Halloween hints

Costume safety

NEW YORK -- Most children have been thinking about their Halloween costumes for a very long time, debating the merits of princesses and pirates versus witches and vampires.

As Halloween approaches, though, it's time for parents and caregivers to consider costumes, and, specifically, costume safety.

The October issue of Parents magazine offers tips to protect trick-or-treaters:

Choose a light-colored costume or put reflective tape on a dark one. To prevent trips and falls, make sure the costume isn't too long for your child.

The costume (including wigs and props) should be labeled "fire-resistant" or "fire-retardant."

Avoid masks, since they can block a child's vision.

Use only face paint that's labeled "nontoxic," "made with U.S.-approved color additives" or "laboratory tested."

If it's chilly, dress your children in warm clothes underneath their costumes.

Last-minute get-ups

NEW YORK -- Even with the best-laid plans, Halloween costume changes are not unheard of.

Young children, in particular, like to exercise their right to change their minds at the last minute, and older kids who at first claim to be too old for trick-or-treating sometimes jump on the hay wagon as they see younger siblings filling their plastic pumpkins with sweets.

The October issue of FamilyFun magazine offers some outfits that can be made with things many families might already have in the house -- or that can be picked up on Oct. 30 at a craft store:

Crocodile wrestler

Permanent marker

36-by-18-inch piece of upholstery foam, 1 inch thick

Scissors or craft knife

Acrylic paints and paintbrushes

Pingpong ball

Tacky glue

Khaki shorts or pants, and khaki shirt

Hiking boots

Safari-style hat

Toy binoculars

Mark an elongated U-shaped crocodile shape, including its head and teeth, and a pair of matching legs on the upholstery foam. The body should be about 36 inches long, with each side of the U about 6 inches wide and a 5-inch curve in the middle.

Using scissors or a craft knife, cut out the shapes just inside the lines (adults only). Cut two 1-by-1 1/2-inch leg holes on the top part of the body and a 1-inch eye socket.

Paint the crocodile's teeth white, then paint the rest of the body and both sets of legs green, highlight the ridged back and belly with contrasting colors. Paint a black eye pupil on the pingpong ball. Allow the painted parts to thoroughly dry.

Fit the crocodile's legs through the legholes and tuck the eyeball in place, securing all the pieces with tacky glue.

Children can dress in their khaki outfit, boots and hat than then drape the binoculars and the wrestled crocodile around their necks.

Little miss mouse

Sheet of pink felt, 12 by 9 inches

Scissors

Double-sided foam tape

Gray hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants

Fabric glue

2 pink felt circles, 5 inches in diameter

2 white or gray felt circles, 9 inches in diameter

Duct tape

Thick cotton cording

Face paint (optional)

Trim the pink felt into a large oval and stick it to the front of the sweatshirt with double-sided foam tape.

For ears, glue the pink felt circles to the centers of the white or gray felt circles. When dry, cut a pie-slice wedge from each ensemble. Then overlap and glue together the cut edges to crate a conical ear. Attach the ears to the sweatshirt hoot with double-sided foam tape.

For a tail, duct-tape a length of thick cotton cording to the back of the sweatpants and pull the hem of the sweatshirt over the taped portion.

Use face paint to add a mouse nose and whiskers.

Other last-minute ideas are "Nurse Nightingale," done with a white skirt, top, tights, shoes and a white-paper hat, and "Mr. Floodwater," made using a man's button-down shirt and baggy pants cuffed above the ankle, a vinyl pocket protector and toilet paper taped to the bottom of oversized shoes (which can be stuffed with newspaper if they are too roomy).

On the Net: http://familyfun.go.com/

Storage ideas for Halloween treats

NEW YORK -- Busted bags and split plastic pumpkins are some of the risks children run when they fill their treat containers to the rim. The October issue of Parenting magazine offers the idea of a sturdy and festive "black-cat candy keeper" that doubles as a fun activity.

Paint a popcorn or paint bucket black. (Paper paint buckets are available at most hardware stores; plastic and metal would do but metal ones might be too heavy for young children and plastic ones don't absorb paint as well as paper.) Let it dry.

Cut four triangles out of orange paper and glue them to bucket in pairs -- with points facing down and a straight line at the top -- for eyes. Glue on google eyes. Cut three pieces of stiff white-covered wire for whiskers, bend them, and glue to bucket. Cut mouth out of orange paper and glue it on. Glue black pompom to middle of wires for nose, and glue two black paper triangles to top of bucket for ears.

Twist black and orange pipe cleaners to make a handle; poke two holes in each side of the bucket, near the top. Insert the ends of handle and twist to secure.

-- From wire reports