Teal Pumpkins

Halloween is just two weeks away, so I have no doubt you’ve been seeing pumpkins in every store, and many doorsteps. You may also have noticed that, in addition to the traditional orange, you can also buy pumpkins in almost every colour of the rainbow.

Some of these colours are just for fun, but did you know that a few of the colours actually have special meanings?

One of these special pumpkin colours is the teal pumpkin.

Food Allergy Awareness

The Teal Pumpkin Project was started by an organization called FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), encouraging people to provide non-food treats for children alongside of their usual candy options. This allows kids with severe food allergies to enjoy the fun of trick-or-treating without the disappointment of not being able to eat what they get.

When you stop to think about it, there can be a lot of Halloween treats off the table for a child with allergies.

• If a child has a nut allergy, it’s not just peanut butter cups they need to avoid. All chocolates are pretty much a no-go, unless they are specially marked as being made in a nut-free facility. For someone who experiences deadly reactions, the chance that a plain chocolate bar was made in the same bowls and packed on the same assembly line as nutty chocolate bars is just not worth the risk.
  
• If a child has celiac disease, or another form of gluten-sensitivity, that eliminates every chocolate with a wafer component: KitKat, Coffee Crisp, and Twix, to name a few. Depending on the severity of the reaction, the same concerns about cross-contamination also apply. Gluten-sensitivity also eliminates cracker packages, granola bars, and packaged baked goods like Bear Paws.
  
• A dairy allergy eliminates pretty much all chocolate. Also many baked treats such as Bear Paws, Swiss Rolls, etc… Even chips can be off the list, if the flavoring on them is made with milk solids.

And that’s just three examples. There are also allergies to certain additives, or food dyes that may limit a trick-or-treater’s choices.

Non-Food Treat Ideas

The Teal Pumpkin Project encourages families to have non-food items on hand to give to children who cannot eat the candy you are offering. Some ideas of non-food treats are:

• Stickers
• Glow Sticks
• Temporary Tattoos
• Bangles or Slap-Bracelets
• Beaded Necklaces
• Mini Notebooks
• Fun Erasers
• Mini Craft Kits from the Dollar Store
• Balloons
• Hotwheels/Matchbox Cars
• Superballs
• Fidget Toys, such as Pop-Its

In Summary

Teal pumpkins were designed to designate homes that have allergy-friendly options for kids.

If you choose, you can display a teal pumpkin on your porch, or print a sign for your door from The Teal Pumpkin Project HERE so trick-or-treaters with allergies know you have non-food items available.

Also, if you see a child carrying a teal bucket this Halloween, it’s possible that they have to be careful about food treats. (It is also possible that they just liked the colour and don’t know what it means.) However, when you see a child with a teal pumpkin, it wouldn’t hurt to ask if they have any allergies, and help them find the safest option out of your treat offerings.

Next week, I’ll talk about blue pumpkins. Have a safe & fun Halloween, everyone!

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