Teal Pumpkins: Making Halloween More Inclusive For Kids With Food Allergies
Halloween should be a great time for all kids. But kids with food allergies might end up feeling left out. While all of their friends and classmates grab all the candy and treats they can get their hands on, kids with dietary restrictions often can’t enjoy the contents of their trick-or-treat bag at the end of the night on October 31.
But the Teal Pumpkin Project has been working to change that and to make Halloween fun for kids who can’t eat (or don’t want) candy. Putting a teal pumpkin on your doorstep means you have non-food treats available, such as glow sticks or small toys and this promotes inclusion for trick-or-treaters with food allergies or other conditions.
How can you help to make Halloween more fun and inclusive for all children? FARE – Food Allergy Research & Education – suggests putting a teal pumpkin outside of your house (they are available at many supermarkets and stores that stock holiday merchandise), and if you do that, be sure to provide non-food treats for kids. You can then add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project map here.
Finally, you can help spread the word about the Teal Pumpkin Project by changing your social media profile photo, or by sharing memes, provided by FARE here.
