NATCHEZ &8212; Boys and ghouls in the Miss-Lou are already excited and preparing for Halloween, Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Children&8217;s costumes range from witches and mummies to celebrity singers and movie characters.

Fourth-grader Beonca Thompson, 11, from Ferriday Upper Elementary said she is trick-or-treating as pop superstar Ciara.

&8220;I think she is perfect because she sings and she used to date Lil&8217; Bow Wow,&8221; Thompson said.

Trevante Hall, 11, said he is looking forward to all the Hershey&8217;s candy and can&8217;t wait to dress up as the mummy from the movie &8220;Under Wraps&8221;

Kindergartener Nicholas Davis, 5, from Ferriday Lower Elementary wants to go as Batman so he can wear the cape, utility belt and, of course, the mask.

Second-grader Madison Johnston, 7, from Vidalia Lower Elementary has already ordered her Dorothy from the &8220;Wizard of Oz&8221; costume online and Nicholas Johnston has his mind made up to go as Peter from &8220;Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe&8221; movie.

&8220;Two reasons, the sword and the shield,&8221; Johnston said.

Spooks and treats are what Halloween is all about, but there are some rules for the boys and ghouls to follow to stay safe, law enforcement officials said.

Children should have adults with them when they go trick-or-treating, and there shouldn&8217;t be too many more children than adults, Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins said.

&8220;Adults should carry flashlights and it&8217;s a good idea for kids to have small flashlights too,&8221; Mullins said.

Adams County Sheriff Ronny Brown said trick-or-treaters should not go to houses where the lights were out.

&8220;People either aren&8217;t home or they don&8217;t want them there,&8221; Brown said.

Concordia Parish Sheriff Randy Maxwell further stressed that children should trick-or-treat in their own neighborhood and, ideally, at homes where they know the occupants.

&8220;Even better, try to attend church or neighborhood parties where the children will not be going door-to-door to gather treats,&8221; Maxwell said.

When planning children&8217;s Halloween costumes, Maxwell reminds parents to remember that face paint is preferable to masks because they will not obstruct vision.

If masks are used, they should have adequate holes for proper respiration and vision.

All trick-or-treaters should wear some sort of reflective clothing if they will be out after dark, Maxwell said.

Ferriday Police Chief Richard Madison said parents should escort children ages 10 and under.

&8220;Children should also wear fire retardant and reflective costumes while trick-or-treating,&8221; Madison said.

For emergencies during Halloween, call the local law enforcement agencies.

Natchez Police Department: 601-445-7511, Adams County Sheriff&8217;s Office: 601-442-2752, Vidalia Police Department: 318-336-5254, Concordia Parish Sheriff&8217;s Office: 318-336-5231 and the Ferriday Police Department: 318-757-3606.