Halloween Safety Tips and COVID Alternatives

Halloween is a time of elevated risk for accidents and injuries and similar to past years, the usual safety concerns are increased due to the time of day and increased pedestrian traffic. Adult gatherings involving alcohol are also common on Halloween and are high-risk events for potential accidents. While there are many dangers lurking on this night of fun, we want to help you and your family avoid potential accidents, so Halloween is memorable for all the right reasons.

Many of these tips work every year to help you, your family and loved ones have a safe and memorable Halloween. Here are some safety tips:

Costumes

Dressing up is something we can all still do, even if Halloween selfies might have to replace parties. Follow the normal safety tips for choosing a safe Halloween costume, which include:

• Don’t use colored contact lenses that you ordered online. All contact lenses require a doctor’s prescription. Additionally, the CDC has been recommending that regular contact lens wearers switch to glasses, as COVID can cause conjunctivitis. So, this year it might be best to skip the colored lenses altogether.
• Incorporate a mask or face covering into the costume. In normal years, masks are generally not recommended for young children, but with COVID still something to be cautious of, it’s worth considering.
• Make sure that you or your child can still see out of the costume. Be particularly careful with heavy wigs and ghost costumes.
• If trick-or-treating goes after dark, make sure to add reflective tape to the costume and trick-or-treat bag or use glowsticks or flashlights. Kids get hit by cars on Halloween more than any other night of the year, so make sure they’re visible.
• If someone in the family is wearing high heels as part of a costume and don’t normally wear them, practice first (and make sure any costume shoes are properly broken in).
• Keep props short and flexible and don’t carry realistic fake firearms. Any fake firearms should be visibly blazed with orange. Wands, swords, etc., should be shorter in length.
• Test the full costume first to check for vision issues, tripping hazards, etc.
• Choose flame retardant/resistant costumes if buying.
• For toddlers and babies, it’s also helpful to have more than one costume or a change of clothes, in case of an accident!

Candy

If you are going to give out candy to trick-or-treaters, be particularly cautious. Unwrapped candy and homemade treats should not be given out to strangers because of the risk of contamination. Instead, give out wrapped candy in its original packaging. Other tips:

• Have more options than chocolate and keep chocolate candy separate from non-chocolate candy. Chocolate allergies are common.
• Avoid giving out candy containing nuts or peanuts.
• Consider non-edible alternatives such as stickers and crayons. Giving out non-edible treats ensures every child receives something they can enjoy.

For trick or treating, plan for social distancing, or for alternatives. Some things to consider:

• Stay outside. Give out the candy from your porch rather than inside.
• For your own kids, buy candy and do a candy scavenger hunt in the house and yard.
• Drop small gift bags of candy on your neighbors’ porches instead of giving it out. This doesn’t have the joy of watching the little ghouls and goblins, but it might satisfy that generous urge.
• Put a bowl or pumpkin of candy at the end of your driveway with some hand sanitizer and watch from the porch.
• Create a “candy chute” with a PVC pipe to encourage social distance but still interact.
• Arrange for a contact-free neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt which might include candy, decorations, and photo opportunities.
• Set up drive-by trick-or-treating. Kids can stay in their yards in costume and neighbors gently toss candy out of their windows as they drive past.
• Throw a socially distanced costume parade instead. Put treats where kids can pick them up on the way. (Best to do this during daylight)
• Use a candy grabber so you can hand candy out without getting as close to the kids.
• Do a costume parade on a set route instead. Kids get a bag of mixed candy at the end of the route. You can include a costume photo contest with divisions for adults, kids of various ages, and pets. You can even do treat bags for the adults.
• Trunk-or-treating may be a safer option. Kids can collect their treats without getting too close to their neighbors.
• No matter what you might do, sanitize thoroughly and wear a mask. There are plenty of spooky and Halloween inspired masks out there -or you can get a plain one and decorate it yourself. Everyone two or older should be wearing a mask.

