How do you celebrate Halloween?

Halloween can be a fun time for kids with all the creative costumes, candy treats, seasonal events, decorations, making crafts, and carving jack-o-lanterns, but it can also be overwhelming, what with all the scary costumes and decorations, candy overload, and staying up late.

Depending on the age of your child you may opt for a simple celebration, dressing up your children and meeting friends at your favorite park or trick or treating early at the Providence Children’s Museum or at local businesses on Hope Street in Providence. One year we took our boys trick-or-treating to just a handful of neighbors’ houses and then came home to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. That was about all our three-year-olds needed or could handle at that age.

Whatever you choose to do, make it a safe Halloween. Read the Safety Tips below from the American Red Cross. Then read about what to do with all that candy your kids collect.

Make it a Safe Halloween

– Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street.
– Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks, and low-flying brooms.
– Don’t hide or cross the street between parked cars.
– Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms too!)
– If possible, have an adult go with you. If you’re going out just with friends, plan your route and share it with your family.
– Carry a flashlight to light your way.
– Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flammable.)
– Only visit homes that have outdoor lights on.
– Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house.
– Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover your eyes.
– Be cautious of animals and strangers.
– Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating them. And don’t eat candy if the package has already been opened. Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.