From the candy to the costumes, Halloween is a fun-filled time for kids and parents. To help make it a trick-free treat, follow these new guidelines issued by NYC Health.

• Stay Outdoors: Trick-or-treating should be done outdoors; not in apartment buildings
• Giving Treats: Place in a bin instead of handed out
• Back Up: Step back 6 feet after ringing doorbell
• Masks: Costume masks not effective at stopping COVID-19; wear face covering over costume mask. Bring extras in case you drop yours or it gets slimed

Get creative – think about a costume that includes a face covering – be a doctor, nurse, cowboy, masked bandit or a 2020 New Yorker. Or buy or make a face covering with a mustached, mouth or other image on it that’s part of your costume.

• Hand Sanitizer: Bring and use often
• Avoid indoor Halloween parties, haunted houses and large groups
• Candy: Once you get home, wipe down wrappers or, better yet, let your  stash sit for a couple of days untouched

General Guidelines courtesy of Kidshealth from Nemours

Keep Visiting Ghouls Safe Too!

Make sure trick-or-treaters are safe when visiting your home too. Remove anything that could cause them to trip or fall on your walkway or lawn. Make sure the lights are on outside your house and light the walkway to your door, if possible. Keep family pets away from trick-or-treaters, even if they seem harmless to you.

What You Give Out and What Kids Get

• Make Halloween fun for all — including kids with food allergies. Consider buying Halloween treats other than candy. Stickers, erasers, crayons, pencils, coloring books, and sealed packages of raisins and dried fruits are good choices.
• As you inspect what your kids brought home, keep track of how much candy they got and store it somewhere other than their bedrooms. Consider being somewhat lenient about candy eating on Halloween, within reason, and talk about how the rest of the candy will be handled. Let kids have one or two treats a day instead of leaving candy out in big bags or bowls for kids to eat at will.

Halloween Candy Hints

For health-conscious parents, Halloween can be tricky. Do you set limits? Do you let kids decide how much to eat?

There isn't just one right answer. Instead, use your best judgment based on your child's personality and eating habits. Kids who generally eat just a couple of pieces and save the rest might be trusted to decide how much to eat. But if your child tends to overdo it, consider setting limits.

Here are some more tips for handling the Halloween treats:

• Before kids go trick-or-treating, try to serve a healthy meal so they're not hungry when the candy starts coming in.
• Know how much candy your child has collected and don't store it in his or her bed room. Having it so handy can be an irresistible temptation for many kids.
• Consider being somewhat lenient about candy eating on Halloween, within reason, and talk about how the rest of the candy will be handled. Candy and snacks shouldn't get in the way of kids eating healthy meals.
• If a child is overweight — or you'd just like to reduce the Halloween stash — consider buying back some or all of the remaining Halloween candy. This acknowledges the candy belongs to the child and provides a treat in the form of a little spending money.
• Be a role model by eating Halloween candy in moderation yourself. To help avoid temptation, buy your candy at the last minute and get rid of any leftovers.
• Encourage your kids to be mindful of the amount of candy and snacks eaten — and to stop before they feel full or sick.

You also can offer some alternatives to candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to your door. Here are some treats you might give out:

• non-food treats, like stickers, toys, temporary tattoos, false teeth, little bottles of bubbles and small games, like tiny decks of cards (party-supply stores can be great sources for these)
• snacks such as small bags of pretzels, sugar-free gum, trail mix, small boxes of raisins, and popcorn
• sugar-free candy
• small boxes of cereal

Steer clear of any snacks or toys — like small plastic objects — that could pose choking hazards to very young children.

And remember that Halloween, like other holidays, is a single day on the calendar. If your family eats sensibly during the rest of the year, it will have a more lasting impact than a few days of overindulgence.

COURTESY OF KIDSHEALTH FROM NEMOURS