5 Ways to Prepare the Kids for Halloween and the 20 Best Cities to Trick or Treat

One of the most favorite time of the year, Halloween, is just a few days from now. Children, and their parents too, are agog to prepare. Sandbox Learning gives five strategies on how you can set your kids for this annual activity.

1. Select a Costume

Choose a costume that is safe and fits well. When choosing an outfit, remember that children at times may be uncomfortable with make-up on their face or with masks which limit their vision and other senses. For children who have difficulties with masks, you may just have them hold a mask rather than wear it, or not use one at all.

2. Set Costume Guidelines

Children may get fascinated with their costume and they may often want to wear it other times than for trick or treating. Before purchasing, tell them if they can wear it besides trick or treating and explain why they can wear it only at certain times. For instance, you can say that the costume may be tried on for a few minutes only to see how they will look, but it need not be that long so the costume won't get dirty before Halloween.

3. Practice Going to People's Doors

A little role play going to someone's door, knocking, saying "Trick or treat," holding a bag out, and saying "Thank you " will be a good training for the children. Remind the kids to be polite, to wait for their turn, and to take only one piece of candy when they are asked to select something. Prepare and practice them for other situations like when someone not being home or when someone compliments them on their costume.

4. Establish Guidelines in Advance

Set the rules on:

- What time trick or treating starts and ends

- How to tell if it has ended

- Where they can go (such as only those houses with lights on, only people they know, homes within a four block radius)

- Staying only with parents or siblings

Review these guidelines days in advance through a story, visual cards, or written rules. Refresh their memories with these guidelines before the actual trick or treating.

5. Set Candy Guidelines

Set your candy guidelines before the day of the trick or treat itself. Instruct them to bring all the candy they were able to gather to you before eating so you can check these treats. Likewise, you may require them to eat dinner first before trick or treating so they won't get hungry. You may also set a schedule on when they can eat their candy as well as set a limit on the number of candies they can eat per day.

Since the safety of the children are of utmost importance, RIS Media's Housecall has posted Zillow's list of the 20 best cities in the U.S. to trick or treat. These cities provide the most candy with the least walking and safety risks.