Teachers may begin the safety lesson by talking with students about Halloween night. The students and teacher should talk about getting dressed up, going from door to door, and about eating candy.
Let the children know that Halloween is a fun night, but that it can be dangerous, if children aren't careful. There are things they can do to ensure that the night is a success and that everyone stays safe and healthy.
Discuss the following Halloween safety tips with your students:
- Costumes should be loose and not too long. If it is a cold, or wet evening, then it is important to dress appropriately for the weather. Wear warm clothes and slip the costume over the top. Make sure that the costume doesn't drag on the ground, so you don't trip.
- Trick-or-treat in a group. Children should never trick-or-treat alone. One person should be in charge of the group. It can be a parent, a teenage sibling, or a teenage babysitter. The person in charge should have each of the group member's information and home phone numbers in case of emergency.
- Have the group leader carry a flashlight and a cell phone. If possible, all persons in the group should carry a flashlight or a reflector.
- Give other parents in the group a list of streets that the group will be on and stay on those streets only.
- Only trick or treat at houses with the lights on. If the house is dark, then don't go near it.
- Never enter into a stranger's house. If anyone tells you that you need to come inside to get the candy, don't do it! You can get candy at another house, it isn't worth risking your life. The person may be nice, but you have no way of knowing it and shouldn't take a chance. The person is a stranger and could be intending to harm you.
- No running from house to house. Falls are the most commonly reported injury on Halloween night.
- Only carry fake weapons with your costume. Don't bring a real sword with you. You could accidentally cause an injury to another person.
- Never eat candy without having an adult check it. The candy should look like it just came from the factory. There shouldn't be any holes in it, it shouldn't be torn, and it shouldn't look like someone took the wrapper off and put it back on. If any of the candy is questionable, then throw it away. Do not risk getting sick.
- Don't eat all of the candy at once. It may taste good for the moment, but your stomach won't be so happy later. These treats will still be there tomorrow and for several days later, if you eat them in moderation.
Feel free to send home a link to the Halloween Safety Tips of the American Academy of Pediatrics to the children's parents. This list of tips is far more extensive than the tips in this article and can give parents more good ideas such as placing reflectors onto their children's clothing.
