Keep the Kiddos Safe with These Rural Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips

While your kids are plotting which houses to hit for the best candy, you’re probably worrying yourself sick over keeping them safe this Halloween on your new rural land. Every year it seems as though there are new horror stories out about kids getting hurt in one way or another, so it’s understandable that you want to make sure they stay safe. You don’t want to take all the fun out of the season but you also want to make sure everyone arrives home safely once the trick-or-treating comes to an end.

When you live in a rural area, it can be a bit more difficult since houses tend to be spread further apart and the kids have a lot more ground to cover to obtain the motherlode of candy they’ve been dreaming about all month. Here are a few safety tips to ensure your kids are able to enjoy themselves while you also maintain your peace of mind.

1. Make sure your child’s costume fits properly. Since they’ll most likely want to run from one house to another, if their costume is too large or too long, they’ll be more likely to trip over it along the way.
2. Instead of wearing a full coverage mask, try to recreate the look they want with makeup instead. Masks can keep them from being able to see everything in front of and around them which could cause them to fall or bump into things.
3. Apply reflective tape to the back of their costume so drivers coming up behind them will be able to see them clearly.
4. Since houses are spaced out a lot more in rural areas than they are in bigger towns or cities, parents should drive the kids from house to house rather than letting them walk.
5. Give your kids a time limit on how long they’ll be allowed to trick-or-treat.
6. If at all possible, encourage those in your neighborhood to start giving out candy while it’s still light outside. Once it goes dark, the kids should be equipped with flashlights or glow sticks to light their way.
7. Make sure your kids know that they should never approach a house or car with which they aren’t familiar.
8. Kids should also be advised to avoid houses that don’t have any exterior lights on as those are usually not participating in the festivities.
9. Once the kids have finished their trick-or-treating rounds and are ready to dive into their stash, go through everything they’ve received to make sure they didn’t receive anything they wouldn’t be allowed to eat.

An adult should always accompany trick-or-treaters, no matter how old they are. Even those pre-teen kids that feel too old for a chaperone still need to have adult supervision.

Halloween is supposed to be a fun-filled night of costumes, candy, and good natured scares. Follow these tips to make sure everyone has a good time while also arriving home safe and sound once the fun is over.