This is my first year placing a teal pumpkin outside my front door for Halloween. I’ve seen it done for a while, but never looked into it. Until this year. After I had my daughter.
We are very grateful that neither of my stepsons have shown signs of any food allergies. However, since having my daughter, I have become very aware of just how serious and prevalent they are. 1 in 13 children have food allergies. That’s roughly two in every classroom.
I was terrified to let her try common allergen foods like eggs, nuts and strawberries. It was excruciating. Luckily, she hasn’t had any reactions. But all I can think of is the parents of children who ended up reacting to those foods, and the terror they live with daily.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 4 FREE PRINTABLE TEAL PUMPKIN SIGNS TO USE THIS HALLOWEEN!
As parents, we are all part of the same village. We need to support each other however we can. So this is one small way I feel like I can support the parents in my community who have children with food allergies.
You see, children with food allergies don’t get to enjoy Halloween candy the same way other children do. They can’t eat the candy because it may have their allergen as an ingredient and can cause them to go into anaphylaxis. As a parent, I can’t imagine how scary that is.
That’s where FARE comes in. FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), created the Teal Pumpkin Project® in order to support children and families with allergies to offer a safer trick-or-treating experience. Their mission is to raise awareness of food allergies and promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season.
About the Teal Pumpkin Project
Putting a teal pumpkin on your doorstep means you have non-food treats available, such as glow sticks or small toys. This simple act promotes inclusion for trick-or-treaters with food allergies or other conditions.
- Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters
- Place a teal pumpkin in front of your home to indicate to passersby that you have non-food treats available
- Add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project map
- Spread the word! Share the Teal Pumpkin Project with your friends and family
Click here to download 4 free printable signs you can put out with your teal pumpkin and non-food treats to inform others of the the Teal Pumpkin Project® and their mission.
I bought a fake pumpkin so I can use it every year. This is the one I got. Here is another one that you can order and get by Halloween. But you can also take a regular pumpkin and paint it teal.
Below are some examples of items I chose to add to out “non-food” treat bucket. You can also click here for more ideas.
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