Safe Costume Check List:
• Make sure the costume fits well, so kids don’t trip and fall.
• Wigs or beards shouldn’t cover eyes, noses or mouths.
• Skip masks, which can obstruct vision and breathing.
• Use kid-friendly, nontoxic face paint or makeup. Test it on a small area first to ensure it doesn’t irritate. Remove it before bedtime.
• Buy a flame-retardant costume. Making your own? Use fire-resistant polyester or nylon.
• Costume accessories like knives, wands or swords should be flexible, short and soft.
• Dress kids in bright, noticeable colors that will stand out in the dark.
• Decorate treat bags and costumes with reflective tape to boost visibility.
Hold the Snickers
About 100,000 NJ kids experience potentially life-threatening food allergies, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. Some food allergies are mild, while others are much moreserious and can trigger anaphylaxis, causing low blood pressure, airway swelling and an inability to breathe or a loss of consciousness in extreme cases.
Candy Patrol
Remember the razor-blade-in-Halloween-candy scares from your youth? We thought those days had passed, but with a new scare in 2015, its important to make kids wait to dive into their treat bag. Diana Starace, the coordinator for SafeKids Middlesex County and the injury prevention coordinator at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, says to be on the lookout for:
• Anything that’s unwrapped, not in its original wrapper or unsealed
• Anything that looks generally suspicious or tampered with (i.e. tears in wrappers, tiny pinholes or discoloration)
• Homemade goods, baked goods or fresh fruit should all be tossed unless you know who gave them to you
• All choking hazards like small toys, nuts, gum or hard candies for kids under three
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