Halloween Safety Tips

Rachel Gordon

October 23, 2025

4 min read

The supermarkets might already be selling advent calendars but there is still one important celebration before we deck the halls with holly; namely Halloween! From Jack-o-lanterns to toffee apples, trick-or-treating to scary movies, Halloween is a fun and spooky time for all. To ensure that Halloween is as fun and safe as possible, it’s important to be aware of some potential risks that it can pose. In this article we will explore some safety tips that you can follow to enjoy the right kind of fright this Halloween!

Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is a time for light hearted tricks and sugar filled treats! Nevertheless, it can pose safety risks for children that adults and those responsible for their safety should be aware of.

Below you will find a few handy safety tips that you should follow to make sure that all spooks and scares are planned!

Beware of open flames

Jack-o-lanterns are a familiar sight during Halloween, adorning streets and guiding would be trick or treaters to houses with the best sweets! However, they can also pose a fire risk. Consider using battery powered candles to simulate the spooky flicker of a candle without the risk. If you do choose to use a real candle, opt for a tea light instead of a large pillar candle. It’s also important to remember that as pumpkins dry out they can become more prone to catching fire so avoid putting a real candle in your jack-o-lantern if it has become quite dry. Regardless of whether you are using battery powered candles or real candles, ensure that your jack-o-lanterns are placed on a flat stable surface a safe distance away from flammable items to reduce the risk of undue harm.

Carve carefully

Speaking of jack-o-lanterns pumpkin carving can be a fun and creative activity for children to partake in. However, pumpkins have a tough outer skin that can be hard to pierce. Ensure that you use a sharp and sturdy knife to cut through it and never let children carve pumpkins by themselves. Depending on their age, a good alternative is to ask a child to draw on a piece of paper what they want their pumpkin to look like and then you carve their drawing for them onto the pumpkin.

Dress up with caution

Halloween costumes can be incredibly flammable. CE marked Halloween costumes should be fire retardant, however it is still important to exercise caution. Costumes can easily have trailing elements such as veils or capes, that can catch on open flames and quickly cause harm. Ensure that any costumes worn are fire retardant and encourage children to stay away from any open flames. It can also be safer to use face paint instead of plastic masks as masks can restrict vision and become very hot to wear. Face paint allows you to explore your creativity without obstructing vision.

Stay together, stay safe

Trick or treating is still a relatively new concept in the UK however it has undeniably grown in popularity over the years. When trick or treating ensure that children stay in groups and have an adult with them at all times. It’s also advisable to plan a route ahead of time so that you can make sure that children stick to well lit areas. It’s also important to ensure that any costumes worn don’t make a child hard to spot. Consider adding a glow stick to their ensemble to make them easy to spot in a crowd or something more prominent for when crossing the road. Finally, remind them to be respectful of people’s property and to avoid any houses that clearly state ‘no trick or treating.’

Check before you snack

Every Halloween stories of spiked sweets hit the tabloids, however there is little evidence to suggest that it is a significant issue in the UK. Nevertheless, when accepting food from strangers it is always advisable to exercise caution. If your child has an allergy, remind them to check for their allergens before accepting any sweets and double check them yourself before they eat them. Whilst spiked sweets are not a prominent issue in the UK, recent warnings from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) notes that the demand for American sweets have led to a surge in illegal imported sweets that contain additives that are banned in the UK. It’s therefore important to double check not just what ingredients are in the sweets your child may have, but also what sweets your child may have. Along with the ingredient list it’s also a good idea to double check the expiry date of sweets. Some can view Halloween as a prime chance to get rid of some old sweets tucked away in the back of the cupboard so ensure your child doesn’t inadvertently eat sweets past their prime.

Decorate delicately

Much like Christmas, many view Halloween as a chance to decorate with flair! When decorating your space for Halloween always consider fire safety and ensure that decorations are not too close to open candles or decorative lights. Whilst fake cobwebs can add that perfect spooky flare, they can also catch fire very easily so adorn carefully!