It's almost time for young ghosts and goblins to have fun in Albuquerque! With the holiday comes plenty of fun, but it's also a time to think about keeping our kids safe on the streets. Here's a few tips to help your kids stay safe and happy during their trick-or-treating activities.

Costume Safety:

  • Try to plan costumes that are bright and reflective.
  • Make sure that shoes fit well, as not all costume shoes are made to fit as well as regular shoes.
  • Costumes should be short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
  • Add reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
  • Masks can limit or block eyesight, so you may want to use non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives.
  • Make sure that hats fit properly so they don't slide over eyes.
  • Test makeup ahead of time on a small patch of skin to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises on the big day.
  • If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child's costume, make sure it is not sharp or long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
  • Decorative contact lenses are not safe. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as "one size fits all," or "no need to see an eye specialist," using decorative contact lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. They can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.
  • Go over how to call 911 with your children if they get lost or have an emergency.

From House to House:

Children should never go trick or treating without a responsible adult. make sure everyone has a flashlight. If older children are going alone, go over their planned route and make sure it's acceptable. Agree on a specific time when they should return home. Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.

Food Allergies:

If your children have food allergies, this can be a tricky time of year. Make sure to examine candy your children bring home and carefully read labels. Make sure your child with allergies refrains from eating candy until you do so. If the ingredients aren't listed, arrange for a treat "exchange" with classmates or friends. Or, bag up the goodies your child can't eat because of an allergy and leave them with a note asking the "Treat Fairy" to swap them for a prize. Be aware that even if they are not listed on the ingredient label, candy is at high risk of containing trace amounts of common allergy triggers, because factories often produce many different products.

Also beware of "fun size" or miniature candies which may have different ingredients or be made on different equipment than the regular size candies, meaning that brands your child previously ate without problems could cause a reaction. Teach your child to politely turn down home-baked items such as cupcakes and brownies, and never to taste or share another child's food.

Here's a few halloween parties in Albuquerque that will privide a safe place to celebrate.

Boo-lloon Mania at the Balloon Museum

Zoo Boo at the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo

Albucreepy Downtown Ghost Walk

Ghost Tours of Old Town

Dragon's House of Horror

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween in Albuquerque!

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