Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips and Local Events

By now you have likely gotten your Halloween decorations out of storage and are ready for another year of ghosts and goblins. The folks at Today’s Parent have prepared a great list of safety tips to keep this spooky holiday from becoming a scary one and our neighbors over at the Conroe-Montgomery County Patch have complied a list of 5 Halloween Events to Attend in Conroe. Montgomery Self Storage hopes everyone has a safe, fun and Happy Halloween!

15 Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips

1. Pick the right size. Make sure that costumes fit properly. Hems should be well above the ground to avoid tripping, and kids should have full range of motion.
2. Keep it bright. Dark colors are obviously harder to see at night, so dress your kids up in bright costumes or add reflective accessories to dark getups. Tip: This year, families can visit their local Nissan dealership to pick up Glow Guards, reflective adhesive stickers available for free until October 31st.
3. Break out the makeup. Since masks can obstruct vision, create the same idea with face paint. But…
4. Test it out first. Before the big day, try the face paint to make sure your child doesn’t have a skin reaction. And of course be sure to wash it all off before tucking them into bed.
5. Choose non-flammable fabrics. Jack-o’-lanterns often have real candles inside, so opt for costumes with 100-percent synthetic fabrics like nylon, polyester and acrylic and avoid loose capes and glittery fabric, which tends to be more flammable. And to cut the risk, light up your own pumpkin with a battery-powered tea light or LED “candle.”  
6. Get your glow on. Light your kids up with glow sticks, bike lights clipped onto costumes and reflective tape. And give them a flashlight, or carry one with you.
7. Take the tiny trick-or-treaters. Little kids should always have an adult with them.
8. Go as a group. Older kids should travel together, stick to a route they’ve cleared with their parents, check in by phone regularly, and have a set curfew to return home.
9. Chose wisely. Don’t feel you have to hit every home on the block. Look for well-lit locations with pumpkins on display.
10. Stay on the step. Kids should never enter stranger’s homes.
11. Follow the rules of the road. Set a good example and only cross the street at established crosswalks. If you are driving in residential areas, take it slow.
12. Ask for help. Look for police officers if you require assistance or have any concerns to report and always have a phone available to call for help if needed.
13. Check it all out. Before you let your kids dive in, dump the entire candy bag out and inspect it all. Throw out any packages that look like they’ve been opened and any homemade or repackaged goods.
14. Be alert for allergens. If you’ve got a child with serious allergies or food sensitivities, read any unfamiliar labels before handing over the candy.
15. Brush up. Don’t skip the teeth-brushing routine! Sticky candies are cavities waiting to happen.

5 Halloween Events to Attend in Conroe

1. Pumpkin Bobbing: The City of Conroe Parks and Recreation Department brings the spirit of Halloween to the Conroe Aquatic Center, located at 1205 Candy Cane Ln., on Oct. 28 from 6-8 p.m. Open to ages 4-12, the event costs $5 to attend and will feature a swim in the heated Education Pool with decorating stations.
2. Scare Up Some Fun at Incredible Pizza: Conroe’s Incredible Pizza, located at 230 S. Loop 336 W., is set for Oct. 31 from 5:30-9 p.m. Community members are invited to break out their best costumes for a chance to win a $100 game card. A candy trail opens at 5:30 p.m., and a kids’ buffet with drinks and one-hour video-gaming costs $8. Call (936) 441-2222 for more information.
3. Trunk or Treat Harvest Festival:Free, family fun is available Oct. 31 at Northside Baptist Church, with food, games, a bounce house, hay rides, a 16-foot slide, a trunk-or-treat event and all the candy one can eat. The Harvest Festival takes place 5:30-8 p.m. at 701 N. FM 3083 W.
4. Halloween Campground:Happening Oct. 29, the Lake Conroe-Houston North KOA presents its second, annual campground Halloween celebration. Open to all ages, the event will feature site decoration with a prize for the first-place winner, a costume contest, a haunted hay ride, snacks and a DJ party. Attendees can pay for the RV site or cabin on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 and receive Oct. 30 for free. Call (936) 582-1200 for further details.
5. The Addams Family Theatre Production: And now for something completely different. Stage Right, located at 234 North Main St., invites residents to its live performance of The Addams Family, available through Nov. 6. Ticket purchase is available online and at the box office Monday through Friday from 3-6 p.m. as well as from 3 p.m. to show time on show dates.