Lexington, KY Trick-or-Treat is scheduled for Sunday, October 31 from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Below are some helpful safety tips from 9th District Councilmember Whitney Baxter before your children start trick-or-treating:

Trick or treat with care

  • Accompany trick-or-treaters younger than age 12. Pin a piece of paper with your child’s name, address and phone number inside your child’s pocket in case you get separated. Encourage older kids to trick or treat with friends, parents or older siblings. Make sure someone in the group has a flashlight with fresh batteries.
  • Set ground rules. If your child will be trick-or-treating without you, plan a familiar route and set a curfew. Review safety rules, including staying with the group, walking only on the sidewalk, approaching only clearly lit homes, and never going inside a home or car for a treat. Have your child carry a cellphone.
  • Inspect treats before indulging. Don’t let your child snack while he or she is trick-or-treating. Feed your child an early meal before heading out, and inspect the treats before your child eats them. Discard anything that’s not sealed, has torn packaging or looks questionable. If you have young children, weed out gum, peanuts, hard candies and other choking hazards. If your child has food allergies, check candy labels carefully.
  • Ration the loot. If your child collects lots of goodies, consider doling out a few pieces at a time. You might ask your child if he or she would like to swap some — or all — of the candy for something else, such as a toy, book, or outing.

Walk Safely

  1. Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right, and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross.
  2. Put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
  3. Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
  4. Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
  5. the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
  6. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.

Stay safe and sweet on the home front

To prepare for trick-or-treaters:

  • Clean up. Put away tripping hazards, such as garden hoses, toys and bikes. Clear wet leaves, snow or other debris from the sidewalk.
  • Turn the lights on. Replace burned-out bulbs to ensure visibility at the walkway and front door.
  • Control your pets. Take no chances that your pet might be frightened and chase or bite a child at your door.
  • Consider sugar substitutes. Instead of handing out sweets, try stickers, fun pencils, rubber insects or colored chalk.

If trick or treating isn’t right for your child, consider planning a candy swap party with friends or neighbors. You might have a food-free costume contest and plan games and prizes.

And if you’ll be driving on Halloween, watch for children crossing the street. Be especially careful entering or leaving driveways and alleys. Extra caution can help ensure Halloween safety for everyone.