Halloween is just days away. One of the most popular holidays in this country, masses of little superheroes, cartoon and television characters will soon be out in their neighborhoods for trick or treat fun. The American Red Cross has tips parents can follow to help keep the kids safe while enjoying the festivities.

Trick-or-Treating

• Make your trick-or-treaters visible to others.  Provide kids with reflective gear, flashlights and glow sticks to help make the route easier for them to follow and more visible to any vehicles on the roads. Adding reflective tape to costumes and treat buckets can help increase your trick-or-treater’s visibility to traffic.

• Keep your hands clean. Bring hand sanitizer and wash your hands when you get home.

• Practice pedestrian safety. Look both ways before crossing streets (at street corners). Use sidewalks to walk to the next destination. If sidewalks are not available, walk on the edge of the roadway, while facing traffic. Cross at the corners of the street, not between parked cars.

• Be considerate of other people. Only visit homes with a porch light on and accept treats at the door.

Handing Out Candy

• Do not hand out candy if anyone in the household is not feeling well or isolating. This helps keep everyone as healthy as possible.

• Provide proper lighting and sweep clear your sidewalks and steps. Having good lighting and a clear path helps visitors see where they are walking and avoid getting hurt.

Driving on Halloween

• Watch for trick-or-treaters. Sometimes people may forget to look both ways before crossing streets, so make sure you pay attention while driving. Many areas practice daytime trick-or-treating on Halloween too and will have children on the streets throughout the entire day. Download the free Red Cross First Aid app for instant access to first aid advice and the free Emergency app for weather alerts. Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.