Halloween Safety: Trick-or-Treating and Costume Hazards for Kids

The Halloween season is upon us! In New England, this time of year is particularly festive, especially for families with young children. Trick-or-treating is naturally among the most popular activities kids and their parents may participate in during the last few days of October. However, it’s by no means the only way families in Massachusetts and throughout the New England states mark the occasion.

Other examples of popular Halloween season activities include carving jack-o’-lanterns, visiting haunted house attractions, and decorating the home. While these activities can certainly be fun, it’s important for parents to be aware that they can also put children at risk of injury if precautions aren’t taken.

If you have kids, keep the following Halloween safety tips in mind. Doing so will boost your odds (and their odds) of enjoying the spooktacular season without having to worry about injuries.

Observe Basic Safety Measures When Choosing Costumes

Selecting a costume is one of the great joys of Halloween for kids. It’s simply wise to make sure the costume your child wears is one that will allow them to inhabit a character without unnecessary risk.

Check any masks your child is thinking about wearing to determine whether they limit peripheral vision. Opting for non-toxic face paint is often a better decision than letting a child don a mask that may limit their ability to fully observe their surroundings.

Although dark costumes are also popular around this time of year, they can make it difficult for motorists and others to see children while trick-or-treating. Encourage your child to select a costume featuring brighter colors, or insist that your child take a flashlight with them while trick-or-treating.

Naturally, if your child is young, you should supervise them as they go from house to house requesting candy. Additionally, check for any costume features that could pose tripping hazards. Remove these before letting your child out into the neighborhood on Halloween night.

Do a Walkthrough

If your children are just about old enough to go trick-or-treating on their own but are still a little too young to do so without some preparation, strongly consider walking their trick-or-treating route with them beforehand.

While doing so, emphasize the importance of remaining on the sidewalk at all times. This even gives you the opportunity to help them choose a route where sidewalks will always be present, as walking infrastructure isn’t always available in some areas.

Similarly, demonstrate to your child how to cross at marked crosswalks and check for oncoming traffic and other hazards before crossing.

Be Careful When Decorating

If you’re carving jack-o’-lanterns with your kids, keep in mind their ages when doing so. Some younger children likely can’t directly participate in the carving themselves. Instead, they can participate by helping choose designs and by handling less dangerous tasks like removing the insides of the pumpkins.

For children who are old enough to help with the carving, make sure they only do so under your supervision and choose carving materials or tools that aren’t particularly sharp.

When putting up other decorations—whether they be lights, faux skeletons, or other such popular Halloween decor—thoroughly read all instruction and safety manuals to ensure you and your children don’t make any errors that could result in a high risk of injury. This also gives you the chance to provide your children with a general lesson about the value of reading instruction and safety manuals thoroughly.

It’s also very important to be aware of potential fire hazards. If you’re thinking about placing a candle inside of a jack-o’-lantern to finish the look, don’t let your children handle any matches, lighters, or other such materials.

All that said, even if you exercise the proper precautions, it’s still possible for your child to be injured because someone else was careless. Although you don’t want to think about your child being harmed by a negligent motorist, a defective product, or any other Halloween hazard, it’s vital to understand your potential legal options should this occur. Depending on the circumstances of the case, you may have grounds to submit an insurance claim or lawsuit seeking financial compensation from the liable party.

Just be aware that you don’t need to face off against insurance companies or the defendant’s lawyers on your own. Hiring a Boston personal injury attorney with experience handling child injury cases can simplify the process while allowing you to focus on your child’s recovery.

At Swartz & Swartz, P.C., we have the experience necessary to review your case, advise you of your potential next steps, and provide aggressive representation should you decide to work with us. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at (617) 742-1900 to set up your free consultation.

Need Help?

If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.