Halloween Tips & Tricks

October 12, 2019

Trick-or-Treat

As a custom home builder and developer, creating communities on the MS Gulf Coast is important to us. Nothing makes a builder happier than watching a neighborhood flourish and thrive. Halloween is one of our favorite times as families get together to celebrate. Whether you are planning a costume party, taking the kids house to house or jumping into a Trunk or Treat contest, we would like to share some of our favorite tips and tricks.

First and foremost is safety. Below are a few crucial tips from Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries.

Halloween Safety tips

Walk Safely

• Cross the street at corners. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
  Put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
• Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
  Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
  the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
• Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, tell them to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.

Costumes for a safe Halloween

• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
• Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.
• Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
• When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.

Drive Extra Safely on Halloween

• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
• Get rid of any distractions – like your phone – in your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
• Turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
• Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Be especially alert for kids during those hours.

For more tips on child safety, please visit Safe Kids Worldwide.

Party time fun

Are you hosting a Halloween party? Wow your guests with cute desserts and sweet treats. Good Housekeeping has some incredible cupcake ideas that would impress guests of any age. Our favorites are the chocolate skeleton and mummy designs. Click for more cupcake ideas. Good Housekeeping Halloween Ideas

TRUNk-or-treat

Now for the most fun, how about decorating your trunk for this new family tradition. We love traditional trick-or-treating and have become big fans of the trunk-or-treating idea. It’s almost like a huge costume party. Decorating makes it even more fun. Good Housekeeping is a great place to find ideas to wow the kids when they reach your car. Some of these events have contests too. View more themes at Trunk-or-Treat-Ideas.

We hope you enjoy making your Halloween memories.

Categorized in: Coast Life, Fall Tips, Holiday Tips

This post was written by Acadian Homes