Boo! 10 Ways to Keep Your Home and Kids Safe This Halloween

At NCA, we want to make sure the scariest thing on your Nashville block this Halloween is the neighbor kid. Here are 10 great ways to keep your kids and your home safe this Halloween.

5 Halloween Home Safety Tips

Making sure that your home is well protected against mischief-makers, vandals, and over-eager (or clumsy) trick-or-treaters is no small task. But we’ve got you covered. Make Your Home a Hazard-Free Zone

To make your home and property safe for trick-or-treaters (and to protect you and your family against any potential liability claims against your homeowners insurance), we recommend making sure that your sidewalks, steps, and yard are free from toys, debris, hoses, and any other objects that might trip little goblins up in the dark.

While you’re at it, Halloween is a great time to make sure that the railings on your porch and deck are sturdy and well-secured.

Decorate Safely

For many, Halloween is the best holiday for exterior decorations. Let your imagination run wild! Just make sure you do so safely. Check your strands of holiday lights to make sure they’re in good working order and use battery-operated tea lights for your jack-o-lanterns instead of old-school candles. As you stage your front yard horror scene, consider opting for rubber pitchforks and scythes rather than the real (and dangerous) thing.

Light Up the Perimeter

While a dark and dim entry makes for a spooktacular experience, for safety’s sake, you may want to consider lighting the way. Go ahead and dust off the Christmas lights a little early or spring for a few strings of seasonally-appropriate orange LED lights.

If you’re planning on hitting the street with your kids, don’t leave your property in the dark. Turn on a few lights at the back of your home, away from the front door, and invest in some good motion sensor lighting. This simultaneously indicates that you’re not open for candy-giving, but gives the impression that you’re home and on the look-out for potential pranksters or vandals. If you want to take things a step further, consider a wireless HD camera security system like the

Arlo Pro, which you can monitor from your smartphone while you’re making the rounds with your little monsters.

Keep Your Pets Locked Up

Not everyone loves animals as much as you do. For the safety of your furry friends and for those collecting all the candy, make sure that your pets are safe and sound. Besides, it would be devastating if your beloved pet slipped out while you were doling out candy.

Don’t Open the Door to Just Anyone

Pint-size convicts, vampires, presidents, and goblins are welcome, of course. But if larger shadows loom behind your peephole or your security cam and your Spidey-sense are going off, just remember: you don’t have to open the door! Once the onslaught of sugar-happy candy collectors has waned to a trickle, it’s time to turn off the light and call it quits for the night.

5 Tips for Keeping Kids Safe This Halloween

Now that you’re feeling good about your Halloween home security, it’s time to talk turkey about keeping your kids free from harm this spooky season

Park the Car and do Your Trick-or-Treating on Foot

There are plenty of reasons to secure your car in the garage on October 31, but perhaps the number one reason? Pedestrian safety. According to Safewise, a website dedicated to home safety and security, “Children are four times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year, meaning that parking your car and trick or treating on foot is a good idea.”

Plus, if you’re going to be collecting pillowcases full of sugar, you may as well burn a few calories while you’re at it! Not only that, but safely stowing your car or truck keeps it out of the damaging reach of All Hallows’ Eve ne’er-do-wells.

Walk Safely

Remind your kids, especially those feisty 7- to 12-year-olds, to walk on sidewalks and not to run from house to house. In preparation for the late night—and taking into consideration the frightening car statistic above—invest in a canister of glow stick bracelets and bedeck your kids in bright bracelets and necklaces.

E.T. Phone Home

In case you find yourself separated from your youngsters, make sure they have your phone number memorized, so they can ask a safe adult to contact you. If your kids don’t quite have your digits down, show them where you’ve written it on their costume.

Choose Your Candy Wisely

Whether you’re doing the tricking with your kids or are in charge of the treating, candy consciousness is a good idea. Although you may love those peanut M&Ms and Reese’s Peanut butter cups, the kid with the peanut allergy may not feel the same way. Even if your candy selection doesn’t contain nuts, if you want to be extra vigilant, check the package for the warning, “Manufactured in a facility that processes nuts,” or something to that effect. If you’re concerned about possible choking hazards for little ones, avoid hard candies like jawbreakers or gumballs.

Don’t Leave Your Candy Unattended

If you’re heading out for the night, you may be tempted to leave a bucket of treats on the porch with a “Help Yourself!” sign. While that’s mighty generous of you, you’re opening yourself up to the possibility of candy tampering.

Thinking about installing a home security system to keep the pranksters at bay? Contact NCA for a free quote or call us at 615-777-7622.