1. Choose age appropriate events for your trick or treaters. Make sure you know the times and locations ahead of time, to avoid disappointment, or a last minute rush that could compromise safety.

2. Plan your trick or treat route ahead of time. This will give you a clear idea of where your children will be at all times, and an idea of when they will be finished.

3. Feed your trick or treaters a good supper before trick or treating starts. This will make them less likely to snack as they go, before you have a chance to inspect their treats.

4. Stick to places you know. All year we encourage our children to be cautious of people and places they don’t know, yet, on Halloween, we send them to the doors of strangers. Stick to areas where they will be visiting family and friends, both for their safety, and for your own peace of mind.

5. Only visit homes that have a porch light on and never go inside the home of someone you don’t know.

6. Wear something reflective and carry a flashlight.

7. Cross streets only at crosswalks. Never walk between parked cars. Stay on the sidewalk.

8. Stay in a group, and never run off alone, or fall behind on your own.

9. Turn in all candy at the end of the night for parental inspection.

For adults and children over the age of 10, I would recommend some classics:

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Still vibrant and scary, this short story was written by Irving in 1820, and survives as one of the earliest examples of truly American fiction. The story tells of a superstitious young school master, Ichabod Crane, whose courtship of the young Katrina Van Tassel, sets off a competition with the town bully. The hapless Crane also runs afoul of the local ghost of a headless Hessian soldier, with a penchant for midnight rides. If you haven’t read this story since you were required to for school, it’s time to pull it down from the shelf and read it again!

“The Halloween Tree” by Ray Bradbury. One of the undisputed deans of American science fiction and fantasy, Mr. Bradbury has given us some of the creepiest and most readable stories for the season. In this book, we meet 8 young boys who are all meeting to go trick or treating together. On the way to their meeting place, young Pip is whisked away by a great, dark Something. The boys meet the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, who takes them on a journey through time and space to save their friend. From a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, Druidic rites, witch trials in Medieval Europe, and the catacombs of Mexico on the Day of the Dead, the boys learn about the origins of Halloween and how attitudes about death have been influenced it, while trying to save their friend.

“Something Wicked This Way Comes”, also by Ray Bradbury. This novel introduces us to two 13 year-old boys in a small midwestern town, who are conflicted about their upcoming 14th birthdays. On October 23, various townspeople tell the boys that they can feel that something is about to happen. The boys are delighted to learn that a carnival has set up just outside of town and are determined to be among the first to attend. The carnival, a sinister group, led by Mr. Dark, promises that a visit to Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show can make all one’s deepest desires come true. And wishes do come true, but always at a heavy price. In the case of this story, I will also heartily recommend the movie, for which I have linked the trailer here. It has brilliant performances by Jonathon Pryce and Jason Robards, and character actor, Royal Dano, and stays true to the feeling of the novel.

Just for fun, you may want to add the book “Halloween”, by Jerry Seinfeld. This picture book is based on Jerry’s own holiday experiences as a child. From pajama costumes to the quality of treats, he makes us smile remembering our own youth. This is a perfect book to share with younger children, aged 4 and up.

1. Unless your pet is the most calm and social, all dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room, a quiet safe place, away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Constant doorbell ringing and too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets. Even normally friendly pets may become overly aggressive, fearful or territorial around guests in costumes.

2. It is safest to keep pets indoors on Halloween night, to avoid accidental bites, but also to protect your animals from strangers taunting, harming or stealing them. Cats are often the targets of cruelty on this holiday. Walk your dog well before the trick or treating hours begin to avoid meeting scary characters on the street.

3. Anything within range of a wagging tail or a curious kitten can be a potential hazard. Keep decorations out of the reach of pets. This is particularly true of candles and candle-lit Jack O’Lanterns. Some decorations can be lethal to pets if ingested, or if they become tangled in them. Keep electrical cords out of the reach of your fur friends.

4. When answering the door for trick or treaters, pets may dart outside. Consider putting a pet gate or baby gate across the doorway as extra insurance against escape. Make sure your pet is wearing up to date ID, just in case.

5. Halloween treats are for people, not pets! Keep all treats up out of their reach. Take charge of your children’s Halloween loot as soon as they return from Trick or Treating. Remind them not to leave candy or wrappers on the floor. Chocolate can be deadly to pets, and the darker the chocolate, the less it takes for a toxic dose. Candy with artificial sweetener is very toxic to animals, even in the smallest amounts. Be safe and make sure adults supervise the consumption of treats.

6. It might be hard to resist putting your pet in a costume for Halloween, but, most pets don’t enjoy it. If your pet is one who does, then choose the costume carefully. Loose parts and small, dangling accessories invite chewing and present a choking hazard. Make sure that the costume does not restrict the pet’s vision or movement. Consider a festive bandana or reflective collar or harness as an alternative. If you take your pets out onto the street in costume, make sure that you keep them on a leash.

Keeping these tips in mind can make for a fun and happy Halloween for you and your pets!

Things to do BEFORE HALLOWEEN:

1. Prepare home for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns, and sidewalks and by placing jack-o-lanterns away from doorways and landings.

2. Place lighted pumpkins away from curtains and other flammable objects, and do not leave lighted pumpkins unattended.

3. Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.

4. Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.

5. Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free from any phone.

6. Review with your children the principle of “Stop-Drop-Roll”, should their clothes catch on fire.

7. Check around your property for flower pots, low tree limbs, support wires or garden hoses that may prove hazardous to young children rushing from house to house.

8. This is also a great time to buy fresh batteries for your home Smoke Alarms.

9. Think twice before using simulated knives, guns or swords with costumes. If such props must be used, be certain they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury.

10. Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.

Marketing research indicates that Snickers is the favorite chocolate treat of trick or treaters in the United States.