Allendale Trick or Treating

Tips and Tricks for a Safe & Fun Halloween
- Accompany young children (under age 12). Make sure they know how to call 911 in case they get lost. Check to make sure they know their home phone number.
- For older kids who are trick-or-treating on their own, and out the route they'll be taking and when they'll be coming home.
Also be sure that they:
- Carry a cell phone, if possible
- Go in a group and stay together
- Only go to houses with porch lights on and walk on sidewalks on lit streets (never walk through alleys or across lawns)
- Walk from house to house (never run) and always walk facing traffic when walking on roads
- Stay away from candles and other flames
- Know to never go into strangers' homes or their cars
- Cross the street at crosswalks and never assume that vehicles will stop
- Give kids flashlights with new batteries. Kids may also enjoy wearing glow sticks as bracelets or necklaces.
- Limit trick-or-treating to your neighborhood and the homes of people you and your children know.
- When your kids get home, check all treats to make sure they're sealed. Throw out candy with torn packages or holes in the packages, spoiled items, and any homemade treats that haven't been made by someone you know.
- Don't allow young children to have hard candy or gum that could cause choking.
- Make sure trick-or-treaters will be safe when visiting your home, too. Remove anything that could cause kids to trip or fall on your walkway or lawn. Make sure the lights are on outside your house and light the walkway to your door, if possible. Keep family pets away from trick-or-treaters, even if they seem harmless to you.