Seasonal & Holidays
Everything You Need For A Safe And Happy Halloween
Help keep loved ones and your home safe with proper lighting, smart costumes and Ring security devices that suit your needs.
This article is sponsored by Ring, a paid advertiser on Patch. All prices and savings listed in this post are as of publication and could change; Patch may earn a commission on products purchased.
Halloween is a fun and festive time of year for many. Trick-or-treating, dressing up and handing out candy are some favorite pastimes of the season. Whether you're going out or staying in this year, here's what you need to help ensure a safe and happy Halloween.
A Well-Lit Home Exterior
A well-lit home exterior and walkways free of debris are a necessity for Halloween and the rest of the year, too. Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus is ideal for helping illuminate and protect large outdoor areas like the driveway or front yard with motion-activated LED floodlights, 1080p HD video and a built-in 105dB security siren (level measured at 4 in/10 cm distance). Customize motion zones in the Ring App to fine-tune which areas you want to focus on, and eliminate blind spots or dark areas with built-in Color Night Vision and two LED floodlights.
If you're out trick-or-treating, you can use the Ring App to see what's happening outside back at home, turn on the lights, speak to visitors and even sound the siren if needed. Easily hardwire Floodlight Cam Wired Plus to the outside of your home and connect to Wi-Fi for around-the-clock power and peace of mind.
A Video Doorbell
Video Doorbells are a great way to keep up with what’s happening at your front door even when you’re not home. Video Doorbell Wired, the smallest wired doorbell camera from Ring yet, includes all the essentials — like HD Video, Night Vision, Two-Way Talk, Quick Replies and advanced motion detection. But because it's powered by your existing doorbell wiring, you’ll never have to worry about charging a battery.
Battery Doorbell Plus, the upgraded doorbell from Ring featuring super clear HD+ Video with a taller Head-to-Toe field of view compared to the previous generation, also enables you to keep up with what’s happening at your front door. Thanks to HD+ Video in 1536p and Color Night Vision, you'll have a super clear view of whoever stops by, even after the sun goes down.
Video Doorbell Wired and Battery Doorbell Plus both come with a 30-day trial of Ring Protect.¹ With a Ring Protect subscription, you can record videos to review, save and share. Ring videos can be stored in the cloud for up to 180 days.²
Safety-Conscious Costumes
When it comes to costumes, you want to be sure you select the right size to help prevent accidents like trips and falls. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommends choosing or making costumes with flame-resistant material like polyester or nylon, as well as opting for brightly colored, reflective outfits — or adding your own reflective tape to costumes — for increased visibility when it gets dark. Retail Sign Systems makes a 42-piece set of reflective stickers that can be attached to clothes, helmets, bikes and beyond.
If you’re using makeup or face paint with your costume, do a small “patch test” 24-48 hours beforehand. A patch test involves placing a small amount of the product on the skin to assess whether an allergic reaction will develop. If your skin reacts to the makeup or face paint, wash it off as soon as possible.
You can check the FDA website to see which color additives are FDA-approved and ensure any products you use contain only approved products. Using products with FDA-approved ingredients, such as MooMoo Baby’s hypoallergenic and non-toxic face and body paint palette, can help minimize the chance of an allergic reaction. The MooMoo Baby palette comes with 15 vibrant paints and a fine brush for smaller details.
Decorative or colored contact lenses might be the bow that ties your Halloween costume together; however, contacts bought from unreliable sources can lead to an infection. To prevent injury to the eyes, avoid using colored contact lenses without proper fitting and instructions from an eye care professional, and buy only FDA-approved lenses from retailers that require a prescription.
A Trick-Or-Treat Safety Plan
Creating a trick-or-treat safety plan for your family helps ensure a safe Halloween experience. You can include several components in your plan, such as using a flashlight when it becomes dark so vehicles know you are on the sidewalk or in the street — and for your own visibility when walking the neighborhood. Lighting EVER offers a pocket-sized rechargeable LED flashlight that’s durable enough for all weather conditions, with five lighting modes and adjustable focus for ideal navigation even as the sun goes down.
