Parents

Make your child eat dinner before setting out. Children should carry quarters so they can call home. Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult. If your children go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark. If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material. Older children should know where to reach you and when to be home. You should know where they're going. Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything. Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.

Homeowners

Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones. Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame. If you do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing. Make sure paper or cloth yard decorations won't be blown into a flaming candle. Healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later. Non-food treats: plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers, coins.