Party, party, party!
Parties may not seem like a dangerous thing to do for Halloween... Your kids and their friends are all under your caring, watchful eye, right? Well, even the best-laid parties can still go awry, but these tips can help you minimize the risks when you host your Halloween party so that you aren't worried about anything but how you should decorate and what food to serve! Please feel free to save the list to your hard drive and print it out so that you have a handy checklist ready anytime- most of these tips can be used year-round!

Please Note: The following checklist is (c) 2007 by me. You are allowed to save it to your hard drive or print it for personal use only. (Teachers, please email me for special classroom permissions.) You are not allowed to redistribute this list without written permission. You are required to link back to me if you receive permission to use this list on your site. Using another person's content without permission and claiming it as your own is stealing!

Party Safety Tips:

1. If you are hosting a party and know there will be children under 12 attending, use plastic eating utensils to avoid potentially dangerous accidents. If you know there will be children under 5, eliminate knives completely.
2. NEVER serve alcohol at a party where you are uncertain if everyone is over the legal age limit.
3. If you are serving alcohol, make sure you know who the designated drivers are ("Hello, My Name Is: Designated Driver" sticky badges are helpful); avoid serving them alcohol and make sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available for their enjoyment.
4. Plastic tablecloth covers are your friend when small children are around. This tip is more for the host[ess]'s mental safety than anything else.
5. If there are small children under 5 at your party, ensure there are no party decorations or home decor items with small, detachable pieces to prevent choking hazards.
6. If there are small children under 5 at your party, do not leave plastic bags lying around anywhere.
7. If you have a pet, it is generally better for them (and your partygoers) if you keep them in a quiet room away from the noise and bustle. Animals get stressed more easily than humans, and keeping them away from the party helps prevent scratching/biting/noise/animal health issues. It also helps prevent accidental injury if you have small children in attendance who don't know how to be gentle with animals yet.
8. Remove personal items from the bathrooms and small items like decorative soaps and candles. This will A) make your bathroom look better for the crowds and B) keep small hands out of things they don't need to be in. It also prevents teeth marks on your decorative soaps and candles.
9. Declare bedrooms and other private areas off-limits. This minimizes the damage the party does to your home and also prevents small children having access to swallowable items like rings and cufflinks.
10. Never allow any child under the age of 13 into the kitchen during a party to prevent accidents. If there are children 13 and over in the kitchen, supervise them carefully to make sure they follow safe cooking procedures.