SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s important to remember safety on the holiday.
Making sure your child’s costumes are safe is a crucial part of having fun on the holiday according to CoxHealth Injury Prevention Specialist, Luke Spain.
One thing you’ll want to pay attention to is fit.
“Simple fit can go a long way, making sure that the costumes aren’t too baggy that they’re not dragging and not becoming a tripping hazard. You know, things like making sure the shoes fit appropriately, so you’re not tripping and falling regularly,” said Spain.
Another major thing is making sure your costumes are bright and reflective, so drivers can see children when they’re walking through neighborhoods. You also want your child to have something unique to their costume, so you can recognize them in a crowd.
When it comes to masks, experts like Spain say they can limit visibility, so face paint or makeup might be a better idea.
“There’s always risks with makeup as well. So anytime it kiddos to use any kind of face paint or makeup, again, you know, we want to make sure that that is not going to cause any reaction. So it’s always a good idea to kind of use a little test spot,” said Spain. “And then of course, we would recommend washing it off as soon as you’re done,”
Props can be dangerous as well, so make sure anything like swords and shields are soft or flexible, so no one gets injured if they fall.
Fire prevention is another thing parents might not think about.
“We typically are going to find a lot of kids around fire during Halloween. And so making sure that your costumes are flame resistant is always a really big, a really big plus,” said Spain. “You know got capes and you’ve got veils and you got lots of extra things that maybe kids not used to keeping an eye on as part of their outfit. And so it’s really easy for that kind of stuff to get caught in the flames.”
Another risk on Halloween is taking candy. Spain recommends you only take candy from neighbors or people you trust. Better yet, visit a Trunk-or-Treat or other Halloween event, like the one at Cox South, where you can be sure your candy is safe.
“There’s nothing wrong with going door to door. You know, if you’re in a community that you feel comfortable doing that we often recommend using utilizing trunk or treats in the community,” said Spain.
If you are going door-to-door, make sure you have a group, there’s safety in numbers. It’s also important to not accept any candy that seems to be tampered with, and avoid home-baked goods where you’re not sure how they’re made.
It’s also important to inspect your child’s candy. Many marijuana products can look like candy and could be given out, intentionally or unintentionally.
“This year, there’s gonna be a lot of of THC type candies in homes, and even if those things aren’t going out the door intentionally or unintentionally, they may be around the house. So making sure that those things are secure and away from kiddos,” said Spain.
Be aware of your child’s allergies as well, and make sure other people in your group know as well, so no one accidentally gives something that will cause an allergic reaction.
The most important thing you can do is trust your gut.
“Our biggest motto here is is when in doubt, throw it out. When it comes to candy, especially with kids. You know, if it’s a design or a wrapper you’re not familiar with, if it’s something you’ve never seen before, if it looks like it would be it’s been opened or you know anything like that, or it’s not properly labeled or anything, you know, when in doubt, throw it out,” said Spain.
For more Halloween safety tips, you can visit here.
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