Hocus Focus: The Magic of Staying Alert

Halloween is a time of magic, mystery, and excitement, especially for little trick-or-treaters. It’s the season of costumes, candy, and unforgettable adventures. We know there are enchanting activities all around, that means we need to remember that safety is the best spell to cast to keep Halloween fun for everyone. 

Shine Bright Like a Jack-o’-Lantern 

Lumos! 

Adding reflectors, flashlights and glowsticks to your child’s costume is like a magical safety glowing shield.  

Lights in the dark are more than decorations! Did you see some spooky characters out trick or treating? Give a wave with your phone-light or flashlight to say hello!

Reflectors, reflecting stickers, or glowsticks can be incorporated into a costume – upping the visibility and cool factor! Is your kid dressing up as a fairy this year? Add some LED lights to their fairy wings. Do you have a mini IronMan with you this Halloween? Consider making a light up Arc Reactor for their costume from a glow stick. If your child is dressing up as a leopard, maybe they could have reflective spots! 

Give kids a costume that glows to make them safety pros! 

Don’t Let Danger Haunt You – Cross at Crosswalks 

Just as you taught your child to use designated bus stops, it is essential to share the importance of using crosswalks when trick-or-treating. Crossing the street might seem like a routine task, but during Halloween, when excitement fills the air and kids explore new neighbourhoods, it becomes crucial.  

If you see an extra spooky house across the street that you need to trick-or-treat at, ensure that you know how to safely cross the street. Encourage your kids to take the extra few steps to reach a crosswalk and look both ways before crossing. It’s a simple spell – but it can save lives. 

Look Out for Other Trick-or-Treaters: Be a Halloween Hero 

Getting a treat haul is great, but the spirit of the community puts the real magic into Halloween. 

Let’s look out for one another, especially the little trick-or-treaters. They’re excited and may get a bit distracted from candy, castles, dinosaurs and haunted houses so they need some extra guidance and assistance.  

Sharing the spirit of community and looking out for each other makes the day special and enchanting. 

Feel free to share treats, tricks, and safety tips with other Halloween heroes! 

Don’t Get Lost in the Spooky Season 

Planning ahead and knowing the neighbourhood or place can prevent them from wandering in unfamiliar areas. Knowing the right stop is the first step to a successful Halloween adventure. 

Reminding your little gal, ghoul or pikachu to watch for their stop or listen in the bus helps them get to where they need to go.  

Who’s the best super safety friend? Bus drivers! They’re here to help!

If you or your kid missed a stop, or can’t figure out the bus route, ask the driver. 

Listen to Your Surroundings: Ears Open, Wands Ready 

Instilling awareness is a magical gift you can give to your child. Get them to Hocus Focus in on the world around, to set them up to be safe and successful.

Encourage kids to pay attention to sounds and sights while trick-or-treating. The power of paying attention helps kids avoid unexpected hazards and ensure a spellbinding night for everyone. 

Halloween is a magical time not just little trick-or-treaters, but for everyone, especially when it’s safe and spooky! Practicing these tips is like mastering a new spell – it may take some practice, but it’s the key to a truly bewitching Halloween adventure. When you Hocus Focus on safety, everyone stays safe and spooky.  

Have a Happy Halloween

Top 3 Tips to Get your Child BusReady

There’s a lot on the go when you’re getting ready to go back to school and your child taking the transit shouldn’t be on the worry list.

So, we made it simple. Check out our top three tips to get your child taking the bus like a pro!

Get Back to Bus Safety Basics

Whether it’s the first time or the 100th, taking the bus is an adventure. Let’s set our little travelers up for success by starting with the basics.

As much as we want to put our child in a full padded suit to make sure they’re safe, we think it’s better to empower them with skills that will make solo trips a breeze.

We recommend checking out our step-by-step BusReady video series to help start your bus adventure.

BusReady videos cover everything from trip planning to finding the right seat. There are bonus tips on safety and courtesy. Children will get the basics in less than 5 minutes!

Prepare for Obstacles

We think Scar from Lion King said it best, “Be prepared.”

Make a plan and discuss with your child what they can do when things don’t go as planned and where they can ask for help.

Does your child know important phone numbers and contact information for you or trusted family members or friends?

We have a free printable emergency card that you can fill out with important information and contacts that can be tucked into their backpack.

What happens if they miss their stop? If they feel lost? If they feel unsafe?

Let them know that the bus driver is there to help and is happy to assist them. Remind them that they’re drivers for a reason – they enjoy helping people and getting them to where they want to go safely.

You can also go over our BusReady checklist to make sure you’ve covered everything.

Bonus tip

Paying attention and being kind go a long way, and the same is true when riding the bus.

Let your child know that they should be paying attention to their surroundings: look at landmarks, listen to stop announcements, and see if other people need to use a courtesy seat. Everyone shares transit and wants to have a good trip – being kind, courteous and respectful makes it fun for everyone!

Practice like No One is Watching

Wait, or is that advice for dancing?

We recommend that you and the whole family practice taking the bus.

Take the bus to the park, playground, recreation center or for a weekend outing. If you make it a fun and relaxed adventure, there is time to look at all the bus features and accessibility, chat with the driver and show your child that taking the bus is fun and easy.

And with some practice, your child will know what to do to get off at bus stops, transfers, getting a seat and exiting the bus.

We’re here to help you build their confidence and independent skills.
Together, we can all be BusReady!

Stay Safe AND Spooky This Halloween!

Halloween is a fun and exciting night for kids in BC! Treats, tricks, costumes, candy and spooky things await you while trick-or-treating with friends and family. You can make it an even greater night by having fun AND staying safe this Halloween.

Here are some safety tips for staying safe on Halloween night:

1. The bus is a safe place to go if you get lost or separated from your trick-or-treating group. Talk to the bus driver and tell them you are lost. They will be happy to help you!

2. If you are a younger goblin, ghost or ghoul, bring an adult with you while you trick-or-treat.

3. Costumes with full-face masks or hoods that cover your eyes can make it hard to see. Be smart and choose eye-safe facepaint instead!

4. Please NEVER dart across the street in the dark, even if all your friends are doing it! Always stop at the curb, look both ways, and listen for cars or trucks coming before you cross the street.

5. Always cross at crosswalks and intersections using the crosswalk light.

6. It is important to be seen, so carry a flashlight or glow sticks with you. Even better, use LED lights or stick reflective stickers on to your costume!

We hope you have a spoooooooooky and most importantly, SAFE Halloween!

Be Safe in the Dark

Fall is here, which means cooler, rainier weather and less sunlight before and after school. It’s also a time of year when it gets harder for drivers to see you walking along roads and sidewalks. To stay safe, it’s important to do everything you can to be seen in the dark.

Here are some easy ways to make yourself safer and easier to see for drivers when it’s dark outside:

1. Wear colourful, light or bright clothing.

2. Add reflective strips to jackets, boots, hats and gloves.

3. Clip on reflectors to any backpack or bag you carry.

4. Decorate your clothing, bags and umbrellas with reflective stickers.

5. Use an LED leash or collar for walking your dog during the early morning or evening.

6. Carry a flashlight or glow stick with you.

Have fun and be safe!