5 Questions to Ask to Stay Safe on Halloween

Halloween Safety Tips

For many people, Halloween is the best time of year, all thanks to dressing up as your favorite character and getting free candy (what’s not to like?). However, while trick-or-treating comes with a lot of perks, it can also be a little unsafe, especially if you’re not prepared. 

At Bob Johnson Insurance, we want you to spend more time receiving and eating candy than worrying about your ghouls and goblins, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the top questions to ask yourself before heading out this year. 

#1 Are We Visible? 

Since trick-or-treating usually happens at night, you want to make sure that you’re not going to run into any problems. While most streets will be sufficiently illuminated, some may be darker than others. Bring some flashlights or reflectors, just in case. 

#2 Are Our Costumes Safe?

One of the most prevalent issues with costumes is that they can obstruct your vision. If you have little ones wearing masks, you want to make sure that they won’t trip or fall along the way. Also, keep in mind that your clothes may be flammable, so stay away from candles or jack-o-lanterns as much as possible. Finally, check on your accessories to ensure that they won’t be a hazard. 

#3 Where are We Going? 

Having a route planned ahead of time will be the best way to spend the evening. Not only will this ensure that you don’t get lost, but it will help you make your night more efficient. Wandering around aimlessly usually doesn’t get as much candy, so avoid it as much as possible. 

#4 What are My Kids Eating?

While most reports of unsafe Halloween candy are overblown, you do want to be careful of your little one’s eating habits. Check candy before eating it. Make sure wrappers are still sealed. Too much sugar can be risky, and if your child suffers from food allergies, you have to be more vigilant than usual. 

#5 How are My Pets?

If you have a dog or cat that freaks out whenever someone comes to the door, then Halloween will be more than a little nerve-wracking for both them and you. If possible, you will want to sequester your pets for the night and try and make them as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Check on them from time to time and give them food and water as necessary. Also, allow potty breaks so that they don’t mess up your floors. 

Halloween is one of the most fun nights, so make sure to stay safe this season. With these tips, you can be enjoying candy in no time. 

Healthy Alternatives to Halloween Candy

Healthy Alternatives to Halloween Candy

Halloween is almost here! It is a great time of year to see all those cute kids show up on your doorstep in their fun costumes. You might already be thinking how you can provide a healthier alternative treat to sugary candy. Here are some frightfully good ideas for your little monsters.

Non-Food Ideas

Many people have gone away from handing out food. This way, you completely avoid all that sugar, and dodge the food allergy issues. It’s great to hand out treats that aren’t food. Here are some ideas:

  • Small toys or games
  • Stickers or temporary tattoos (Kids love Halloween-themed ones like pumpkins, ghosts or spiders
  • Halloween crazy straw they can use later at home
  • Cute little water bottle they can use at school or for sports
  • All kids love bubbles
  • Coloring books and crayons, pencils and erasers
  • You’d be surprised to know how many parents are handing out small canisters of Playdough which kids really get excited about.
  • You can be really creepy and hand out plastic bugs like spiders and cockroaches. Ewwww!
  • Glow sticks are a favorite with kids. These can usually be purchased in bulk, are affordable, and most of all, kids have a ball running around with them in the dark!

    Food Ideas

    Some parents are making their own snacks like healthy trail mixes or Chex mixes or dark chocolate recipes. Just be careful about nut allergies. You can make home-baked cookies, too, and even adjust the recipe to make it healthier! Popcorn balls or individual bags of popcorn are great too; just watch the little goblins to make sure they don’t choke on the popcorn!

    How about handing out pre-packaged individual granola bars, pretzels or cheese sticks? Kids can eat them on the run from house to house for a quick energy boost!

Candy

If Halloween just won’t be the same unless you hand out candy, try candy with organic sugar or even a sugar-free candy or gum. There are more and more organic candies on the market, from jelly beans to gummy bears, and everything in between. What Halloween would be complete without chocolate? Instead of sugar-laden candy bars, try to hand out small individual squares of healthy dark chocolate.

Try these alternatives this year. You’re sure to have lots of pleased ghosts and goblins wanting to come to your house every Halloween!

5 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe this Halloween

Home Safety Tips for Halloween

Halloween kicks off the holiday season with festive and “spooky” decorations, fun costumes and treats galore. But with fun and festivities come increased risks around your home that can ruin what is meant to be an enjoyable holiday.

The good news is, you can avoid the risks with these simple Halloween home safety tips.

Keep your porch well-lit and clutter free

If you plan to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, be sure the walkway to your porch is free from cords, ropes, and other clutter that can could easily trip a young ghost or goblin.

Make sure that you keep your walkway and porch well-lit so visitors can see and avoid tripping on flower pots and any decorations or debris.  Turning on your porch light and adding additional lights, if needed, can help you avoid any accidents.

