Trick-or-Treat & Halloween Safety Tips from Safety.com and iParty
Halloween is all about having fun! Halloween is second only to Christmas as the most celebrated holiday in America. In fact, more than 90% of all kids in this country will go trick-or-treating this year. This means lots of kids are having lots of fun, but there is still a chance for accidents and dangers - most of which can be prevented or avoided.

With this in mind, Safety.com and iParty offer Halloween and Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips to keep your family safe this Halloween Season!

1. Probably one of the easiest things to do: give your children a few pieces of candy from your own home to carry before they leave for trick-or-treating. That way they won't be tempted to eat something they've collected before you check it all.

2. Kids should not wear any kind of facemask at all while trick-or-treating. A mask will severely limit their ability to see and respond to oncoming traffic. This also includes certain kinds of hats as well as glasses and anything else that can obstruct their vision.

3. No matter how old your child is, he/she should never go trick-or-treating alone, not to mention that it's more fun with other kids. And, for younger kids, parents should always go along.

4. A child should be told never to go into someone's house- no matter what.

5. Everyone knows that Halloween is a big party night for the older kids. Make sure your kids know to be extra careful about drinking and driving. Let them know that no matter what the circumstances are, they can and should call you for a ride instead of getting into a car with someone who has been drinking.

6. Give your kids a time limit. Two hours should be long enough time to stock up on candy and short enough to keep them close to home and out of trouble.

7. Remind kids to only go to homes that have porch lights on. Skip the dark homes.

8. Reflector tape and small flashlights or glowsticks are big helps on dark nights. Never candles or flames of any kind.

9. Every trick-or-treater should have reflector tape on their shoes or clothing in order to help drivers see them better. A light source is also a must. If you use a flashlight make sure it has fresh batteries. A glow stick also works very well.

10. Instruct kids to cross streets at the corners, never in the middle of the block.

11. Parents - always inspect your child's candy and throw out anything that has been opened or looks suspicious. Check with your local hospital to see if they offer a free X-ray program for Halloween. They will X-ray your child's bag of candy to see if any of it contains objects that could be dangerous.

Have a Safe, Happy Halloween!