The Teal Pumpkin Project is near and dear to my family’s heart. We have a few kiddos in our family, both immediate and extended, who have food allergies. The Teal Pumpkin Project brings awareness to both food allergies and special dietary needs, and makes trick-or-treating inclusive for all.
As a parent of a food allergic child, it’s devastating to witness my son feel like he’s left out during special celebrations. So when we are out trick-or-treating and we spot a teal pumpkin on the porch, it is so exciting to see. So what exactly is the Teal Pumpkin Project?
Teal is the color that represents food allergies, and F.A.R.E (Food Allergy Research & Education) began the Teal Pumpkin Project as a way to make trick-or-treating safe for the 1 in 13 children living with food allergies or who are impacted by intolerances and other conditions. By placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep, you are signaling to the friendly ghosts and goblins that in addition to candy, you have non-food trinkets and treats that are safe for all trick-or-treaters. You can even register your address on an interactive map so families like mine can find you!
There are so many ways you can participate in Teal Pumpkin Project. If you’re wondering what to put out, just hop on Amazon and do a search for Teal Pumpkin Project treats and you’ll find a million options. This is the one I bought for our upcoming Teal Pumpkin Project themed trunk at our school Trunk-Or-Treat event. The Dollar Store, Target, and Walmart sell lots of trinkets, like Halloween pencils, erasers, glow sticks, stamps, tattoos, spider rings, witches fingers, vampire teeth, and more.
Teal Pumpkin Project is for kiddos like my son Robert who, allergic to dairy, and can’t have chocolate. It’s for my niece, Mail,e who can’t have dairy, wheat and nuts. It’s for our good buddy Nicholas who has an intolerance for food dyes so no Skittles or Starbursts for him. And for our sweet pal, Ruby, who has Celiac Disease so nothing with gluten in her bucket. It’s even for our super thoughtful friend, Olivia, who likes to stand in solidarity with her friends who have food allergies and intolerances even though she has none of her own.
Thank you to all who participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project. It certainly does make a huge difference for kiddos with food allergies and intolerances. Your effort to show them that they are seen and loved by their community really matters. To read more about the Teal Pumpkin Project, please check out this article I wrote for Scottsdale Moms back in 2016.
