Pumpkins, parades, candy galore!
October is here, fall has arrived.
With pumpkins to carve, I’ll pass on the knives to an adult I trust…
for me it’s so much more fun to play with the guts!
A dragon or clown, maybe a princess with bows?
Whatever I decide, I want to be seen. I’ll layer on paint, a fun night to make believe. How will I see my treat if I can’t see my feet? A scary mask I will leave at home for a silly scare!
Rocks, sticks and bushes are no fun. I want treats, not tricks on Halloween night.
I’ll stick to the sidewalks and driveways for sure, spilling my loot or breaking a tooth would surely be trickery.
With energy high, too much candy before, I want to make sure I STOP before moving along.
With my friends, I will dash from house to house, safety in numbers is what they say.
After a fun filled night of laughter and treats
my bag is filled up,
I’ll have my parents check to ensure that no tricks made it home.
With a belly full of treats and no skeleton bones to be show, I’ll make sure I remember these tips for a safe Halloween!
Halloween brings about lots of excitement and fun for kids of all ages. It is a time for make believe and dressing up like your favorite super hero, a favorite TV character, or maybe someone you aspire to be one day like a nurse or firefighter. Perhaps your child will choose to dress up like a ghost or goblin, or a witch offering up some of her magic brew.
What will you dress up as? It is always so fun to see parents and adults having as much fun as kids during this holiday time. The fall brings about so many fun family activities to do. There are pumpkins to carve, festivals to attend, and who does not love all of the ideas of candy and treats to be collected on one very special night of the year.
With so much excitement, it can be hard to remember the safety needs of this magical night that need addressed to ensure that everyone returns home safely after this night (or two) of fun.
As adults, we need to take a few minutes to prepare and plan to make sure that this fun night for kids, stays just that. Tragedies can strike any anytime but with a little preparation, we can significantly decrease that risk.
As the poem stated remembering a few safety tips can ensure safety for all.
As you decorate pumpkins, keep the knives and sharp object activities to the adults. Pumpkin skin can be really challenging to cut through.
As you let your kids prepare their Halloween night costume, remember that we want kids to be able to move about freely and able to see. Avoid any costumes that drag on the ground, creating potential tripping hazards and make sure that the kids can see. Avoid facemasks as they can be challenging for kids to see out of, especially in the dark. Make sure an adult stays with the kids and enforces using sidewalks and driveways. Halloween decorations and holes or sticks in yards can prove to be a challenging area to navigate, in the dark and with so much excitement going from house to house. Make sure the kids are well seen and can see well. This is a great time to break out the flashlights, reflective materials, etc. and a time to remind kids to look both ways before crossing the street. Lastly, take a quick peak at the candy before the children start to enjoy the fruits of their labor. We want to make sure the candy is wrapped before partaking in the last fun part of Halloween night-the candy eating!
No matter how you plan to spend your Halloween night, following these safety tips will ensure a fun, safe night for all! Happy Halloween!
Blog provided by
Kelly Llewellyn, MSN, RN
Injury Prevention/EMS Specialist at Meritus Health
Safe Kids Washington County Co-Coordinator
