Have you noticed any teal pumpkins in your neighborhood this fall? They are not simply an unorthodox decoration or a step away from traditional orange, white and green squash.
They are serving a much higher purpose for children with food allergies.
You see, Halloween, and trick-or-treating in particular, can be a very difficult season to navigate for children with food allergies and parents of children with food allergies.
But, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), a nonprofit dedicated to education and advocacy of food allergy, launched the Teal Pumpkin Project in 2014 with the intent to make Halloween a fun night for all children.
If you’re interested in participating, here are a few ways you can get involved, from FARE:
- Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.
- Place a teal pumpkin – the color of food allergy awareness – in front of your home to indicate to passersby that you have non-food treats available.
- Display a free printable sign to explain the meaning of your teal pumpkin.
In case you were worried, handing out stickers, small toys, pencils, bubbles and other treats is not meant to take away from the “tradition” of handing out candy. Families are welcome to hand out both, as long as they are kept in separate containers. FARE’s goal is simply to make Halloween more inclusive of children with food allergies.
So, if you’re ready to get involved, paint a pumpkin, or, if you don’t have the time or craft skills to paint your own, head to a local retailer, like Michael’s, or order one online.
Check out the video below to learn more, and share with your friends!
