Treats Without the Tricks: Teal Pumpkin Project

Halloween is a time of scary fun, but for some parents and kids, it’s much scarier than it seems.

Zoe Slagel, Columnist

It’s about that time again: a time of screams, costumes, candy, and just fun. For some parents and kids though, they have a different view on Halloween. With Halloween revolving around candy so much, some parents find it hard to keep their little ones safe from one of the scariest thing ever for them: food allergies. Chocolate is frightening if you’re allergic to milk, and a candy bar with nuts can be deadly. With eggs, soy, and wheat also common allergies in kids, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, finding treats without tricks can be a challenge on Halloween night.

For the parents who worry about their kids eating something bad, the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) and the Teal Pumpkin Project offers a solution to that. For those who don’t know what it is, the Teal Pumpkin Project is a special project for kids who have food allergies and for their worried parents. If you paint a pumpkin teal and set it outside, it informs the trick-of-treaters that your house has allergy friendly treats to hand out in addition to regular candied treats.

Last year, FARE informed us that households from 50 states and seven countries participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project. Spread the fun to everyone this year with this bright and allergy safe pumpkin.