Halloween Trick-or-Treating Tips for Youngsters, Families

Buzz, Woody, ghosts and goblins, minions and fairies will be walking the streets of San Pedro this evening in search of the best candy they can find for their favorite time of year — Halloween.

In order for everyone to have a safe and fun Halloween, children and their families are encouraged to follow the tips below.

Kids Health, a popular website and blog, advises the following:

1. Choose a light-colored costume because these are easily seen at night. Add reflective tape or glow-in-the-dark tape to the front and back of the costume and to the trick-or-treat bag.

2. Only buy a costume that is labeled “flame-retardant.” This means the material won’t burn. If you are making your own costume, use nylon or polyester materials, which are flame-retardant.

3. Make sure wigs and beards don’t cover your kids’ eyes, noses, or mouths.

4. Kids shouldn’t wear masks — they can make it difficult for them to see and breathe. Instead, use nontoxic face paint or makeup. Have younger kids draw pictures of what they want to look like. Older kids will have fun putting the makeup on themselves. Test the face paint or makeup on your child’s arm or hand before applying to make sure the paint doesn’t irritate the skin.

5. Avoid colored or decorative contact lenses, unless they have been prescribed by an eye doctor for your child.

6. Put a nametag — with your phone number — on your children’s costumes.

7. Avoid oversized and high-heeled shoes that could cause kids to trip. Make sure the rest of the costume fits well, too, which can help prevent trips and falls.

8. Make sure that any props your kids carry, such as wands or swords, are short and flexible.

Also, MissingKids.com, states that children should stick together with their friends. The site also encourages parents and guardians to accompany their children up to the door to receive their treats, and to never allow a child to enter a home.  Make sure older children take friends and stay together while trick-or-treating.

For more tips, the center for Disease Control has posted several tips on their website of things that parents and children should be aware of before heading out the door for Trick or Treating. That link is: http://www.cdc.gov/family/halloween/.

Trick-or-Treating in San Pedro usually runs from dusk til around 8 p.m., and families are encouraged only to knock on doors that have an outside light on.