The Teal Pumpkin Project: Making Halloween More Inclusive
For most kids, trick-or-treating is simple: knock on a door, yell “trick or treat,” and see what lands in your bucket. But for kids who can’t eat many traditional Halloween treats because of food allergies, intolerances or other dietary or medical needs, it can be more complicated. That’s where the Teal Pumpkin Project comes in.
What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?
Created by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), the Teal Pumpkin Project helps make Halloween more inclusive by encouraging households to offer non-food treats alongside candy.
A teal pumpkin or (Teal Pumpkin Project signage) outside your home signals that you have options like stickers, glow sticks, temporary tattoos or small toys available. For a kid who might otherwise have to wait for a parent to check labels or set aside much of their Halloween haul, it means there’s something they can enjoy right away and feel more included.
How do I participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project?
Participating is pretty simple:
- Offer a few non-food treats. You can still give out your usual Halloween candy—just keep the non-food treats in a separate bowl.
- Put a teal pumpkin or sign outside. This lets families know you have a non-food option available. No teal pumpkin? FARE offers free printable signs.
- Add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project map. FARE’s annual map helps families find participating homes and events in their area.
When trick-or-treaters arrive, there’s no need to ask whether a child has an allergy or why they want a non-food treat. Simply ask, “Would you like candy or a non-food treat?”
What are good non-food Halloween treats?
You don’t need anything elaborate. Some easy Teal Pumpkin treat ideas include glow sticks or bracelets, stickers, temporary tattoos, pencils and erasers, bubbles, spider rings, bouncy balls, mini notepads, small toys and bookmarks.
If you’re handing out both candy and non-food treats, keep them in separate bowls to reduce the chance of candy wrappers or crumbs getting mixed in.
Where can I buy non-food treats for the Teal Pumpkin Project?
Amazon and big-box stores are convenient ways to stock a Teal Pumpkin bowl, but this can also be an opportunity to support small businesses; including makers and families within the food-allergy and specialized-diet communities. A few places to start:
Allergy Superheroes
Created by parents of kids with food allergies, Allergy Superheroes carries Teal Pumpkin supplies, glow-in-the-dark slap bracelets and food-allergy awareness products. Shop Allergy Superheroes
Pipsticks
This woman-owned sticker company is a fun place to stock up on something almost every trick-or-treater likes: stickers. Pick a few Halloween sheets and cut them into individual stickers or smaller strips for your treat bowl. Shop Pipsticks
Makers on Etsy
Etsy is a great source for unique small toys that will make any treat-or-treaters day!
Of course, you don’t need anything elaborate. A bowl of stickers, glow sticks or other small non-food treats is enough to let more kids join in the fun.
You can also visit FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project for non-food treat ideas, free printable signs and information about adding your home or event to the Teal Pumpkin Project map.
A little pumpkin can mean a lot
At Fully Healthy, we think a lot about what it’s like to navigate a world where you can’t simply eat whatever everyone else is eating. Food is tied to holidays, parties, school celebrations and traditions like trick-or-treating.
Adding a teal pumpkin to your porch is one small way to make Halloween more inclusive. To a child who spots it from the sidewalk and knows there’s something at your house for them, too, it can make a big difference.
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