Trick-or-Treat Safety Checklist

Printable safety checklist for a calm Halloween: gear before you leave, smart moves on the route, and a candy check when you are home. Tick the boxes, print it, and clip it to your bag. Free, no sign-up.

Free Runs in your browser

How it works

Tick, print, walk out the door

Tick your boxes

Work through the three groups — before you leave, on the route, when you are home. Only check what actually applies to your family.

Read the must-bring summary

Items flagged as "must-bring" auto-collect into a short list — flashlight, reflective tape, the group rule, allergy candy sorting.

Print or save

Print the whole checklist and clip it to the candy bag, or download a .txt to keep on your phone.

Why this checklist?

Police and health departments repeat the same warnings every October

On Reddit and in Facebook parent groups, the recurring trick-or-treat fears are a kid wandering off, an unexpected nut allergy, and a dark driveway you did not notice. Health departments (El Paso County, Dandicandy guides, Harvard nutrition) repeat the same core advice every year: reflective gear, only lit houses, inspect wrappers at home, and mark allergy-friendly houses with a teal pumpkin. This checklist turns that advice into boxes you can tick in two minutes.

How much candy to buy Plan your route

Why the teal pumpkin?

The Teal Pumpkin Project marks houses that offer non-food treats (stickers, crayons) for kids with food allergies. Carrying a teal pumpkin or a small teal bucket signals your child may need those alternatives.

What should I check in the candy at home?

Discard anything with torn wrappers, homemade items you cannot verify, and anything that conflicts with known allergies. Sort by allergy-friendly vs. regular, and stash the rest out of sight.

Can I print this for our neighborhood group?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like, share them with your group chat, or tape one to the fridge. It is free and no attribution required.