We're nearly halfway through the month of October, and that means it's peak Teal Pumpkin Season! The initiative was started as a way to make Halloween a safer holiday for food allergic families and others with dietary restrictions. You can prepare for the 31st and participate in the Project by taking a few key steps. This post breaks them down and recommends a few products that can help you get started. If you'd like to see the list of product ideas in its entirety, you can view it here.
Offer Non-Food Treats
The first step you'll want to take in preparing for a safe and inclusive Halloween is making sure your have plenty of non-food treats available to food allergic trick-or-treaters. The top-8 allergens may make up a large percentage of food allergies in the United States, but that doesn't cover everyone that stops at your door! Non-food treats can be almost anything as long as they're not meant to be consumed. Members of our team have given out little toys in the past, but the possibilities are virtually endless!
If you're looking for inspiration, we did our best to track down some quick ideas to get you started here.
Offer Top-8 (Or More) Free Treats
Non-food treats are a must, but you might decide you still want to have some type of food options for trick-or-treaters - especially if you know in advance about some of the neighborhood kids' allergies. If that's the case, then make sure the treats are at least top-8-free. A few examples of brands that offer mini packs of top-8 (or more) allergen-free snacks include Kip's, Enjoy Life, and ZĒGO.
Let the Neighborhood Know You're Participating
The final step in making your house a safe destination for food allergic trick-or-treaters is spreading awareness. This means signaling to the neighborhood that you're participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project and have safe treat options for anyone that stops by your door.
The most straightforward way to do this, as suggested by the name, is to create or buy a teal pumpkin to display in front of your residence.
Other ways to promote awareness also include the placement of banners and other, more obvious, signals where everyone can see.
Join Us in Supporting the Teal Pumpkin Project
You can also learn about a great campaign started by food allergy advocate, Ashley Spencer, that supports the Teal Pumpkin Project by donating 20% of sales on her medical alert gear to the project.
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