Halloween Costume Safety Tips
- Purchase a costume made of flame-retardant material to reduce the risk of your child being burned by a low-placed Jack-o'-Lantern flame. If you're making a homemade costume, be sure to use flame-resistant materials, such as nylon or polyester. Lightweight cottons and gauzy materials are more likely to catch fire and burn quicker than most man-made materials. Avoid loose and flowing costume appendages that can be a choking or burn hazard.
- Sew or tape reflectors into your child's costume if she will be out after dark. You can purchase stick-on reflectors, or adhere reflector patches with a few stitches. Your child will be more visible to passing drivers and easier to locate if she runs ahead of her adult chaperon.
- Have your child try on his costume in advance of Halloween to make sure it fits well. Loose-fitting or too-long costumes can be hazardous when they cause your child to trip or fall, brush against burning candles, or get caught in doors or snagged on shrubbery or mailboxes in the dark. Hem too-long costumes above the ankle, or use peel-and-stick hem tape to secure extra fabric.
- Check your child's mask to be sure she can see well through the eye holes. If they are too small, enlarge them. If the masks slips into the wrong position and blocks your child's vision, use Velcro or a safety pin to adjust the strap to the correct position. Avoid masks that completely cover your child's head unless there is plenty of ventilation (large holes for air) built in. If you need to, alter an over-the-head mask to make it easier for your child to breathe.
- Choose face paint or makeup that is non-toxic, lead-free, and hypo-allergenic. Be sure to test it on a small patch of your child's skin a few days before Halloween to be sure she won't have an allergic reaction.
- Never allow your child to carry a real weapon as part of their costume - even one that has been disabled. Ensure that all prop weapons are flexible and have dull edges that can not accidentally cut, scratch, or otherwise harm your child or another trick-or-treater.
