Community Corner

Trick or Treat Safely with these Halloween Tips

Keep the tricks to a minimum with these tips for a fun Halloween.

Ghosts and goblins will soon flood neighborhoods in search of the ultimate reward: candy.

Patch has compiled this guide to help your little pumpkin stay safe this Halloween. 

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There are no set hours for trick or treating in Darien, but the recommends finishing the rounds before it gets dark.

The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office offers this advice:

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  • Safety in numbers: Either a parent or trusted adult should accompany any young children while they trick or treat. Older kids should ideally trick or treat with an adult too, but at the very least they should stay in a large group. If your older kids are going out without an adult, help them plot a safe route and remind them to go only to houses they know that have a light on.
  • Dress for success: Beef up costumes with glow-in-the-dark or reflective tape so kids are easier to see at dusk or in the dark. Halloween is a good time to pull out the high-water ghost costume — you don’t want your child tripping on an overly long sheet. Make sure the costume is flame retardant, too, in case it comes into contact with a pumpkin’s flame. Go for foam rubber props instead of wood or plastic ones that could cause bruising if a child falls.
  • Keep it local: Trick or treat in your own neighborhood, knocking only on doors of houses you know.
  • Use an eagle eye: A grown up should take a careful look at all the treats before kids dig in. Throw out anything that’s open or not in its original wrapper. Also toss fruit or anything homemade. If you think something is amiss with a treat, save it and call the Darien Police Department for testing.
  • Stay outside: Children should not go into anyone’s home or car while trick or treating. If anyone tries to persuade them otherwise, the kids should run away and immediately tell a parent or other trusted adult.


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