The Teal Pumpkin Project Makes Halloween Safe For Children With Food Allergies #TealPumpkinProject

Four out of 100 children have some sort of food allergy. Halloween can be a fun holiday for kids, but when you are a kid dealing with food allergies, things like nut-filled candy can be the bogeyman that can ruin the fun. This Halloween, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is encouraging communities to start a new tradition that will help make this holiday season less scary for children with food allergies: the Teal Pumpkin Project. 

This campaign encourages people to raise awareness of food allergies by providing non-food treats for trick-or-treaters and painting a pumpkin teal - the color of food allergy awareness - to place in front of their house along with a free printable sign from FARE to indicate they have non-food treats available. 

The Teal Pumpkin Project is designed to promote safety, inclusion and respect of individuals managing food allergies – and to keep Halloween a fun, positive experience for all.

Ideas for Non-food Treats  

Available at dollar stores, party supply stores, or online shops, these low-cost items can be purchased and handed out to all trick-or-treaters, or made available in a separate bowl from candy if you choose to hand out both options. Nearly all of these items can be found in a Halloween theme or festive colors.

Glow sticks, bracelets, or necklaces Pencils, pens, crayons or markers Bubbles Halloween erasers or pencil toppers Mini Slinkies Whistles, kazoos, or noisemakers Bouncy balls Finger puppets or novelty toys

Coins Spider rings Vampire fangs Mini notepads Playing cards Bookmarks Stickers Stencils

Spread the Word

Help raise awareness of food allergies and this initiative during the Halloween season by sharing on social media using hashtag #TealPumpkinProject. Click the images to enlarge.