Halloween has arrived and my little Batman and Superman will not let me forget that it’s that time of year to dress up and go trick-or-treating. Here’s my family check list for a healthy and safe Halloween experience:
Check List for a Happy, Healthy and Safe Halloween:
1. Pick a safe costume: avoid flammable materials, sharp objects and toxic face paint. Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for better visibility. Don’t give young children sharp costume accessories.
2. Pick a safe location: the safest option is an indoor shopping center or community center, but for a more authentic Halloween experience, find a safe trail and take a flashlight.
3. Obey traffic laws. The Centers for Disease Control, states that children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween night than any other night of the year.
4. Safety in numbers. Have at least one adult chaperon nearby. Older kids should carry a cell phone for rapid communication.
5. Put a limit on the time spent trick-or-treating. We go down the street and back, hitting 10-13 houses.
6. Inspect candy, dispose of anything that is not in a sealed wrapper, and monitor (ration) the quantity of candy consumed each day.
7. Consider switching to non-GMO candies like UnReal, Endangered Species Organic Chocolate and Amy’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks, to name a few.
8. Even better, offer non-candy treats like these fun satsuma pumpkins, ghost pops and raw spirulina pie. You can also consider handing out boxes of raisins, bags of baby carrots, pencils, books or stickers.
9. Encourage healthy well-balanced meals – this discourages kids from filling up on candy. And remember, you get to ration their treats. Don’t let kids store their candy in their bedroom.
10. Take your child to a Halloween candy buy back offered at many dentist office. Willow Dental Group is hosting their first Halloween candy buy-back. $1 for a pound of candy and a chance to take pictures and enter in a drawing for an iPod nano. If you can’t find a candy buy-back event in your town, you can create a fun trade for your kids (a book or toy for every 20+ pieces of candy).
Have a Happy, Healthy and Safe Halloween!