How to Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

Safe Trick-or-Treat Activities:   Of course, the favorite of many families is to dress in costume and trick-or-treat around the neighborhood.  It's always fun at any time of day, and maybe a little more fun (and scary!) at night, but we all need to follow some safety guidelines so no one gets hurt. Here are a few simple, but effective, suggestions:

• Watch out for cars!
• Wear light colored costumes and carry a flashlight during dusk and after dark.
• Painted faces are better than masks. Masks can block a child's vision.
• Costumes should be sized right to avoid tripping over hems or "too big" shoes.
• Stick to a pre-planned route - especially important if your goblins are out on their own.
• Bring all goodies home for inspection before sampling!!

After reviewing safety issues with your little ones, visit this website for an online kid-friendly quiz about Halloween safety.  Print out a personalized certificate when your child is done.

If you live in a very rural or unpopulated area, you might want to take your costumed kiddies to Tanger Outlet Center to do their trick-or-treating. Children and their parents are invited to check in at Tanger Shopper Services between 10 AM and 8 PM to receive a Tanger Trick or Treat Bag, then visit participating stores for your special treats! Just look for Halloween front door decals at participating stores. 

Trick-or-Treating Not Your Thing?  

• Collect for others: If  you don't want your children to have too much candy, or you'd like them to think more about others, your family can always collect donations for UNICEF  (United Nations International Children's Fund) instead of bags full of sweets.  UNICEF collection boxes are available free at the Toys-R-Us locations on Route 58 or in Tanger. It's a great way to encourage your children to participate in community service.
• Have a Halloween party to keep your youngsters amused at home.  Invite some friends - young and old - to play Halloween games.  Classic games like bobbing for apples, pin the nose on the pumpkin, and pass-the-pumpkin (a Halloween version of Hot Potato) are a snap to organize and oh so enjoyable. Make some cupcakes or cookies and let the kids decorate them for a fun activity, then eat them for refreshments along with some fresh cider.

Find Ideas Here: Here are some great Halloween party themed websites:

• Find games and other activities here
• You'll find hauntingly healthy snacks here
• Make a free animated online video personalized with your family photos here - teens can do this by themselves, but younger kids will need lots of adult help.  The results are hilarious!!

How To Wind Down:  After a long day of costumed capers, send your sleepyheads to bed with a not-so-spooky story.  Here are some suggestions of books you can find at the Riverhead Free Library

• Alpha Oops! H Is For Halloween by Althea Kontis
• Ollie's Halloween by Olivier Dunrea
• 13 Ghosts of Halloween by Robin Muller
• Druscilla's Halloween by Sally M. Walker
• Minerva Louise on Halloween by Janet Morgan