Tips and tricks to stay safe this Halloween



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The only thing spooky about trick-or-treating should be the fun. But there are a few things to keep in  mind when it comes to staying safe.

Halloween is supposed to be fun, but can quickly turn scary if you're not safe and protecting your kids starts with their costumes.

"Keep those costumes fitting your child, you don't want them to be too long, if they're too long you can trip and fall," said Katie Horrigan, Director of Community Education and Outreach at Children's Hospital.

For those superheros out there, make sure the capes are Velcro and not tied around the neck making them easy to remove, and wear the right shoes.

"It's not a good time to try out mom's high heels to walk down the street, you want to be wearing comfortable shoes so you can get in and out. If you're cutting across yards it's really easy to trip and fall," said Horrigan.

Whatever costume you end up with, face paint is a better option than a face mask. If your costume requires a mask, make sure the eye holes are big enough for the kiddos to see. And when it's time to collect that candy, make sure you're using crosswalks and obeying traffic lights. If you have sidewalks in your neighborhood, use them!

"When we don't have sidewalks we walk on the left side of the road, we want to be able to see the oncoming traffic and they can see you coming better as well," said Horrigan.

Most popular times for trick-or-treating is between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m., so drivers stay vigilant and keep an eye on the monsters and fairies lurking around.

"We do use glow sticks with the kids at night so other people can see them," said trick-or-treating father, Jessie Annoie.

"There's also lots of glow in the dark type things, you can get duct tape that's glow in the dark, bags that are glow in the dark. Anything that's going to light you up on Halloween," said Horrigan.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!