Halloween Water Safety Checklist

🎃 Step 1: Costume Check

• Can your child see and move? Masks that block sight, long hems and wide capes are trip hazards near any water. Try the costume on and walk stairs before the night.
• Is it visible after dark? Add reflective tape or a light. Bright colours help adults spot a child quickly near water.
• Costume stays out of the water. A heavy or loose costume is not swimwear. Never let a child wade or play in water while dressed up.
• Shoes fit and grip. Wet leaves, dew and pool decks are slippery after dark.

🚦 Step 2: Scan the Route Before You Go

• Walk or map the route in daylight. Note pools, ponds, retention basins, creeks and hot tubs near the sidewalks you will use.
• Look for uncovered or unfenced water. Leaf-covered pool covers and open backyard pools can be hard to spot in the dark.
• Choose a path that keeps children off pool decks and away from pond edges. Stay on sidewalks and lit driveways.
• Agree on a rule. No stepping into any backyard, no shortcuts across yards and no going near water without a grown-up.

🍎 Step 3: Party and Festival Water

• Bobbing for apples or water games. Keep any tub of water under constant arm’s-reach supervision, and empty it the moment the game ends.
• Empty buckets, coolers and tubs. Candy buckets, rinse tubs and ice chests with water in them are a risk for toddlers.
• Fall festivals and farms. Keep a hand on young children near ponds, creeks, hayride routes and any decorative water feature.
• Hot tub and pool at the party house. Confirm the gate is latched, the cover is on and a lock is in place before kids arrive.

👀 Step 4: Name a Water Watcher

• One adult, one job. Pick a Water Watcher for each 15-minute shift. No phone, no chatting, eyes on the water or the nearest hazard.
• Hand off out loud. Say “you have the water now” so every shift has an owner.
• Count heads at every stop. A child missing for even a minute: check the water first.
• Know the number. Post 911 and the address where you are staying or hosting.

🗓️ Step 5: Our Halloween Water Plan