All children look forward to Halloween because of the candy
and being able to dress up as anything they want to for one
night. Throughout Halloween week, parents and schools teach
kids the importance of safety. If you have a yard space that
the children will walk through or have access to, you can
play a key role in keeping the surroundings safe for them as
well.
!! Steps !!
Clean up any toys, trash, or animal droppings. The last thing you
want a kid in a costume to step in is dog poo. Take a few minutes to
rake leaves or sticks and be sure that the yard is safe to walk
through. Place any small flower pots next to your door or in the
carport, away from foot traffic areas.
* If you've had renovation or cleaning work occurring in the yard,
either put the items away or rope them off clearly. Put away
ladders, buckets, garden tools, etc.
* Remove any lawn decorations, chairs, etc. that might be in the
way.
* Tape down cords that cannot be moved from ground areas. Use duct
tape or other strong tape.
Roll up garden hoses onto racks and be sure that your automatic
sprinkler system is completed before dusk. Some systems are kept at
ground level when not in use and not a hazard, as opposed to those
that stick up a few inches. If you have a system that sticks up and
could be walked on, consider making the spot obvious such as placing
an upturned planter over it with an LED light placed on top.
Use glow sticks, LED lights, and other safe lights to illuminate
your yard. Be creative with the yard appearance. If you have
stepping stones, consider creating a parallel glow stick path on the
outside of the steps as a guide. Mini yard spot lights, overhead
garage lights, and other eye-safe lights can be of assistance. Don't
use automotive lights because they can blind kids while walking to
your door.
* Turn on the porch light. This will help trick or treaters find
their way.
* Invest in a small battery-operated light to insert in Jack O'
Lanterns instead of candles. If you do use Jack O' Lanterns with
real candles, keep them well out of the reach of kids, their
blowing costumes, and any flammable decorations.
* Ensure that any decorations, cords, etc., are well lit if they
can't be tucked or placed out of the way.
Keep pets inside the house, the backyard, or in a safe location away
from the area. Dogs can be territorial of their surroundings and
bark or even snap in defense. If a child is unfamiliar with animals
or unexpected loud noises, they can get frightened as well and it
may ruin their night. Scared pets, especially cats, can
inadvertently dart across the street to avoid loud people or noise.
* Keeping pets out of the way is also for their own benefit; all of
the noise and activity can cause anxiety for pets and might cause
them to run away.
Consider giving out treats in your driveway instead of at the door
if your yard is unsafe. This can be useful if any part of your yard
leading to your door could create a bottleneck if a crowd of kids
turns up. If you see kids going around or playing with fences,
gates, or other potentially sharp objects, inform the parents to
steer them away. Driveway trick or treating can be fun in a few ways
since you can play Halloween music next to you, create a haunted
house, or even feel comfortable that you won't be bothered out of
your TV chair every second.
Turn everything off when you call it "quits" or don't want to
participate. Lit porch lights are the most known "signal" to kids
that tell them someone is home with candy. If you're home, but
don't have candy nor want visitors, turn off any outdoor lights.
With this, you can still join in the festivities with a lit Jack
O' Lantern by the window or doorstep. When going to bed or out for
the night, be sure to lock and secure windows and doors, as well
as turning off anything that might attract people.
!! Tips !!
* If you're not participating in Halloween but you're going out,
turn on all your security systems.
* If you're not participating and don't want people to enter your
property, don't turn on the porch light. If you have a gate, shut
it and don't have any decorations out in the yard that might
encourage people to enter. Depending on where you live, it might
also be helpful to make it obvious that you are home even if
you're not visiting, just in case tricksters seek to toilet paper
your house or try any other tricks.
* Consider leaving a bucket of treats at the front gate if you don't
want trick or treaters bothering you by coming on to your
property.
* If you need to back out of or turn into your driveway during
Halloween, take extreme care. Signal and use your horn if it will
help alert trick and treaters to your vehicle movements.
!! Warnings !!
* Check that your homeowner's insurance is up to date and covers
personal liability and property in case of injury or damage.
* If you're not going to be home for Halloween, take all security
precautions to protect your home.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Safety lights
* Tape for taping down cords
* Storage space for removed items
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Avoid Damage from Halloween Tricksters
* How to Create a Gateway of Gore for Halloween
* How to Make Pumpkin Candles
* How to Use Glow Tape to Keep Children Safe When Trick or Treating
* How to Make a Haunted House in Your Front Yard
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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