The Teal Pumpkin Project aims to make trick-or-treating safer for children with food allergies. According to FARE, every 3 minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room. Halloween is a holiday all about candy and treats. What could be better than this?
For those with allergies, Halloween events can be scary for another reason. “One of the best ways to manage food allergies is to reduce exposure to allergens, which means no trick-or-treating and no Halloween candy for some kids,” says Allergy Insider.
However, kids deserve to be kids and parents want them to be able to safely trick-or-treat regardless of health issues. The Teal Pumpkin Project makes this holiday more inclusive for children–both young and old–with food intolerances and other health conditions.
Participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project is simple. On the night of trick-or-treating place a teal pumpkin on your doorstep. The teal pumpkin signifies, that in addition to candy, non-food treats or trinkets are offered at your house.
Traditional Halloween treats like peanut butter cups and snickers bars can cause major problems for children with life-threatening food allergies. Most treats are made in facilities processing wheat, dairy, nuts, soy, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts, and other allergens. This poses a real threat for those who are sensitive. As a way to combat, the Teal Pumpkin Project offers an alternative for children who cannot eat that type of candy.
Learn more about celebrating the holidays by watching the video below.
Displaying Teal Pumpkins
Maybe you’re thinking that you want to get involved, but you are unsure how to display a teal pumpkin. Here are some ideas:
- Purchase pumpkins here and paint them teal
- Print off free signs that corlate to what your house will be giving away
- Click here for free printable signs
Project Map
Let your neighbors know that you have non-food treats available this Halloween. Add your address or street to the interactive map. By doing so, you are showcasing that you are participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project. This step is not required, but it will help others find houses with non-food treats.
- Sign up here, its free.
- Sign up to be a neighborhood captain, click here
- Receive 5 free teal-pumpkin yard signs
Ideas for Non-Food Treats
- Whistles & Noisemakers
- Stickers
- Glow Sticks
- Pencils
- Bouncy Balls
- Spider Rings
- Vampire Fangs
- Slinkies
Tips and Tricks for a Safe Halloween
Per FARE, “The good news is that Halloween can be just as much fun for kids with food allergies. Here are some tips for a safe trick-or-treating experience:”
- Enforce a “no eating while trick-or-treating” rule, so that parents/adults have time to review all food labels.
- Carry epi-pens or other necessary medications while trick-or-treating.
- If handing out both non-food and food items, keep items seperate by using multiple containers.
- Remember that a candy that has been safe for your child in the past may now have different ingredients. Read the labels, every time. Keep in mind that even the mini-, fun-, or bite-sized version of candy may contain different ingredients than their full-sized counterparts.
- Avoid candy and treats that do not have an ingredient label.
Additional Fall Fun
- Pumpkin Picking
- Apple Picking
- Easy Paper Craft: Spooky Bat
- Trick or Treating in Racine County Schedule
- Trick or Treating in Kenosha County Schedule
- Jamestown Lights