Safety is an issue at Halloween. I’m a huge fan of the spooky holiday, but safe costumes are vital for a fun Halloween night. Especially if you have young kids, you need to make sure they don’t wear dangerous costumes. Safety comes first, and Halloween can be the best holiday of the year. Here are some quick tips to making your kid’s Halloween costumes safe. These are the most dangerous Halloween costumes to avoid:
Plastic guns
Try to avoid plastic guns, as they might be mistaken for real. Remember George Zimmerman is still out there, he is armed, and you don’t want him thinking your kid is packing heat. A lot of people still shoot first and ask questions later. If your son really needs a gun for his costume, make sure it doesn’t even come close to looking real. Paint it orange, make it a space ray gun, and not a revolver.
Long sheets or dresses
If the costume touches the ground, it’s a hazard. Whether it’s a ghost sheet or a witch dress, make sure the bottom is a full 8 inches off the ground. You should be able to see your son’s tennis shoes under that ghost costume. Tripping and falling are the most common injuries on Halloween night.
Non-traditional Shoes
On the subject of tripping, it’s been found that only your kid’s normal daily shoes are safe to wear. Even if they clash with the rest of the costume, sneakers are the safest. Your witch will have to leave the high-heels at home and wear sandals or sneakers to make the costume safe. Certainly walking on stilts or anything elevated is bad news.
Poor Vision Masks: Choose Make-up instead of masks
Make sure your kids can see through those masks. Avoid Halloween masks that have poor vision holes or even poor breathing space. Test the mask yourself and make sure you can see and breathe easily. If possible, opt for eye masks and make-up, instead of a whole face mask. If you’re building a witch, don’t buy a witch mask, but use hair coloring and make-up instead. Make that alien with face paint and some antennae, instead of a whole head-covering mask. If you’re creative, you can create some really great costumes without locking your kids inside a plastic face cover.
Glitter
Try to keep glitter away from the eyes. It’s best used on the arms and legs. Also make sure your make-up is hypo-allergenic.
Pins & Needles
Not fitting right? Don’t use a safety pin. Despite it’s monicker, it’s not so safe. Take a needle and thread and sew a couple of stitches in the piece to make the fit. Thread never hurt anyone. Sharp pins are another story.
Flammable?
Make sure nothing is flammable on your costume. Don’t just trust the label. Use common sense. Use synthetic fibers – they are non-flammable. Only use cotton if it’s been treated to be flame resistant.
Final Halloween safety tips
Avoid deserted, lonely streets. Try to “trick or treat” with your kids on busy crowded streets. There is safety in numbers. If any of the Walking Dead or crazies do infiltrate your suburb, a crowded street will be safest. You can scream for help, and someone will actually hear you.
Also remember that Halloween is about dressing up in “scary” costumes to ward off the evil spirits. There’s no reason to dress up as a nurse or football player (even if the NFL terrifies you). Ghost, goblins, and scary beasts are the theme. Let’s get back to that.
This isn’t dress-up day… it’s Halloween! Have fun with it!
See Also: Top 40 Songs for Your Halloween Parties
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