Halloween is right around the corner and decorations are starting to festoon sidewalks and neighborhoods. But while there's the typical orange and black witches and cats, there's also some teal pumpkins sitting outside homes.
The Teal Pumpkin Project was started in 2012 by mom Becky Basalone and aims to to make the trick-or-treating experience easier for kids with food allergies. Teal is the color used for food allergy awareness.
"The Teal Pumpkin Project is a movement to raise awareness of food allergies and to create a safer, more inclusive Halloween for all trick or treaters on Halloween," the Food Allergy Research & Education website states. "By putting a teal pumpkin on your doorstep, you let kids know that your house is food allergy-friendly."
So how does it work? Simply put a teal pumpkin outside your door if you are going to be handing out treats for trick-or-treaters. The teal pumpkin indicates that you have non-food treats available for kids, such as glow sticks or small toys. According to FARE, "this simple act promotes inclusion for trick-or-treaters with food allergies or other conditions."
One thing to keep in mind though: when selecting non-food treats for kids with allergies, consider that there are still some inedible objects that can still cause children to have an allergic reaction. For example, toys with latex or moldable clay that contains wheat may cause an allergic reaction.
If you want to add your home to a map of allergy-friendly houses kids can visit, you can submit your address to FARE's 2019 Teal Pumpkin Project Map. The map can also help parents find neighborhoods they can take their children trick-or-treating in if they have kids with food allergies.
