Happy Halloween! The City of South Beloit’s official trick or treat time is 5:00-7:00pm p.m. on October 31
Below are some tips for making this a safe and fun evening for your family.
Halloween Safety Tips
Plan a Trick or Treat route in advance
Trick-or-treating could take you several streets away from your house, which can cause sore legs and a bit of frustration. Avoid long paths by mapping out a route before leaving the house. Stick to paths that you and your child are familiar with to avoid getting lost.
Wear comfy shoes
Make sure you and your children are in comfortable, well-fitting shoes. Girls in dresses should avoid heels, and all shoelaces should be double-tied to avoid tripping in the dark.
Stay well-lit
Apply reflective tape to your child’s costume to ensure they are seen by drivers on the road. Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume. If you are accompanying your child, bring a flashlight to help find safe pathways.
Costume Safety
When choosing a costume, stay away from billowing or long trailing fabric. Long costumes that drag on the ground can be dangerous, especially at night. After purchasing your child’s costume, make sure it’s an appropriate length, and hem anything that’s too long to avoid tripping. If you are making your own costume, choose material that won’t easily ignite if it comes into contact with heat or flame.
Masks Safety
Masks can make it difficult for your child to see or breathe. If possible, skip the mask altogether and use non-toxic make-up to complete the costume instead. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see out.
Use flexible props
Try to avoid costumes that have weapons as accessories. But if your child’s costume won’t be complete without a weapon, make sure it is rubber or plastic. Choose a prop that won’t cause injury to your child or their friends.
Check your child’s candy
When sorting through candy at the end of the night, be sure to throw away any candy that is not in its original wrapper, or looks as though it has been opened.
Halloween Decoration Safety
- Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable. Keep these and other decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs and heaters.
- It is safest to use a flashlight or battery-operated candles in a jack-o-lantern. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution. Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.
- Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
- Tell children to stay away from open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.)
- Use flashlights as alternatives to candles or torch lights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for trick-or-treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.
