The Teal Pumpkin Project

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There are scarier things on Halloween than just witches and ghosts for parents of kids with food allergies. For them, the most terrifying thing is the life-threatening risk candy can cause which is why the Teal Pumpkin Project came to be.

The Teal Pumpkin Project

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Many of us grew up in a time when food allergies were not something we really thought about. Not that they weren’t out there, but it was on a smaller scale. When friends came over our moms might ask if our friends liked a certain food, but they wouldn’t think to ask if it was safe for them to eat that food.

Things are vastly different today. According to the CDC, and estimated 8% of children in the United States have some type of food allergy. That’s the same as 1 in 13 kids which means a classroom would likely have 2 kids with food allergies. So, if your child is lucky enough not to have a food allergy chances are they have a friend that does.

If you don’t have food allergies in your home then the dangers Halloween candy can bring probably don’t cross your mind. It certainly didn’t cross my mind before the diagnosis of my son Nick’s food allergy. He luckily outgrew his allergy, but for years I not only looked over his candy for basic safety reasons but to get rid of any candy that could cause him an allergic reaction. Which is why the Teal Pumpkin Project became so important to our family.

The first time I heard about the Teal Pumpkin Project was on our local news report. During the report, one of the anchors talked about how her kids couldn’t go trick-or-treating because one of them had a severe peanut allergy. Not only was it unsafe for that child to eat peanut candy, but it wasn’t even safe for peanut candy to enter their house, so none of them went trick-or-treating.

After hearing that story, and with my own food allergy experiences, I vowed that our house would always have allergy-safe treats.

When did the Teal Pumpkin Project Start

The project was started in 2012 by Becky Basalone. Becky was a mother in East Tennessee who had a son with severe food allergies. She had the idea of painting pumpkins teal and handing out non-food treats.

Two years later the charitable organization FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) helped to expand on what Becky had started and to spread her idea far and wide. The project is now in all 50 states, Canada, and other countries worldwide.

What is the Teal Pumpkin Project

The purpose of the Teal Pumpkin Project is quite simple. It’s meant to help raise food allergy awareness and to encourage people to offer non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.

How to Participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project

Taking part in the project is quite simple.

First, you need to purchase non-food treats. You can either make them into fun treat bags or you can mix them up into a bowl the same as you would with candy.

Next, you need to put up something to indicate that your house is participating. You can paint a pumpkin teal or purchase some type of flag or sign to put in your yard.

If you don’t want to purchase anything you can print off one of FARE’s free printable signs. I’ve been posting the same sign in my window for years! I’ve had it so long it’s not one of the printable options anymore. Once Halloween is over I take down the sign and store it in a safe spot where it won’t get wrinkled or torn so I can keep using it year after year.

The last step is to add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project Map. This step isn’t required, but it helps food allergy families plan where they can safely take their kids trick-or-treating.

Teal Pumpkin Project Signs

Here are some signs, and flags, on Amazon and Etsy that you can use to how you’re participating.

Halloween Garden Flag –Big Dot of Happiness Teal Pumpkin – Halloween Yard Signs – Outdoor Lawn Sign – Allergy Friendly Trick or Treat Sign – Halloween Yard Signs- Halloween Cutouts – Halloween Decorations – 1 PieceBig Dot of Happiness Teal Pumpkin – Hanging Porch Halloween Allergy Friendly Trick or Trinket Outdoor Decorations – Front Door Decor – 1 Piece SignTeal Pumpkin Project Yard Flags, Non-food Treats Available Here Signs Allergy-friendly Halloween Trinkets and Treats Garden Flags, Set of 2Big Dot of Happiness Teal Pumpkin – Lawn Decorations – Outdoor Halloween Allergy Friendly Trick or Trinket Yard Decorations – 10 PieceVictoryStore Teal Pumpkin Allergy Friendly Halloween Yard Sign 12 inches x 24 inches Two Sided Set of 2 Weatherproof Yard Sign with Stakes

 

Going teal this Halloween doesn’t mean that you have to stop giving out candy. It simply means that you’re adding non-food treats to hand out. It’s a simple gesture that means the world to kids living with food allergies.