For many kids, picking out a costume is the best part of Halloween. Will they be a spooky witch, a wildcat, or their favorite superhero? There are so many options! But in all the fun, it can be easy for parents to overlook certain risks that Halloween costumes can pose. Here are important safety tips to remember when choosing the best Halloween costume. Look for fire-resistant costumes. Candles inside jack-o’-lanterns and other open flames are everywhere on Halloween night, so make sure your child’s costume isn’t a fire hazard. Most store-bought costumes are made from fire-resistant materials, but you should still check the labels on all costumes, wigs, and accessories. The same goes when you’re buying fabric for homemade costumes. And remember, fire- resistant is not the same as fireproof. While fire-resistant material takes longer to burn and can be put out quickly, it can still catch fire and cause serious injuries. Remind your child to use caution around open flames and avoid costumes with flimsy, hanging components, like flowing sleeves, long skirts, and capes. Test makeup first. Halloween is a great time to have fun with face paint, and makeup is a good alternative to masks, which can obscure a child’s vision. However, a lot of costume makeup isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Before letting your child cover their face in makeup from the Halloween store, test their skin for allergic reactions by putting just a little bit on the back of their hand first. Practice prop safety. What’s a Jedi Knight without her lightsaber or a wizard without his magic wand? The right accessories can really bring a costume together, but it’s important that props — especially weapon props, like swords, knives, or guns — are not mistaken for the real thing. Choose props that are obviously fake, with round edges made from soft, flexible material. And if your child wants to wear their Halloween costume to school or some other event, check the rules on props beforehand to avoid any trouble. Best in Show or Halloween Hazard? Costume Safety Tips for Kids
Police Officers Sing Their Hearts Out
When you think of viral videos of police officers, you may not imagine your local police department lip-syncing pop songs. But this new online trend is taking the internet by storm. To show a more positive side of their departments, many stations all over the country have participated in a lip-sync challenge. While these challenges were created to make viewers laugh, their driving purpose was to create a connection between officers and their communities. They hope to remind civilians that behind every badge is a person who isn’t all that different from you. Mala” by the Kumbia Kings on June 19 of this year. His video, which gained over 1.5 million views, encouraged other officers to follow suit. Mena, a recruiting-team deputy with Bexar County for three years, has been making lip-sync videos since he downloaded Snapchat on his phone. The day he recorded this particular video, he sent it to his sergeant, who passed it along to the officers who handle social media for their office. Then it went viral. Several of the other individual officers responded with their own videos of mainstream hits like ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” and One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” The popularity of these initial challenges inspired other stations to create their own videos featuring entire departments singing and dancing in unison. Some of the videos with the most views are the Norfolk Police Department lip-syncing Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” the Apple Valley Police Department lip-syncing The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” and the San Francisco Police Department lip-syncing Too Short’s “Blow the Whistle.” Keep checking your social media to see who gets challenged next! Check Out These Lip-Sync Challenges Across the U.S. The challenge started when Alexander Mena, a deputy in the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in Texas, posted a video of himself lip-syncing “Fuiste
Halloween is a night for ghosts and goblins to come out to play, and with these tips, your kids can safely dress up and join in the fun.
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