Safety Tips - Mardi Gras

Follow these tips for a safe and fun Mardi Gras for you and your family:

• Teach your children their name and phone number.
• Mark your children's clothes on the inside with name, address, and phone number.
• Go to the same area to view parades if possible and teach your child a landmark to meet if separated.
• Teach your children to stay calm if lost, and go to a uniformed police officer.
• Teach your child not to be afraid of police officers and if possible take them up to 1 prior to the parade.
• If no police officer is in your area teach your child to go to another parent with children for help.
• Make sure your child knows if a stranger tries to talk to them, to say "You're not my parent," and get away.
• Never allow children in the street, try to find an area with barricades and stand behind them.
• Never follow behind floats, bands, etc.
• Never throw anything at the riders.
• Put small children in a ladder off the street as far back as the ladder is tall, and have an adult stay with the ladder at all times.

Candy Safety Tips

• Never run after throws.
• Don't let your child eat the candy that is thrown before checking it.
• Do not put your hands on the ground.
• Do not fight over throws.