A peek inside this post: Get this teal pumpkin sign printable to display on your porch so others know you have Halloween treats for kids with allergies. We’ve included some great ideas for non-food treats for Halloween, as well as special Halloween candy for kids with allergies to still be able to have something sweet!
What does Halloween look like for your family?
Our youngest son has some diet restrictions (gluten, dairy, soy, dyes, oats) so every time he goes trick or treating and is given a piece of candy, he usually can’t eat it.
He is the most grateful person I know.
He gets so excited and even takes his time picking out the perfect treat. Then he puts the candy in his bag and skips along to the next house and the same routine occurs.
Can you imagine being so thankful for a piece of candy you wouldn’t even get to eat?
What to do on Halloween when your kid has allergies? Here are a few things we’ve learned…
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Halloween Candy for Kids with Allergies
We have started keeping “allergy free” candy on hand and will trade our son when we get home so he gets some candy that he can actually eat.
We usually buy the majority of our allergy-free candy on iherb because it’s more cost efficient. We love the brand YumEarth because they are free of so many allergens and dyes. Amazon also carries several YumEarth products. We found some Halloween-themed ones to really make it feel inclusive!
- Enjoy Life is another great brand that works hard to produce items with no allergens. I will say they aren’t cheap, though. It is sometimes really tough for me to pay close to $5 or $6 for a pack of chocolate chips so I can make cookies, but they are a special treat and appreciated greatly.
- We also really enjoy the Cocomels Coconut Milk Caramels. Please note, these items do have sugar. They are not sugar-free. They make regular, sea salt, and vanilla caramels out of coconut milk.
Non-Food Halloween Treats for Kids with Allergies
Of course, not every treat passed out on Halloween has to be food related! Kids get so excited to receive a little trinket. Here are some ideas to help fill your buckets:
The Teal Pumpkin Project
So what’s the deal with the teal pumpkin? This website provides a database for those families with food allergies to look for houses on Halloween that will be providing non-food items or allergy-free candy.
Those houses are marked by a teal pumpkin. Can you offer non-food treats and not have a teal pumpkin? Absolutely! The database is more for families who will strictly take their children to places on the map and that is all.
I think last year there were just a few houses in our town that had registered for the teal pumpkin project. Our boys have fun offering non-food treats for Halloween. Each year we register our house in the database, get non-food Halloween treats, and put out our teal pumpkin so people know our house is safe.
The most common allergens are soy, wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, and sesame. Several families we know limit dyes for their children because it plays a big impact on how they feel, which in turn plays an impact in how they act.
Want to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project?
- Register your house in the database and learn more info about this awesome movement here.
- You can paint a pumpkin teal, grab a plastic one from Walmart, or display our teal pumpkin printable on your porch so everyone will know that your home has non-food treats or allergy-safe options available.
- Grab some non-food treats for Halloween (or special Halloween candy for kids with allergies) from our lists above so you’ll be ready for the Big Day!
Your Free Teal Pumpkin Sign Printable
We’re offering this FREE Teal Pumpkin Sign Printable as a gift for readers who want to help make Halloween a safe and fun experience for all. Click here to get the printable sign for free, via Google Drive. (You don’t have to sign up for anything!)
There are so many kids with food allergies. Support them by displaying your Teal Pumpkin and make Halloween fun for kids with food allergies!
We Hope This Helps Make Halloween fun for ALL
Halloween is for fun!
I’m sure it’s extra stressful for parents of kids with extreme allergies who have to carry an epipen every place they go. I couldn’t imagine. You guys are superheros.
We have friends who have special allergy-free treats set aside for our youngest son and it is so awesome to say, “Yes, you can eat those raisins and Larabars!” or “Yep, those are safe!”
>>Speaking of Larabars, have you tried this Delicious Lara Ball Recipe?
It would be great to know for sure that there are other houses we can go to on Halloween that will have allergy-free candy or non-candy items.
Please participate in and share the Teal Pumpkin Project with your friends and neighbors. Let’s give every kid a chance to get something they can eat or use on Halloween!
Related Posts:
Halloween for Christian Families: Both Sides of the Chocolate Coin
Gluten Free Dairy Free Dinners
Thanks for the great information, Melissa! I had never heard of the Teal Pumpkin Project before but what an awesome way to support all families.
Thanks, Suzanne! I am so excited to offer non food treats to our neighbors and have already started ordering allergy free candy to “trade.”
Yay! I’ve been offering non-food treats since you told me about The Teal Pumpkin Project a couple years ago. It’s always SO appreciated! Now I’m excited to display that printable on the porch!
I love that you have been doing that!!! I also can’t wait to get my printable! I’m sure our kids will be ready to laminate it as soon as it’s ready!