Peterborough County OPP and Five Counties Team Up to Offer Trick-or-Treating Tips

PETERBOROUGH, ON (Oct. 20, 2025) – There’s a trick to making Halloween more of a treat for the little ghouls, ghosts, and goblins to ensure it’s safer and more inclusive for all.

Halloween safety tips That’s the goal of the Peterborough County OPP detachment and Five Counties Children’s Centre, which are teaming up to offer tips to parents, caregivers and families on ways to make the trick-or-treating experience better for everyone.

“Halloween is the spookiest night of the year, but also one of the most anticipated dates on the calendar for kids,” says Constable Dan Gay, the Media Relations and Community Services Officer with the Peterborough County OPP detachment. “With excitement running high, kids may not be paying full attention as go door-to-door for treats, posing a risk to themselves and drivers who may be caught off guard. That makes taking safety precautions very important.”

Hayley Hodges, the Client and Family Engagement Lead at Five Counties – the regional children’s treatment centre based in Peterborough – echoes the OPP safety message, while also highlighting the need to make Halloween as inclusive as possible for children of all abilities.

“The reality is that there are thousands of children across Canada with one or more disabilities that can prevent them from enjoying trick-or-treating with their siblings and other children,” Hodges says. “But it’s also true that with a few simple tweaks to our Halloween plans, we can literally open doors to more trick-or-treaters this year!”

To prepare for Halloween, Peterborough County OPP and Five Counties make the following suggestions:

Safety Tips for Halloween

  • For Drivers – Be vigilant and slow down, especially in neighbourhoods where children might be crossing the street. Stay focused and avoid distractions
  • For Parents/Caregivers – Choose makeup over masks for a child’s costume, as it makes it easier for them to see. Costumes with bright colours and reflective materials can also increase kids’ visibility for drivers. It’s always best to supervise young children and not let them trick-or-treat alone. For older kids or youth, ensure they go out in a group, tell you their route, and expected return time.
  • For Kids – Have fun, but stay safe. Always trick-or-treat with an adult or in a group. Walk, don’t run, and stick to sidewalks or the side of the road if there are no sidewalks. Only cross streets at crosswalks or intersections and before doing so, stop, look both ways and listen for traffic. Avoid going into strangers’ homes and have an adult inspect your treats before you eat them.

Inclusion Tips for Halloween

Halloween inclusion tips

  • Set up a trick-or-treating station that is accessible and barrier-free for every child to enjoy. For homes with stairs, consider setting up an accessible treat station on the front lawn, driveway, or garage. Or use your vehicle’s trunk to hand out candy.
  • Clear the path for trick-or-treaters. Remove potential obstacles and ensure the way to your treat station is wide open and well lit, especially for trick-or-treaters with mobility challenges.
  • Decorate for Halloween with care. While scary and spooky decorations are appealing, they can be frightening for some trick-or-treaters. Bright flashing lights and loud or frightening noises can cause problems for children with sensory processing issues, autism or epilepsy. Be thoughtful and tactful in how you decorate so more children can take part in trick-or-treating.
  • Seeing blue? That’s OK. Blue pumpkins have been informally adopted by some families as a way to indicate children have unique ways of behaving and communicating. If you see a trick-or-treater carrying a blue pumpkin, be understanding and adjust your interactions as needed
  • Use some ‘show and tell’ to hand out treats. If you encounter children with visual or hearing problems, describe or hold up the treat before placing it in the bag so they are aware of what they are receiving.
  • A sign of the times. If you want to make an even stronger statement, put up a sign on your front lawn indicating you are an accessible/inclusive trick-or-treating stop. The Treat Accessibility organization offers printable signs and other tips.
  • Offer non-candy options. Consider having non-food treats in your basket so all kids can enjoy the holiday, especially those who may have allergies.

“Putting our all into Halloween preparations can make trick-or-treating more inclusive and accessible for all,” notes Hodges, of Five Counties.

“Halloween is supposed to be scary,” adds OPP Const. Gay, “but with a few simple precautions, we can make it safer and more memorable for kids of all ages and abilities.”

Category: General News