As every year, you should:

• Check the candy when the kids get home and not allow them to eat treats until they have been checked. Kids may inadvertently pick up candy they are allergic to, unwrapped candy, or something which is spoiled.
• Make sure that kids don’t eat all the candy on the 31st. Encourage them to ration it and spread it out.
• Keep pets properly restrained. Bear in mind that dogs can get COVID-19, albeit rarely, and a few have even died from it, so don’t allow your dog to greet trick-or-treaters this year.
• Have kids carry flashlights so they can see properly.
• Remove leaves and trip hazards from your yard if you have kids coming up to the porch.
• Plan routes ahead of time.
• Take off masks that cover eyes before crossing the street.
• Not approach houses that don’t have their lights on.
• Watch out for traffic. Again, the biggest danger on Halloween is not and never has been bad candy, poisoned candy, or candy with weed in it (nobody is going to give that out to your kids for free), but road traffic accidents. If you must drive on October 31, assume that kids will be out trick or treating regardless of local rules or the state of the pandemic and drive accordingly.
• Supervise children under 12. Children 12 and older should be able to go out on their own. (Don’t let your 12-year-old take out your 6-year-old either). Also check local ordinances; some places make it illegal for older children to engage in trick or treating.

Parties

Parties with alcohol are particularly dangerous for spreading COVID-19; if you’re an adult who likes Halloween parties, consider a Zoom party instead. Pass out cocktail recipes beforehand and learn to make your own spooky drinks. Here are some alternatives to traditional parties:

• A Halloween watch party. At home, you can get your kids’ favorite scary movies, make some Halloween treats, and turn off the lights. For older kids and adults, set up an online watch party. Make sure to plan in advance so everyone has the movie(s). Watch parties using online chat so people can discuss…or boo the screen…are awesome.
• Socially distanced craft contests. Over Zoom, you can do pumpkin carving, painting, or mask decorating contests. For the last, get plain cloth fake masks and have fun with glitter, sequins, dye, etc. (However, bear in mind that masks need to be washed; if you use a lot of sequins you may not be able to use it as a mask, but it could still be fun). Pumpkin carving should always be done by adults; painting is a good alternative for kids.

If you do decide throw or attend a traditional party, limit it to those in your regular bubble and/or have it outside. Transmission risk is lower outdoors and it is easier to socially distance. As always, remember to wish your hands frequently and wear your mask.

Hit the Road

There are a number of pumpkin patches and outdoor Halloween events taking place in Palm Beach County this year, which is a good way to enjoy the festivities while maintaining distance from others. Other ideas are:

• Seeking drive-through Halloween options. Drive-in movie theaters have been loving the pandemic and some are surely to pull out spooky classics.
• If your neighborhood or one near you decorates, driving around to let your children look at the spooky Halloween houses could also be a fun way to get out of the house while staying isolated. You can play Halloween music on the drive and play games while you look.
• Another option is virtual haunted houses, which have been fun in past years throughout the pandemic.

Other Safety Tips

Here are a few other Halloween safety tips to remember:

1. Candles in pumpkins look pretty, but consider a flashlight, glow stick or electronic candle instead. Votive candles or tea lights are safer than naked candles.
2. Never leave candlelit pumpkins unattended.
3. Check your outdoor lights and replace any burned out bulbs.
4. Don’t use activated charcoal to make black drinks or food. Activated charcoal is not food and is used to absorb toxins in poison treatment. It will do the same to any medicine you are taking and may reduce nutrition from food eaten close to it. Use black food coloring or food safe dye instead.

As we return to a sense of everyday normalcy, around the holidays it’s easy to forget that COVID is still something to be cautious about. Even if traditional trick-or-treating proves unsafe for your family, there are plenty of options to celebrate a safe Halloween.

Just remember to wear a mask, keep a safe distance, and watch out when crossing the street. This is the year to decorate your home inside and out, find socially-distanced parties and events, and take lots of costume selfies! With a bit of creativity, Halloween can be as fun and safe as ever for all ages.

We’re Here to Help

We at Shiner Law Group strongly value family and want yours to have a safe and fun Halloween weekend. However, if an unfortunate accident does occur on Halloween, or any night of the year, we are available 24/7. You can fill out a free case consultation online or call our office at (561) 777-7700.