Be careful with open flames

Festive decorations can be one of the most enjoyable things about Halloween, but can also pose risks.  Candles with an open flame can be a fire hazard in your home. Keep paper decorations far away from candles. If you put candles in your carved pumpkins, do not leave them unattended.

Keep pets away from trick-or-treaters

Your furry friends may want to join in the fun of greeting trick-or-treaters at the door, but it’s best to confine them away from young strangers in costumes.  While your pet may be very friendly, the excitement of having the doorbell ring frequently and having youngsters reaching out for candy, could stress your pet and cause them to jump or even bite.  Avoid this situation by keeping Fido away from the front door.

Keep your Decorations and Gags Safe

If you plan to dress up your yard with Halloween decorations, make sure they are not sharp, dangerous in any way, or meant to alarm anyone who visits your home.  Decorations are meant to be fun, so make sure they are just that!

Keep Halloween a fun and festive night for you and your neighbors!

By following a few, simple Halloween home safety tips, you can enjoy the spirit of the season while avoiding unnecessary risks and expense. Keep your home safe for your family and your trick-or-treaters!

 

4 Driving Tips for Halloween

Halloween Driving Safety

Halloween is always a festive day for both children and adults. Costumes, candy, trick-or-treaters; there’s plenty to enjoy when this “spooky” day arrives every October.

With so much celebration and kids on foot on Halloween, especially after dark, it’s important to be extra careful when you get behind the wheel.

Below are 5 Halloween driving safety tips to help you make sure Halloween is safe for you, your passengers, and the trick-or-treaters roaming the streets.

1. Don’t drive with a mask.

Masks can be a fun part of any costume. If you are dressing up and your costume requires a mask, make sure to keep it off until you arrive at your destination. Masks can obscure vision and cause unnecessary risk to you and others!

2. Use caution in neighborhoods

While you never want to speed through a residential neighborhood, you’ll want to be especially careful on Halloween.

Families with youngsters are out trick-or-treating, crossing streets and walking in driveways. Drive slower than normal to make sure you are keeping the little ghosts and goblins in your neighborhood safe.

3. Avoid using your phone while driving

Cell phones are a driving distraction that always should be avoided.  (See Part 2 of “10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving.”)  On Halloween, it’s even more important! With children out on the streets and more traffic, you’ll want to make sure you keep eyes on the road.

Put your cell phone in your glovebox while you drive to avoid the temptation to check it while driving.  To help with sounds coming from your glovebox that might make you curious, turn off your phone or if you have an iPhone with iOS11, put your phone in “driving mode” before putting it in the glovebox.

4. Use your turn signals

You should always use your turn signals, but be extra vigilant about using them on Halloween. With the increased foot traffic, it’s important to signal when turning to avoid an accident with other cars and pedestrians.

Keep Halloween a fun and festive night for you and your neighbors!

By following a few, simple Halloween driving safety tips, you can enjoy the spirit of the season while keeping yourself, and others, safe.

Halloween Safety

Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween can be an exciting time for children and adults. It can also potentially be dangerous. Following simple safety tips can keep you and your loved ones safe. Check out these tips to play it safe on Halloween, so you can enjoy the festivities and have a good time.

Plan Your Trick-or-Treating Route in Advance

Know where you plan to go before you leave your house. Planning your route out ahead of time will prevent you and your little ones from walking to far and realizing too late that you are a long way from home.

Increase Visibility

Add reflective tape to costumes or treat bags. Drivers expect to see trick-or-treaters out on Halloween, but make sure you and your children are visible. Carry a flashlight to light your way and make it easier for motorists to spot you.

Find the Right Costume

Choose a costume that is easy to move around in. If your child plans to wear their costume to school it should fit comfortably and in no way interfere with any normal daily activities. Costumes that limit mobility can make for a long and difficult evening of trick-or-treating. Make sure no part of the costume drags on the ground. This can make it easy for the child wearing the costume to trip, but it could also trip up people walking as part of the same group. Make sure shoes are comfortable and suitable for walking around your neighborhood. Masks can be fun to wear, but try to avoid masks altogether as they may make it difficult to see or even breath.

Be Mindful of Props

Some costumes require a prop to pull the entire look together. Make sure the prop is safe and easy to carry and there are no sharp edges. It needs to be light enough that your child can easily carry the prop along with their treat bag while out and about. If your child plans to wear their costume to school make sure they can carry their costume prop on the bus and during class.

Inspect Candy

When you return home from trick-or-treating inspect all of your child’s candy before they are allowed to eat anything. Any items that appear to not be in their original packaging, or if the wrapper is unsecure should be thrown away.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween

Halloween can fun and exciting. Putting these Halloween tips to use can help keep you and your children safe and reduce the risk or harm or injury. Safe decisions around how you celebrate Halloween allow you to enjoy time spent with loved ones.