Follow our Halloween costume safety tips to keep your little ones free from harm during trick-or-treat time!
Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year for children. Costumes are a big part of that and finding the perfect one is absolutely vital to a fun Halloween season. While picking out the perfect Halloween costume is important, it should not be done without an eye toward safety. Here are some vital Halloween costume safety tips to consider before taking your child out for Halloween trick-or-treating.
Halloween Costume Safety Tips
Make Certain That the Costume Is Flame Resistant
Halloween costumes are notorious for being made of flimsy, highly flammable materials. While certainly there have been strides made in recent years to improve this, there are still plenty of dangerous ones left on the shelves. Homemade costumes are also at risk. Try to find fabrics and materials such as nylon that are a bit more flame resistant. Many of the Halloween costumes these days are actually labeled as such.
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Consider Purchasing Reflective Tape
No matter how dark and dreary your child’s costume is supposed to be, you still need to invest in some type of reflective tape. Much of this tape will be invisible when out and about in the dark. The tape will simply reflect brightly when it is needed. Be sure to put the tape all over the costume so that they are clearly seen from all angles. Also make sure that you purchase bright, glow-in-the-dark trick-or-treat bags to make them doubly obvious to motorists. Carrying a flashlight should be standard fare for all trick-or-treaters.
Make Sure Halloween Costumes Are Not Dragging the Ground
One Halloween costume safety tip that is overlooked every single Halloween is the fit of the costume. If the costume is dragging the ground while the child is going around trick-or-treating, you can rest assured that the child will eventually trip. Floppy arms, huge skirts and billowing dresses are rather beautiful and fun for an indoor Halloween costume contest, but it is a disaster for a child out trying to gather treats. All that extra material provides extra dangers and concerns.
Consider the Safety of Your Child’s Props
Blackbeard has to have a sword. Darth Vader has to have a light saber. Spiderman must have webbing. Despite these facts, children do not need to be carrying around things that can harm themselves. Inspect all of the various props that they will be carrying and make sure they will not be a danger to your child or anyone else’s.
Inspect Masks Closely
Halloween masks can literally make the costume and the vast majority of children will want one. That said, Halloween masks can also be very dangerous. Check to make sure that the mask has proper ventilation, plenty of room to see through the holes and fits properly. Make sure that you offer your child the option of going without it. Most kids end up ditching the Halloween mask halfway through anyway. You might get lucky.
Halloween costume safety tips are really all about common sense. If you spend time thinking about the dangers that your children will be facing, safety will come naturally. This Halloween season they can be who they want while you feel safe about it. There is no reason to have to compromise either way.
Do you have any Halloween costume safety tips we missed?
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I enjoyed your tips and recipes for Halloween.
thanks for all the great tips
If using face painting make sure the makeup/products are safe and gentle on the skin. My son had a reaction to some we used one year!