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This is a Halloween KHQA Advisory to keep your little trick-or-treaters safe.

Younger children should never go out alone, especially after dark.

All ages should stay in familiar neighborhoods, don't go to strange homes or get in strange cars.

No one should eat any treats until an adult has checked them over.

Make sure costumes are easy to spot in daylight or dark, and take along a flashlight.

Call the police if you see something against the law or suspicious, or something makes you uneasy.

Here are some tips from the Missouri Families eNewsletter to make your Halloween healthy:

1.  Wait and buy candy later rather than sooner. We won't eat what we don't bring home.  

2.  Feed kids a healthy meal before they go out trick-or-treating so they won't replace dinner with candy.  

3.  Make sure children brush their teeth well after enjoying their loot. Candy won't cause juvenile delinquency, but it will cause tooth decay.  

4.  Offer alternatives. Hand out pencils, rings, bracelets, stickers, plastic snakes, sugarless gum --all those things that we typically give kids in birthday goodie bags. Just be careful of choking hazards with young kids.  

5.  If you're hosting a Halloween party, make it a seasonal festival--serve pumpkin muffins, spiced apple cider, and have the kids dunk for apples. There are plenty of games and activities that don't involve candy-- decorate little pumpkins, hold a costume contest, visit haunted houses or show a spooky movie (not too scary) with some fresh popped popcorn.  

6.  Host a pre-trick or treat Halloween dinner with spooky background music. Hand out a printed menu with gory descriptions of kids' favorite foods. For example, spaghetti and marinara sauce with shredded cheese becomes "brains with blood and pus." Kids really love the idea of eating "gross" food on Halloween, but parents know they are eating a healthful dinner, regardless of its name. Nutrient-rich cranberry juice mixed with apple cider and orange juice becomes "murky blood." (Drink up, children!!!) 

7.  Limit the houses that children visit. Give them a two to three block radius, so they are able to gather a moderate amount of treats only from known neighbors and friends.