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Halloween is one of the nights of the year that children anticipate most — and with so much at stake, it’s easy to understand why. After all, when else do kids get to dress up as their favorite character, stockpile loads of candy, and venture past their bedtime?

Halloween Safety Checklist

As parents, you want your children to enjoy a ghoulie night of fun, but not at the expense of risking their safety. Fear not — we’ve put together the ultimate checklist for keeping tots, teens and everyone in between, safe on Halloween.

1. Remove tripping hazards

Halloween-goers are much too busy tallying up their candy to focus their attention on where they’re walking, so be sure to examine your lawn for potential hazards. Be sure your yard is free of tripping hazards like garden tools and sprinklers. If your home has a lawn watering system, be sure to turn it off a few days prior to the big night to prevent your lawn from being wet.

2. Avoid using candles

Festive lights make your home bright and friendly to treat-a-treaters but using candles to brighten a pumpkin can be unsafe. Costumes and paper can easily ignite if they come into close contact with an open flame. Instead of traditional candles, opt for artificial ones that are powered by batteries.

3. Consider candy choices

Buying candy is almost as fun as eating the leftovers, but keep in mind that not all candy is suitable for every child. Avoid sweets that pose a choking threat for toddlers and avoid treats that might trigger peanut allergies. Even if the candy doesn’t contain peanuts, it could be made in a facility that handles peanuts, so be sure to check product labels for any potential allergy warnings.

4. Turn on the lights

A vaguely lit entryway helps set the mysterious mood of Halloween, but it also raises the chance of an accident. Verify that theexterior lightsof your home are working and consider turning on floodlights to brighten the darkest areas of your yard.

Even if you’re not going to be home, leave on lights for safety reasons or make sure your motion sensor lights are active to deter unwanted visitors from vandalizing your home. And, if you won’t be there, make sure to arm yoursecurity system, just to be on the safe side.

5. Don’t put out candy

Perhaps you won’t be home on Halloween or maybe it’s challenging for you to answer the door, so you’ve put out a bowl of candy for treat-a-treaters to assist themselves. Understandably, this seems like a kind thing to do but someone could taint the candy. It’s probably unlikely, but it’s certainly not worth taking the gamble.

6. Make room in the garage

Statistics show that children are four times more likely to be struck by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year. As such, parking your car and trick or treating on foot is a good idea.

7. Use discretion when opening the door

Finally, while nearly all trick-or-treaters are innocent kids out to collect as much candy as they can possibly carry, you must still be cautious of opening your door during the night. If you have an uneasy feeling about the person on the other side of your door, listen to your instinct and don’t open it. And as the flow of trick-or-treaters dwindles to just a few here and there, it’s a good idea to stop opening the door for the night.

Halloween is celebrated as a frightening holiday, but that doesn’t mean it should be dangerous. Consider our tips and advice to keep trick-or-treaters and your family safe while enjoying a night of Halloween fun.