[LadyMage]

Details are here: The Teal Pumpkin Project

I read about this last year, a friend has a child who's severely peanut allergic and she still wanted her son to be able to trick or treat, and she started posting about it. Basically, the way it works, is you display a teal pumpkin, either a real one painted teal, a fake one painted teal, or a poster of a teal pumpkin and that indicates that your house offers some non food treats either exclusively or in addition to candy. They suggest avoiding play-dough because it can contain wheat which can cause problems for kids with celiac disease and anything with latex, but other than that any themed non food item will work. They also suggest storing them into a different container/bowl from candy if you're also handing candy out.

My kids are lucky - they can eat as much candy as I will allow them. Several of the kids my daughter goes to school with have to be very careful of the candy they get due to food allergies, and one is a type 1 diabetic, so she really shouldn't be having candy at all. I want to make sure that my house is a fun place to stop for all the kids, so I'm more than happy to participate.

 

[wickedwillingwench]

that's a great idea...perhaps we'll do this at ds's house on Halloween.

 

[DeadED]

Welp I am going to bring this one up here. Sounds like a smart idea.

 

[Greenwick]

This is an amazing idea! I'm gonna spread the word on this.

 

[RCIAG]

I give out enough things that aren't candy or processed in a factory with nuts that I've never had a problem.

 

[HalloweenieChallenge]

Yeah - we are.

Personally, I think the non-food items are a lot more fun anyway : )

 

[Vampire Kat]

This is a great idea. I'd participate, but I don't stay home.

 

[psox16]

This is a very important idea. One of my favorite parts of Halloween is how inclusive it is and that everybody is welcome to participate. I want to make sure that EVERY child who wants to go trick or treating can come away from my house with something good.

Last year, I put out a Teal Pumpkin, and nobody asked about it. This year, I'm going to print out the teal pumpkin and put it in a few places to make it glaringly obvious that I can accommodate a child's dietary needs.

The question is- what do you give out instead of candy? Last year, I had temporary tattoos ready to go. What other cool items could you use?

 

[Ghouliet]

Halloween pencils, Halloween pen, Halloween coloring books/activity books come to mind.

 

[Pretty Little Nightmare]

Target and Michaels sell all kinds of little Halloween items that are packaged in larger quantities, usually for class treat bags. They have eyeballs, spider rings, witch fingers that the kids can slip over their own fingers, glow in the dark fangs, etc.

 

[LadyMage]

Stickers, bracelets, glow sticks, notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers. I buy stuff like that for my daughters loot bags, her birthday is 2 weeks before halloween. The teal pumpkin stuff that I keep is usually leftovers from the loot bags, so there's lots of variety.

 

[printersdevil]

Check out Oriental Trading or US Toy for some great cheap and fun alternatives.

This year we are giving away wands, small potion books and small spell books in addition to candy. Each is a different "station" or scene. There will be a wheel spinner for them to see if they are a Good Witch, Bad Witch, Good Wizard or Twisted Wizard. Theme is Conjurer's Consortium. We also have small fortunes for each child to receive.

I have 17 or 18 full size witches, numeorus fortune tellers all with various tables and styles and of course my fabulous wizards. Some of them are kind and stately looking and some are demented or evil looking. Also one big stirring witch and ginormous cauldron.

I love this idea and will be painting a big teal pumpkin also now.

 

[Madame Leota]

Nah, I prefer to let kids do it the old fashioned way; if they get something from me that they don't like or can't eat they can trade with another kid.
Besides, a teal pumpkin? Never!

 

[whichypoo]

Teal Pumpkins anyone else ever heard of it.??

http://mom.me/blog/23297-what-it-means-if-you-see-teal-pumpkin-halloween/

This is a very good idea but I have never heard of it before ,, and if I don't know about how many others do?? I would love to beable to help out those that can't have any candy.. I usualy always buy the goodwill dollar bags of small toys for cute costumes to go alone with candy .. which has made more adults and kids come in costume ... but to be able to make a child with a food allergy happy would be awesome..


Any one else heard.. and are there any other signs like the teal pumpkin That we don't know about???

 

[DeadED]

Bump. We are getting closer so raising up awarness

 

[MC HauntDreams]

DeadED shared this with me on another thread and we will definitely be doing it! Already planned for some non food treats, so adding a teal pumpkin to 'advertise' the non food option is an easy addon.
I think it's great. Locally someone does a allergy friendly trunk-or-treat but this helps bring those kids back into the main group!!!

 

[bumpkin]

Ya I just came upon The Teal Pumpkin Project while googling The Great Pumpkin Project I Think i'll paint up one and put a little sign with it. If someone inquires, it spreads the awareness. I agree with MC, maybe it will bring those kids back into the main stream of Halloween. And what does it hurt to have a couple of trinkets around for a non-candy offering. I am also lucky in that my kids didn't have any alergies and were able to go out trick or treating without any worries. GO TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT

 

[ah2610]

I got little boxes of Halloween tattoos and little stick-on mustaches. I can't say I've ever had anyone ask for an alternative to candy, but I'll have them there just in case!

 

[Cougarwalker79]

I participated in this last year. Out of over 200 kids, I didn't get a single one asking for the non-food option. By the end of the night I was handing out those packs as well, because I had run out of candy, since I was assured by neighbors they never get more than 100 kids.... I will be doing it again this year, but I won't have nearly as many treat bags made up for it as I had last year

 

[TheNextMartha]

We have a number of kid in our school with food allergies. Nut/peanut can be life threatening.

I decorate my house in a big way and the last thing I want is a kid to press the button on the candy chute only to not be able to have anything in treat bag.

It doesn't take that much more effort to have a few bags set aside with stickers, tattoo's and spider rings but it sure will mean a lot to that child.

I also wrote about it once on my personal blog.