With Halloween approaching, neighborhoods will be teeming with festivities, food and fun.

To help make the holiday a safe and enjoyable one for all, Ochsner Hospital for Children shares the following safety tips to keep in mind when going about your evening or planning out your “trick or treat” fun:

Motorists

Stay alert and slow down. Neighborhoods that don’t normally have a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic may experience an increase on Halloween night.

Remember that kids will be excited and may forget to “stop, look and listen” before they cross the street. Be particularly cautious in areas where cars are parked along the side of the street.

Costume Tips

Decorate or trim costumes, “goody bags,” and other containers with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights. Reflective tape can be purchased at bicycle, hardware and sporting goods stores.

Make sure costumes are short enough so they don’t cause children to trip or fall. Children should also wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes.

Masks should not impair a child’s hearing or field of vision. If necessary, enlarge ear and eye holes, or use makeup to create special effects. Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes.

Discourage your child from trying on masks and wigs from other children’s costumes.

Just Treats, No Tricks

Wash your hands well before handing out candy to any trick-or-treaters. Also, be sure to have your kids wash their hands thoroughly before enjoying their loot.

Avoid trick-or-treating if your child has had a fever in the past 24 hours or is displaying any signs of illness to prevent the spread of infection to others.

Don’t allow your child to eat any treats that are not commercially packaged or that are prepared by strangers.

Examine all your child’s Halloween treats before they are eaten. Be sure to look for any signs of tampering and make sure that all packaging is intact. Throw away anything that appears to be spoiled.

And, most importantly, be sure that both you and your child have received your annual flu vaccine.