Have you seen the teal pumpkins at major retailers and craft stores this year? What this colorful pumpkin represents is a movement that's spreading across the country and worth getting in on: The Teal Pumpkin Project®!
1 in 13 children in the United States now has a food allergy; that equals roughly two children per class. My daughter happens to be the 1 in the 13. She is allergic to dairy, eggs, and peanuts, which makes navigating Halloween a bit tricky. Does she still want to trick-or-treat? Absolutely! However, whereas we parents get excited about the “good candies” such as Snickers, Reeses, and Milky Ways, these are exactly the ones she has to turn down and avoid in the bowl. Lucky for us, our friends and family always have safe, allergy-friendly treats to switch hers out for, but it sure would be awesome for food allergy kids if there were treats for them at some houses and in some trunks, for an all-inclusive Halloween. This is where The Teal Pumpkin Project comes into play, and you can help!
Born out of one mom’s desire to help ensure that children with food allergies would not feel left out on Halloween, the Teal Pumpkin Project, now in its fifth year as a national awareness campaign led by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). The goal is not at all to eradicate candy altogether, but rather to have non-food treats available in a separate bowl for trick-or-treaters to choose from. A pumpkin painted teal, the color for food allergy awareness, signals that you are participating. It requires just three simple steps:
- Paint a pumpkin teal or buy a teal pumpkin at your local craft store or pharmacy, or print a free sign from FARE’s website.
- Place your teal pumpkin or sign in front of your home to indicate non-food treats are available.
- Provide non-food, allergy-free treats for trick-or-treaters. Some ideas include:
- glow sticks
- bracelets or necklaces
- tattoos
- bubbles
- stickers
- pencils or erasers
- spider rings
- Vampire fangs
- bouncy balls
- mini-notepads
- bookmarks
- allergy-free candy like Skittles, Dum-Dums and Starburst
- Click here for 110 non-candy ideas!
It really is that simple! By setting out your teal pumpkins and offering non-food, allergy-free treats, you are ensuring that every child has a safe and happy Halloween! From my daughter, myself, and all the other families affected by life-threatening food allergies, we appreciate your efforts deeply. Here is looking forward to a flood of teal pumpkins come the end of October!
For more information about the Teal Pumpkin Project, visit tealpumpkinproject.org. For more information about food allergies, visit foodallergy.org.
