Halloween safety tips and local trick-or-treat times - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

MADISON (WKOW) -- Halloween is right around the corner and that means candy and costumes, but there are a few safety tips everyone should know before the holiday creeps up on them.

For homeowners participating in your local trick-or-treat, there's many tips that can help keep kids safe this Halloween. If you are expecting trick-or-treaters, remove obstacles from your lawn, porch or steps and make sure your front porch is well-lit.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says to avoid candle-lit jack-o-lanterns if possible. They say if you do use candles, don't place them near curtains, furnishings, or decorations. They also say to move them off porches where children's costumes may ignite.

With costumes, DHS says people should choose costumes that are light-colored and more visible to motorists. They say you can use reflective tape to decorate costumes and candy bags to increase visibility of children to drivers.

DHS suggests children use make-up rather than a mask. They say if the costume includes a mask, parents should make sure it fits snugly and that the eye holes are large enough to allow full vision.

Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes and their costumes should be short enough that they will not trip and fall.

DHS says when it comes to the treats, parents should instruct their children to wait until they are home to eat any candy. Parents should check candy and novelty toys for potential choking hazards and should make sure the packaging doesn't have any tears or tampering. DHS says to throw away anything that looks suspicious.

A few other safety reminders to parents are to participate in Halloween activities during the daylight hours, if possible and to remind children to only cross streets at crosswalks.

DHS says children should be accompanied by a responsible adult who has a flashlight and should not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.

Motorists should also be aware of trick-or-treaters. DHS says they should slow down and watch for children darting out from parked cars.

On 27 News at 5 we'll have Community Awareness Officer Jill Tutaj from the Middleton Police Department on to discuss Halloween safety.

Local trick-or-treat times:

Saturday, October 27

• Fox Lake from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 28

• Beaver Dam from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Columbus from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Jefferson from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Waterloo Community from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Watertown from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 31 (Halloween)

• Albany from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Barneveld from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Blue Mounds from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Cambria from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Cottage Grove from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• DeForest from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Dodgeville from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Edgerton from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Evansville from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Fitchburg from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Janesville from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Lake Mills from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Lancaster from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Madison: Recommended hours from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Marshall from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• McFarland has no set hours
• Middleton from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Milton from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Mount Horeb from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• New Glarus from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Oregon from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Portage from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Poynette from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Prairie du Sac from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Reedsburg from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Richland Center from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Sauk City from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Sparta from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Stoughton from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Sun Prairie from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Verona from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Waterloo Merchant from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Waunakee from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Windsor from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.