Teal Pumpkin Project

As jack-o’-lanterns and other spooky decorations make their debut on porches, so too are pumpkins painted teal, standing out among their orange peers. They may look a little odd, but these pumpkins serve to make Halloween even happier for some children.

The Teal Pumpkin Project is a national campaign launched by Food Allergy Research and Education(FARE) in 2014 to promote awareness of trick-or-treaters young and old who have food allergies and to help them identify homes where they can receive a nonfood treat free of major allergens, including gluten, nuts, seafood, fish, dairy, eggs and soy, according to the group’s website at foodallergy.org.

Participating in the project is as easy as painting a pumpkin teal and leaving it on the porch, or printing

out a poster of a teal pumpkin (one is available on the FARE website) and hanging it by your door, then having nonfood treats available to give out.

Appropriate nonfood treats include items such as stickers or stamps, bouncy balls, pencils or pens, small boxes of crayons, glow sticks or bracelets, costume jewelry, spider rings, vampire fangs, bookmarks, bubbles and yo-yos.