10 TIPS FOR A FUN – AND SAFE – HALLOWEEN
Courtesy of About.com
Halloween is second only to Christmas as the most celebrated holiday in America. In fact, more than 90% of all kids in this country will go trick-or-treating. This means lots of kids are having lots of fun, but there is still a chance for accidents and dangers – most of which can be prevented or avoided.

With this in mind, About.com and iParty offer the following:

1. Stay visible. Most of the fun on Halloween happens after dark (what fun would daytime Halloween be?). Make sure kids and adults are visible to cars at night. Wear brightly-colored costumes with reflective stripes sewn on.

2. Carry flashlights so kids can see and cars can see them. The more light each little goblin carries, the more visible they are to drivers.

3. Make sure costumes fit well. Kids in ill-fitting costumes are more likely to trip and fall. The worst time for a child to trip would be in the middle of the street as they are trying to cross.

4. Always cross on a corner. Gather the ghouls together in a group and hold hands while crossing the street. It's easier for drivers to see groups than single kids.

5. Only allow appropriate shoes. Oversized clown shoes or adult high-heels are hard for little feet to negotiate and can be dangerous.

6. Use fire smarts. Opt for costumes made of flame-resistant material. As Halloween and candles go hand-in-hand, make sure that candles used in home decorations are far from little trick-or-treaters.

7. Don't let little ones try to carve their own pumpkins. Carving the Halloween gourd is Mom or Dad's job. The little ones can help make the design. Kids can also clean out the ooey-gooey middle of the pumpkin. Or, skip the cutting all together and paint the outside of a whole pumpkin.

8. Be sure any costume props are flexible and not sharp. Mini swashbucklers like to have swordfights; it's better if the swords don't actually puncture Tinkerbell. Also, if the little devil falls while running, he won't get impaled by his pitchfork.

9. Just because it is Halloween doesn't mean the kids shouldn't follow the same basic rules as every other day. Rules on crossing the street and going with strangers can be forgotten during the commotion of trick-or-treating; review the rules with the kids. Each group of kids should be supervised and each chaperone should keep a list of what each trick-or-treater is wearing.

10. Inspect the bag of goodies before letting the kids dig in. Make sure wrappers are on candy and have not been opened. Examine and wash any fruit before eating it.