25 Allergy-Friendly and Tooth-Friendly Teal Pumpkin Treats for Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner and you may be wondering what non-food, tooth-friendly treats you can give to trick-or-treaters. I have lots of fun ideas for you that are not only tooth-friendly but inclusive for children with food allergies, who may be participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.
You might be surprised to find that these goodies are more exciting than candy for your little one… and the fun lasts longer too.
But, before we dive into this list of goodies, let’s talk a bit about food allergies and the Teal Pumpkin Project.
Prevalence of food allergies
Food allergies are not only life-altering for families but can be life-threatening for children.
In the United States alone, 1 in 13 children has a food allergy. That comes out to approximately 2 kids per classroom who could have a mild-severe reaction to certain foods.
It’s important to understand that a lot of Halloween candies contain common food allergens like milk, nuts, eggs, soy, or wheat. And on top of that, miniature candies that are passed out don’t usually have a food label on them making it even more difficult for parents to determine what treats are safe for their child or not.
So, a lot of the time, these children will be excluded from the trick-or-treating fun. Some of these children may even be too young to really comprehend why they can’t join in with their older siblings or friends.
What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?
Halloween can be a tricky time for families managing food allergies. Many traditional Halloween treats aren’t safe for children with life-threatening food allergies. The Teal Pumpkin Project promotes safety, inclusion and respect of individuals managing food allergies. This worldwide movement offers an alternative for kids with food allergies, as well as other children for whom candy is not an option. It keeps Halloween a fun, positive experience for all!
FARE
To participate and help families with food allergies know that you are a safe and inclusive home, you place a teal pumpkin on your front porch. This can be a painted pumpkin or even a teal plastic pumpkin from the store.
If you don’t have time to make or get either of those you can also print off a Teal Pumpkin Project sign to be displayed on your front door, porch, or yard.
Who does the Teal Pumpkin Project help?
The Teal Pumpkin Project helps all children feel included in the Halloween festivities. Here are just a few examples of children who will benefit:
- Food allergies
- Food intolerances
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
- Celiac disease
- Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- Diabetes
- Children with feeding tubes
- Any child on a special diet
And of course, on top of that, you are giving all parents the option to have a fun, sugar-free experience.
Can I still offer candy?
Yes!
The goal here isn’t to eliminate or exclude candy from the Halloween festivities, but rather to be more inclusive to children who aren’t able to enjoy these treats. Whether that be for a life-threatening food allergy, intolerance, or a medical condition that would exclude them from being able to eat candy.
Non-food goodies to avoid
Be careful not to grab non-food goodies that also have allergens, like latex or clays that contain wheat.
25 Non-Food Trick-or-Treat Goodies
- Bubbles
- Stickers
- Halloween pencils and toppers
- Mini floss
- Halloween rings
- Mini coloring book
- Mini crayons
- Bookmarks
- Yo-yos
- mini slinky
- Bouncy ball
- Bracelets
- necklaces
- Finger puppets
- Glow sticks
- Small toys
- Stress balls
- Pop-its
- Vampire fangs
- Silly glasses
- Temporary tattoos
- Mini notebooks
- Stencils
- Crazy straws
- Halloween stamps
Happy Halloween! Enjoy making lots of memories and thank you for helping others make memories too by being inclusive and aware.