Other safety tips from HealthyChildren.org include:
- Ensuring younger children are accompanied by an adult and older children follow agreed-upon routes.
- Visiting homes that are well-lit, have a porch light on and have a lit pathway.
- Never going inside a home or car to get candy.
- Staying in groups, using sidewalks and crossing streets at designated spots as a group.
- Carrying a cell phone in case of an emergency.
- Reminding your children to wait to eat candy until you’ve checked it.
Fun fall activities, such as pumpkin decorating and carving, can get your family in the spirit of Halloween. Though pumpkin carving is a great pastime, it’s best to leave the actual carving to the adults. Kids can draw the jack-o’-lantern’s face with a marker for a trusted adult to cut out, or place non-carved decorations like paint or stickers.
Once your jack-o’lantern is carved, use an LED candle to keep your pumpkin lit, rather than a live flame. LED candles not only eliminate the risk of fire, but they last longer. HOME MOST makes a two-pack of orange Halloween pumpkin lights that come with a remote and timer, so you can control exactly when your gourd is glowing.
Finally, The Humane Society recommends bringing pets indoors before night falls. All pets should be secured inside so they don't run away or get scared by adults or children in costumes. If you’re out trick-or-treating, you can still see, hear and speak to your pets back at home using Ring Stick Up Cam Battery.
The versatile Stick Up Cam Battery can be used indoors or outdoors, and its wire-free design allows you to put it wherever you need and easily move it when needed. With Stick Up Cam Battery, it’s easy to stay connected to home — so even when you’re away, you can still see what’s happening at any time.
An Award-Winning, Customizable Home Security System
For Halloween and beyond, Ring Alarm Home Security System offers all of the pieces you’ll need for peace of mind in your home. It’s available in four standard size kits (5-Piece Kit, 8-Piece Kit, 10-Piece Kit and 14-Piece Kit), so you’re able to pick the one that best suits your home’s size.
Each kit includes:
- Base Station — The hub of your wireless home security network that keeps Ring Alarm online and connected to other devices. It includes a siren, Alarm Cellular Backup³ and backup battery power for up to 24 hours.
- Keypad — Allows you to easily arm and disarm your alarm while indoors. You can mount it to the wall or use it as a portable keypad.
- Motion Detector — Detects motion inside your home. You can place a Motion Detector in any room or hallway to get alerts whenever motion is detected indoors.
- Contact Sensor — Secures each door and window in your home, and sends you alerts as soon as they open.
- Range Extender — Extends the signal from your Ring Alarm Base Station to other Ring Alarm components.
After you’ve chosen the Ring Alarm that best suits your new home, you also have the option to customize it with features that protect your home your way. On top of adding more Contact Sensors and Motion Detectors to cover extra rooms and entry points, you can add other security devices such as Flood & Freeze Sensors, Smoke & CO Listeners and Panic Buttons.
Setup is easy — just plug in your Ring Alarm Base Station, connect all components and then control the system through the Keypad or Ring App. You can sign up for real-time alerts when someone presses your doorbell, as well as Motion Alerts when the Ring system detects movement.⁴ Whether you’re at home or away on Halloween night, Ring can help protect your property by keeping you in the know.
Want to help keep your home safe this Halloween and beyond? Shop the Ring Alarm Security System now and start building the ring of security around your home.
¹Free trial not applicable for locations with an existing Ring Protect Plus or Protect Pro subscription. Your free trial begins as soon as you activate your Ring product. See Ring Protect Subscription Plans for more information.
²To keep videos beyond your trial, subscribe to Ring Protect, which allows videos to be stored in the cloud temporarily, up to 180 days. Changing your video storage time will only affect videos that are recorded after you adjust your storage time setting.
³Ring Protect subscription required, sold separately. Cellular data is provided by a third party carrier. Coverage, uptime, technology, and speeds will vary.
⁴You can receive notifications when you’re logged into your Ring account as part of your Ring Protect subscription. Without a subscription, you will not receive them.