Teal Pumpkin Halloween: 10+ Teal Pumpkin Project Treat Ideas

What Is The Teal Pumpkin Project?

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) came up with the Teal Pumpkin Project in 2012. The worldwide movement began in Tennessee by a local food allergy group, and was expanded by FARE, with an aim to create an inclusive and more safe Halloween for every child.

By putting a teal pumpkin on your doorstep, you’re signaling you have non-food treats available, such as pencils, stickers, glow sticks, or small toys. This simple act promotes inclusion for trick-or-treaters with food allergies or other food-related conditions.

What Does A Teal-Colored Pumpkin Mean?

Teal is the color of food allergy awareness. By putting a teal pumpkin out, you’re letting others know you have non-food treats available. Halloween isn’t only about candy, so being able to trick-or-treat for goodies and treats that are non-food related is important. This small but important act promotes inclusion for trick-or-treaters with food allergies or similar food conditions. Be sure to sign up on the Teal Pumpkin Project Map, to mark your house as being a “safe” location with non-food candy!

Why Is The Teal Pumpkin Project Important?

Halloween, and many holidays, are food-focused. It can be an especially tricky time for families and children to manage food allergies. The majority of Halloween treats aren’t safe for children with life-threatening food allergies, and are made in a facility with an allergen or contain one.

The beauty of the Teal Pumpkin Project is that it promotes the safety, inclusion, and respect of individuals managing food allergies. The Teal Pumpkin Project offers an alternative to candy, and keeps Halloween fun and a positive experience for all children!

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Can I Still Give Out Candy In Addition To Non-Food Treats?

Yes! You can hand out candy, as long as it is in a completely separate container. If food and non-food are kept separate, there’s no confusion between the two. This will keep it inclusive for those with food allergies.

My suggestion if you want candy in addition to non-food treats, is to pick a commonly allergy-free candy, such as Dum-Dum Lollipops or Tootsie Rolls, and have those in one bucket, and keep your non-food treats in another bucket.

12 Teal Pumpkin Allergen-Friendly Candy Ideas

Tootsie
Dum-Dums
Junior Mints
Free2Be
Smarties
Dots
Enjoy Life
Sixlets
Twizzlers
Double Bubble
YumEarth Candy
Starbursts

*Check all ingredients for your allergens before consuming

What Do You Give Out For A Teal Pumpkin?

Anything non-food related is a great alternative to the traditional candy given out on Halloween! Below is an extensive list of popular non-food Halloween treat ideas:

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10 Teal Pumpkin Project Non-Food Treat Ideas

Stickers
Pencils
Fun Erasers
Spider Rings
Glow Sticks (Such as Glow Stick Bracelets & Necklaces)
Small Toys (Such as whistles, bouncy balls, noisemakers, finger puppets, etc.)
Temporary Tattoos
Individual Bubbles
Vampire Fangs
Bookmarks

3 Teal Pumpkin Project Craft Ideas

Decorate Your Own Teal Pumpkin
- This can mean painting a real pumpkin teal, or decorating a real or fake pumpkin with teal stickers, decals, or glitter! It can be a fun project for all to get creative with white and teal stripes and various methods of creating your own special food allergy teal pumpkin.
Put Out A Teal Pumpkin Sign
- Getting a teal pumpkin sign via FARE is one option like I’ve shown here in my blog images, or you can get creative making your own! Have fun with this craft, and raise awareness for what the color teal means to you and your family!
BE A Teal Pumpkin For Halloween
- You read that right- it’s a cute costume idea! Make a costume in the color teal & be sure to take some adorable photos!

What Do Teal Pumpkins Mean On Halloween?

Putting out a teal pumpkin is signifying you have treat options that are not solely candy-focused, such as small toys and other treats that are non-food related. This is important, as many people with food allergies and food conditions aren’t able to partake in eating common candy and foods.

What Does The Color Teal Represent?

Teal is the color representing food allergy awareness. As you may have noticed, the logo for Invisibly Allergic is teal, and that’s why! May is Food Allergy Awareness Month, which is the same month as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.

Have A Happy Teal Pumpkin Halloween!

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I have to be honest, ever since I began participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project and putting out a candy bowl and a non-candy bowl, our non-candy bowl is undeniably the most popular! Be sure to sign your address up on the teal pumpkin project map put out by FARE, so families know you’re providing non-food goodies.

Related Teal Pumpkin Resources:

Watch this fun trick-or-treat video put out by FARE discussing the 1 in 13 children with food allergies on Halloween
Check out the Invisibly Allergic Food Allergy Resources tab for dozens of additional food allergy resources
Follow the Teal Pumpkin Project on Facebook

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