats to enjoy now and explain to them that their candy should be eaten in moderation with a healthy diet. Don’t eat it all at once or else you’ll get a tummy ache! Finally, make sure they brush their teeth thoroughly to avoid getting any cavities.

The Nature Clean® team hopes that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!