If your child hasn’t asked you 14 times about their Halloween costume (and to stop by that pop-up Halloween store), is it REALLY fall?
We’re in full swing of Halloween over here! (And I have learned from prior experience to NOT purchase a Halloween costume until October, as early purchases lead to changed minds…..). Halloween is SUCH a fun night – but it also comes with its own unique dangers — so here’s how to have a wonderful Halloween, WITHOUT seeing me or my colleagues in the ER.
Key Takeaways
- Most Halloween bumps and scares come down to three things: cars, costumes, and choking.
- A little visibility, a costume that fits, and a quick bag check go a long way.
- Swap hard, chewy, and sticky treats for ones that crumble when you squish them.
Getting from house to house safely
Halloween is one of the biggest nights of the year for kids on foot, and in the dark it’s harder for drivers to see small trick-or-treaters. A study in JAMA Pediatrics used more than 40 years of U.S. traffic data. It found that the risk of pedestrian death was 43% higher on Halloween evening than on nearby nights, and the biggest increase was among kids ages 4 to 8. The good news? A few easy habits make a big difference:
- Make them easy to see. Add reflective tape to costumes and bags, or give them a glow stick or flashlight to carry.
- Hold hands with toddlers. Stick to sidewalks, and cross at corners.
- Give them a phrase to repeat: “One car stopping doesn’t mean two cars stopping.” Then look again before stepping out, and do NOT step in front of cars except in marked pedestrian crosswalks and only when ALL cars are stopped.
Costumes they can actually walk in
Those long princess gowns and superhero capes are adorable. They’re also tough for little ones who are still getting steady on their feet. Hem anything that hits the ground, choose shoes they can run in, and pick face paint over masks so they can see where they’re going.
The bag check: what I take out
Choking is the risk I focus on most, because so much of it comes from what’s handed out. If your child is under 3, or still working on safe eating habits, here’s what I quietly remove.
1. Hard candy and gum
Hard candies, round lollipops, peppermints, and jawbreakers are fine for older kids who know to chew them. For a toddler’s mouth, though, they’re large. Plus, for any age, kids racing from house to house tend to swallow without chewing, and that’s when a candy can get stuck and block the airway.
Gum belongs in the same category. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until at least age 4. Toddlers don’t understand that gum is for chewing only, and if they swallow it, it can easily “go down the wrong tube.” And don’t forget that many lollipops have gum inside, too.
2. Gummies and chewy candies
These surprise parents because they seem softer and safer. But gummy bears, taffy, caramels, and marshmallows stick together into a glob in your child’s mouth. Little ones don’t always have all their teeth and aren’t great chewers yet, so they try to swallow the glob whole. Fruit jelly cups are on my list for the same reason.
3. Tiny toys and balloons
I already dislike party trinkets for the clutter, but for my littlest they’re also a safety issue. Light-up rings, spinners, and anything with a small magnet go straight in my “out” pile. My rule of thumb: if someone can buy 100 of them for $3, there’s probably a warning label on the bag.
Balloons are the one item I’m begging parents not to hand out. Kids put them in their mouths, and a thin piece of balloon can seal right over the airway. Try this: cover your nose and open mouth with your hand, and take a quick sniff in. Feel your hand pull tighter? That’s what a balloon does, so toss it right away.
What I swap in instead
I’m not a total scrooge! Here’s what I love to see in the bag, and what I hand out at my own house:
- Small, soft plain chocolate bars that break easily
- Crispy wafer chocolate bars
- Animal crackers
- Easily breakable cookies, like sugar cookies
- Veggie straws
- Pretzels
- O-shaped cereal
My test? Squish it. If it crumbles instead of clumping into a ball, it’s a keeper. Messier? Absolutely. Safer? Absolutely.
Buy a stash of the above extras and keep them in your bag while accompanying your little one on trick-or-treating. Then swap them in when my toddler isn’t looking.
If your child is choking
Knowing these steps ahead of time means you can act calmly.
- Under 1: 5 back blows, then look in the mouth (no blind finger sweeps), then 5 chest thrusts. Repeat.
- Over 1: 5 back blows, then 5 abdominal thrusts.
- Either way, continue until the object comes out or EMS arrives.
Have a fun, safe, and spooky (but not too spooky because I’m a chicken) Halloween!
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Choking Prevention for Babies & Children, 2024.
- BC Children’s Hospital, More About Gel Candies, 2025.
- Staples JA, Yip C, Redelmeier DA. Pedestrian Fatalities Associated With Halloween in the United States. JAMA Pediatrics, 2018.
