From costumes to sweet treats, Halloween offers plenty for kids to get excited about. Parents and guardians, on the other hand, may feel some anxiety about the holiday, especially if they have teens or tweens who trick-or-treat or attend Halloween parties. It’s a night where staying connected with kids takes on increased importance. Fortunately, today’s parents can breathe a little easier thanks to the prevalence of smartphones and top-rated apps that can make Halloween safer and more fun.

According to a recent U.S. Cellular survey, nearly half (47 percent) of parents have a child with a cellphone, and the average age children receive their first cellphone is 12[1]. This increase in mobile device usage provides parents with new tools to help keep kids safe, according to Nathan Waddell, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in the Mid-South.

“Today, more kids than ever have mobile devices, meaning that it’s easier for families to stay connected,” said Nathan Waddell, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in the Mid-South, “With the right tools and apps, and a nationwide network that works when and where you need it, families can make this Halloween both safe and fun.”

U.S. Cellular recommends the following tips, tools and apps to help keep kids safe this Halloween.

The Basics: Most modern smartphones come with several tools useful for Halloween safety. For example, you can:

Set up alarms on your child’s phone for periodic reminders to check in

Program your phone numbers into their phone as ICE (In Case of Emergency)

Take advantage of the flashlight function for night visibility

Recommended apps: Parents can also take advantage of these top-rated, free or low cost apps for Halloween safety:

Family Locator: Keep tabs on trick-or-treating family members with the Family Locator app. This free app allows parents to see kids’ locations in real time and get notifications when they reach their destination.

Red Panic Button: In case of emergency, parents can ensure they’re reachable at a moment’s notice with the Red Panic Button app. A press of the button sends an SMS and email that contains a link to Google Maps and their GPS coordinates to everyone in the panic contact list.

FBI Child ID: This free app provides invaluable tools in case a child goes missing. Convenient electronic storage of photos and vital information about your child enables parents to show pictures and provide physical identifiers to first responders, as well as easily email the information to authorities.

Ghost Radar: Have a little fun this Halloween with the Ghost Radar app! This free app takes Halloween safety to a paranormal level by alerting users to any possible paranormal activity in the area. Ghost Radar takes various readings on the device, and includes a voice to announce when interesting words have been detected.

Results are from a nationally-representative online survey of 738 smartphone owners conducted by U.S. Cellular in partnership with Maritz Research from November 12-20, 2014.

Additional data charges may apply. 4G LTE service provided through King Street Wireless, a partner of U.S. Cellular. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.