For the kids in your HOA community, Halloween is one of the most anticipated nights of the year. Not only do they get to dress up, but they get to go door-to-door with their friends to collect more candy than they could ever imagine. While Halloween is exciting for children, it can create some anxiety for parents regarding safety.
To help ensure that the goblins and ghosts have a safe Halloween in your Florida HOA community, our residential property management company offers the following tips:
- Establish a timeframe for trick-or-treating in your neighborhood.
Halloween is on a Tuesday this year, which can pose some safety issues as adults will be driving home from work during prime trick-or-treating hours. For this reason, some HOA communities may choose to hold trick-or-treating on a weekend to minimize traffic on the streets.
Regardless of which day your neighborhood decides is best to celebrate Halloween, it’s important to establish a timeframe for trick-or-treating ahead of time. For example, your neighborhood may decide to allow trick-or-treaters between the hours of 6pm and 8pm. Establishing a timeframe for trick-or-treating will give residents a heads up for when they should avoid traveling on neighborhood roads.
- Never trick-or-treat alone.
Our residential property management company recommends organizing a neighborhood pre trick-or-treating party where residents can fuel up on pizza and meet up with neighbors before heading out to trick-or-treat. This will minimize the risk of residents trick-or-treating alone. Depending on the age of the children, a trusted adult should accompany the group.
- Use a flashlight to help others see you.
The bulk of trick-or-treating in your neighborhood will take place when the sun goes down, so you’ll want to use a flashlight or attach reflective tape to costumes to help others see you. Glow sticks have become popular Halloween party favors as children love to wear them and it makes them more visible when trick-or-treating.
- Never enter homes without a trusted adult.
It would be very rare that a trick-or-treater should need to enter a neighbor’s house. As a best practice, make neighborhood children aware that they should never enter a home when trick-or-treating without the presence of a trusted adult chaperone.
- Only eat factory-wrapped candy.
Some residents may choose to offer trick-or-treaters homemade treats. Unless you know the cook, it’s best to only eat factory-wrapped candy. Parents should inspect their children’s candy at the end of the night to determine which treats are safe to consume.
Our residential property management company suggests making members of the community aware of these safety tips prior to the arrival of Halloween to protect, maintain, and enhance your neighborhood. Contact us at Vesta Property Services for additional tips for a safe Halloween in your Florida HOA community.
