Grace WellsHalloween is only a month away! Decorations and costumes are starting to fill the aisles of almost every store, and it can be overwhelming.
It’s an exciting night for kids dressed as princesses, superheroes, ghosts, and goblins–but a stressful night for parents. Keep Halloween safe by following these safety tips when choosing your child’s costume.
Costumes for a Safe Halloween
When choosing costumes, keep in mind it will be dark when your kids are out running from house to house. Make sure the costumes are brightly colored so that cars can easily see them at night. They should also not restrict your child’s movement or vision. Dangling costumes and accessories can lead to falls and accidents.
It’s safest to choose face paint over masks; however, if you do choose a mask, be sure that the eye holes are large enough that the child can see clearly in all directions. For face paint, start a few days ahead and apply the paint to a small area on your child’s wrist each day. Watch for any skin reactions or allergies prior to caking it on their face on the big night.
Also, be sure your child is wearing the appropriate footwear. Often times they’ll be running and scrambling to be the first to the next door. Stay away from sandals and choose sneakers instead.
Halloween Costumes with Weapons
Kids and weapons don’t mix even on Halloween. If you choose to let your child include a fake weapon as part of their costume, be sure that it is rubber or made of a flexible material. It’s important that any guns chosen to accessorize their costumes do not look real. Even though it’s Halloween, allowing them to run around pointing fake guns at people or law enforcement could get them shot if someone does not know the gun is fake.
Using flexible accessories can also help avoid injury. If your child falls, the flexible weapons that are generally affixed to their ensemble will not puncture them or cause unnecessary injury to themselves or others.
Erin Long
