The Teal Pumpkin Project was created by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) and seeks to create an inclusive Halloween for everyone regardless of food allergies. The purpose is really quite simple and you can help very easily by offering non-food options at your house on Halloween as a treat. Now you might think that Halloween without candy is just absurd, but why make it either or? Why not have candy and a non-food treat? Examples of non-food treats include: spider rings, Halloween pencils, bubbles, or what I offer at my house: Halloween activity books. I typically answer the door with both a bucket of candy and a bucket of the Halloween activity books and let kids chose (or give one of each). Read more to find out why you should join the Teal Pumpkin Project.
If you want to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project, there are 4 super simple steps to take.
Purchase or make a non-food treat.
1. Add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project Map so families seeking food allergy safe options will know to come to you.
2. Post a teal pumpkin on your door. Hint: you can print a free one here.
3. Enjoy a Halloween filled with fun costumes and treats that allergy kids and non allergy kids alike will love!
Why I participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project
I am allergic to peanuts, pistachios, and cashews so saying that food allergies are top of mind for me would be an understatement. I was not formally diagnosed until I turned 16 so I didn’t experience the feeling that Halloween wasn’t a holiday for me, but I definitely want to make sure that other food allergy kids out there aren’t discouraged from trick or treating since they may not be able to enjoy the treats.
I know there are a lot of negative thoughts and connotations towards people with food allergies so let me start by telling you some basics about my particular situation. My food allergies are considered life threatening. I have been very fortunate because I have not yet had to use my epipen or be hospitalized for a reaction (knocks on wood). That being said, I do carry my epipen at all times because the doctors have told me that there is no telling how serious my next reaction could be. My whole family eats nuts and my mom ate them while she was pregnant with me. People can eat nuts around me. I just ask that they not wipe their hands on me (because I will break out in hives – although please don’t do this to people in general) and I ask that my husband not kiss me after eating nuts. For me, avoiding nuts is a way of life, not a hardship. The smell of nuts does not appeal to me (thank you body for keeping me alive). Other people seem to expect that having an allergy would be awful, but for me it’s just life.
Why you should participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project
Think for a moment though of a child who is born with food allergies. How would you explain to a 3 year old that all of her friends can go trick or treating and eat all the candy they get and she can go, but can’t eat any candy? Without being able to eat the candy or without being able to eat most of the candy, Halloween as a holiday and an experience becomes almost pointless. With the Teal Pumpkin Project, that child can know that there will be at least a few prizes that they will be able to enjoy can allow them to experience the fun of dressing up and going door to door with their family and friends.
Create a Halloween experience that all children can enjoy. There is not much extra planning or money needed to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project. If you can make even just one child’s Halloween more enjoyable, I would say that is a huge win. I will be participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project again this year and I hope you will too.