At this time of year, when many children are getting excited about their Halloween costumes and going out to ‘trick or treat’, it is prudent for us to keep a special focus on safety. “Halloween poses special risks to young pedestrians,” said Dr. Kuncham, Superintendent of the Freeport Schools. “We want to ensure that the annual ‘trick or treat’ outing is fun, and above all, safe, for our children.”
In that vein, the Freeport Schools provide many supervised Halloween activities such as costume parades at the elementary buildings and the annual Haunted Hallway hosted by high school seniors for the elementary students. For those who will venture out on Halloween, below is a compilation of Halloween Safety tips for parents from various sources.
Supervising the Outing
Supervise the outing carefully.
Make sure children are SUPERVISED as they cross the street. Children engaged in "trick or treat" activities frequently cross streets at mid-block rather than at corners or crosswalks, putting them at risk.
Carefully examine any toys or novelty items received by trick-or- treaters less than three years of age. Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a Choking Hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use and present a choking hazard.
Give children an Early Meal before going out.
Insist that treats be brought home for INSPECTION before anything is eaten.
WASH FRUIT and slice into small pieces.
When in doubt, THROW IT OUT.
Establish a CURFEW (a return time) for older children.
DRIVE SLOWLY and watch for children in the street and on medians.
Provide your child with a CELL PHONE for emergency calls.
Have children get out of cars on the CURB SIDE, not on the traffic side.
It gets dark earlier in the day during Halloween time. Stay on streets that have LIGHT.
Go to houses with a PORCH light on.
Costume Tips
When purchasing costumes, masks, beards and wigs, look for FLAME- RESISTANT fabrics such as nylon or polyester, or look for the label "Flame Resistant." Flame resistant fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
To minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, BAGGY SLEEVES or billowing skirts.
Place REFLECTIVE TAPE on the costumes to make children more visible to motorists.
Costumes should be SHORT enough so that they don't cause your child to trip and fall.
Consider face paint instead of a mask. However, if your child wears a mask, make sure it fits securely, provides adequate ventilation, and has eye holes large enough to allow FULL VISION.
If using face paint, make sure it is NONTOXIC AND HYPOALLERGENIC. Check for packages containing ingredients that are labeled "Made with U.S. Approved Color Additives," "Laboratory Tested," Meets Federal Standards for Cosmetics," or "Non-Toxic." Follow all manufacturer's instructions.
Children should wear well-fitting, STURDY SHOES. Oversized high heels are not a good idea.
Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes and OBSTRUCTING VISION.
↧