Halloween is a beloved holiday for many! For me, it's my favorite holiday. This is why I believe ALL children should be able to enjoy Halloween.
A Teal Pumpkin in front of a house is an indication that that house provides Allergy-Friendly treats for children who suffer from food allergies. According to FARE, 1 in 13 children suffer from food allergens. The Top 9 Food Allergens are:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Wheat
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Peanuts
- Tree Nuts
- Soy
- Sesame
There are also allergens such as: latex, gluten, mustard, lupin (found in some breads, pastries & pasta), celery, corn, coconut & sulphites (found in dried fruit like raisins and some drinks).
The Teal Pumpkin projects goal is to keep Halloween safe and inclusive for children who suffer from food allergies.
One way to help make Halloween fun and inclusive to all is by providing candy & non-food treats. We say non-food treats because even though a house may offer pretzels or raisins, that doesn't mean the factory they are manufactured in is an allergy free factory.
For children with food allergies, it is best to provide non-food treats
However, there are some treats that are free from the Top 9 Allergens. Some of those treats are:
- Bazooka Candy: Halloween Ring Pops (Free of Top 9 Allergens)
- Enjoy Life Foods (Free of Top 9 Allergens)
- free2B Bag O'Treat Cups (Free of Top 9 Allergens plus gluten, mustard, corn & coconut)
- Sour Patch Kids (Free of Top 9 Allergens)
- YumEarth Halloween Variety Pack (Top 9 allergens plus gluten)
- ZolliPops (Top 9 Allergens)
So what can you offer to Trick or Treaters that is considered safe and allergy free? Here are some excellent ideas!
- pencils
- bubbles
- bracelets
- vampire fangs
- crayons
- stickers
- glow sticks
- necklaces & rings
- temporary tattoos
Now that you have gone out and purchased Allergy-Free treats for your house, next you need to tell others your house is allergy-safe. One excellent way is to paint a pumpkin Teal & place it outside. Believe me, kids with allergies will know what it means.
Place your non-food treats in a separate bowl from your candy bowl
Another great way is to Register your House to the Macaroni KID Cherry Hill Teal Pumpkin Map. FARE offers a nationwide map which will show you all the hours throughout the United States that are allergy-free, but we are all about hyper-local so we made our own Teal Pumpkin Map of Cherry Hill & surrounding communities.
I would LOVE to see as many Teal Pumpkins on this Map as possible so please,
ADD YOUR HOUSE TO THE MAP
If you or someone in your family suffers from Food Allergies, we hope this map will be helpful for you.
See the map below:
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Macaroni KID Cherry Hill strives to enrich the community and keep families active by providing a FREE Kid-friendly events calendar on our website. You can become an insider and receive our calendar along with craft ideas, recipes and enter giveaways by subscribing to our FREE weekly e-newsletter. Macaroni KID Cherry Hill is published by a local mom who lives, works and raises her children in the community. If you would like to join our network of family-friendly businesses and connect your brand with local parents in Camden County and the Southern New Jersey region, please email the Publisher and learn how you can share your business/services with our readers.
