Do your Halloween treats pass parent inspection?

Make sure the treats you give out this Halloween are a good investment. Inspection of trick or treat bags often results in good money being thrown in the trash. Safety's first on the priority list for parents when it comes to Halloween and especially trick or treating. Here's how to insure your trick or treat offerings make the safety cut.

Offer another option to giving out treats.

Trick or treaters might enjoy a free homemade haunted house tour or other activity. Set up a table with activities like painting miniature pumpkins or making masks. Feathers, fake jewels and mask forms are available at most craft stores. Use your imagination to come up with Halloween activity alternatives to trick or treating.

Give out small toys as a substitute for Halloween candy or treats.

Think rubber snakes, flutes, whistles or other party favors. Be sure to give age appropriate toys to each child. Trick or treating toddlers or babies should never be given toys with potential choking safety hazards. Unsafe toys will never pass parent inspection. Try to choose quality inexpensive toys as treats.

It may be tempting to make homemade goodies for Halloween.

This only works for kids of friends and relatives. Even then, Halloween treats should be labeled with your name, phone and address. Avoid giving homemade treats to kids you don't know. Homemade trick or treat items always end up failing parent inspection due to possible poisoning safety risks.

Another option for treat giving on Halloween are gift certificates.

Many fast food venues offer coupons for items like ice cream cones and such. Passing safety inspection is not a concern with these trick or treat offerings. Parents can take their kids out for a free treat without concern. Kids love getting these treats because it gives them a second day of fun to experience.

Be sure that purchased candy will pass inspection.
Parents look for things like wrappers that can be opened and re-wrapped. Another safety alert goes off when packaging appears tampered with or open. Small holes in packaging could be needle insertion or injection sites. Buy Halloween candy that is securely wrapped and difficult to tamper with.

Think like a parent.

Is this the type of treat you would feel safe giving your own child? If this treat was in your kid's bag of goodies, would you let them keep it? If the answer is no, chances are this treat won't pass another parent's inspection either. Quite often parental instinct will give you the answer to this safety dilemma.