The Teal Pumpkin Project®

Although it may be hard to believe, Halloween is just around the corner! For decades, this spooktacular holiday has been known for its fun costumes, delicious treats, and festive décor. However, in recent years, families of children with food allergies have started a very important initiative: the Teal Pumpkin Project®. Keep reading to learn what it is and how you can participate this year!

What Is the Teal Pumpkin Project?

When you think of pumpkins during this season, images of bright orange jack-o-lanterns probably come to mind. So, it’s not surprising that a bright teal pumpkin would stand out in the sea of houses. In short, this bright color signifies that it is safe for children with food allergies to trick-or-treat there! Instead of treats jam-packed with common allergens, like nuts, children will find slime, puzzles, magnets, and other non-food treats.

How You Can Participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project®

If you’re inspired to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project® this year, there are a few easy ways you can get involved:

Decorate Your House with Teal Accents

If you are staying home to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters, you can still be a part of this important project. To start, decorate your porch with fake cobwebs, spiders, and other Halloween-y additions. Next, add in a few teal pumpkins in your doorway or along your walkway. You can also change your front porch light to a teal lightbulb, so kids can see from far away that you’re passing out allergy-friendly treats.

Stock Up on Some Non-Food Treats

Passing out non-food treats doesn’t just benefit children with allergies. After all, goodies that are packed with sugar are one of the biggest culprits of cavities. Therefore, it’s not too surprising that dentists see cases of tooth decay skyrocket following Halloween! So, try stocking up on some festive alternatives this year, like glow braces, spooky magnets, lime green slime, and fun playing cards – your child’s oral health will thank you for it!

Add Your Home to the Teal Pumpkin Project® Map

Children deserve to have an exciting Halloween night that results in an overflowing bag of goodies. However, that can be difficult when the majority of houses in their neighborhood don’t have allergy-friendly treats. That’s why the Teal Pumpkin Project® map is so important! By adding your house to the route, parents can easily find ones that are safe for their child to trick-or-treat at.

Post about the Teal Pumpkin Project®

Although the Teal Pumpkin Project® has been around for years now, many families are unaware of what the brightly-colored pumpkin stands for. As a result, you can help spread awareness by posting that you are participating on your social media channel or putting a sign up on your front door. Measures like these will help get the conversation started, helping even more children with food allergies truly enjoy this fang-tastic holiday.

Halloween is a night where children can dress up as their favorite character, trick-or-treat around the neighborhood, and come home with a bag full of treasures. Unfortunately, in years past, this holiday was exclusive to children that could eat any candy without worry of having a severe allergic reaction. Luckily, the Teal Pumpkin Project® has brought awareness to the fact that one in 13 children has allergies. So, you can see why their mission of helping every child fully enjoy trick-or-treating is so important! Be a part of the movement this year by placing a teal pumpkin on your front porch.