Half the fun of Halloween for kids is heading out into the darkness to see glowing pumpkins, and feeling like you are out waaay past bedtime. For mom and dad though, that darkness is the scariest part. We worry that our children will not be visible to traffic as they walk around the neighborhood. That’s when the hunt begins for ways to light up the kids and their costumes.

We’ve come a long way since the days when our moms stuck reflective tape to the hem of our princess costumes for safety and visibility. This Halloween, parents have a variety of options for keeping kids visible to cars as they step out to trick-or-treat; some even come in a variety of colors and can add to the costume theme.

Here are a few products from Boulder-based Nite Ize that will keep your trick-or-treaters from blending into the night. These all utilize replaceable batteries, so they can continue to be used year-round for walking the dog, walking to an early school bus, camping or other low-light activities.

Slap on Light

Remember slap bracelets? The SlapLit LED Slap Wrap light works the same way; just slap it around wrists, ankles and arms to improve kids” visibility as they go from door-to-door. The battery-powered glowing bracelet comes in red, neon yellow and neon pink and runs for 100 hours of hands-free added light. $11.99

Light on Your Feet

Kids can add the easy-to-attach ShoeLit LED light to shoe laces for added safety. The water-resistant light twists on and off for up to 24 hours of light and comes in blue, red, pink and green so it will match everything from a Hulk to a princess costume. $4.49

Spotlight on Your Zipper

When a coat becomes part of the Halloween costume — as it often does here in Colorado — easily clip one of these SpotLit LED carabiners to the kids” coat zipper. This weather-resistant, lightweight light clicks on with a simple push button and comes with a red, white, blue or green light, or try the Disc-O version for a light that cycles through all the colors – perfect for an alien costume. $7.19

Keeping Fido Safe

If the dog is walking along with the family to trick-or-treat, slip the NiteHowl LED Safety Necklace around his neck to keep him visible from all angles. The flexible polymer tube can be trimmed to a comfortable size for any dog, and with the press of a button, the entire collar lights up a full 360 degrees. $12.19

Head Light

To help light the way, older kids can wear the multi-mode, adjustable-angle Inova STS Headlamp. A simple swipe on the top of the lamp will take the light from high to medium mode or to flash mode, making it easy to reduce the light when you ring the doorbell – you don’t want to blind the neighbors! Uses 3 AAA batteries. $34.99

Have a safe and happy Halloween!