Trick or Treat — and Keep an Eye Out

Tuesday, October 18th, 2016

Halloween can be a magical night for children and youth. It’s the one day of the year when young people use their imagination to dress up as someone or someTHING else and fill their bags with treats!

But as you invite the community in for trunk-or-treat or other Halloween-related activities, it’s important that your staff and volunteers are ever-vigilant.

Share these tips with your staff and volunteers to promote safer Halloween activities:

• Be sure that everyone working with children and youth has been trained and screened through Safe Gatherings.
• Instruct all volunteers and staff members to wear badges, nametags, or lanyards.
• Register all of the vehicles participating in a trunk-or-treat event, including information on the owner and vehicle make, model, and license number.
• Appoint a few people to monitor your facility, keeping a watchful eye. Equip them with walkie-talkies or other means of communication.
• Make sure all young children are accompanied by a parent as they navigate activities. If you see a child alone, locate his or her parents as quickly as possible.
• Instruct older children and youth to walk in groups.
• Plan a trick-or-treating route, and encourage kids to stay on the path.
• If you see something that doesn’t look right, say something!

For more information, contact us via email or at 888.241-8258. We are here to help your school or organization keep children safe for fun events like Halloween activities—and every other day of the year!