Safe Halloween Treats for Kids with Food Allergies
H-A-double L-O-W-double E-N! By far some of my favorite childhood memories are from this time of year. Dressing up as anything you could imagine (and of course wearing a coat over it because it was snowing outside), getting to leave the house after dark to wander the neighborhood with your best friends, and finding that somehow it had transformed into a magical and scary wonderland full of sweets and treats – and the occasional full-sized candy bar behind every door! I loved every minute of it! When I found out Amelia was going to be an October baby I was over the moon! I would lay there feeling her squirm and kick in my belly and daydream of costume birthday parties and being able to relive those wondrous memories of trick or treating with her.
Kids with Food Allergies Deserve to Have Halloween Fun Too
One thing is certain in life though: nothing pans out exactly the way you daydream. Halloween is a time of major stress and anxiety for families with food allergies. How do you keep your little one safe without stealing away the wonder and magic of the holiday? What do you do when you get home from trick or treating and go through her bag only to find that there is almost nothing in it for her to enjoy? I love chocolate and will happily eat the occasional Snickers or Tootsie Roll, but trick or treating isn’t for me and I would love it if Amelia could return from battling skeletons and witches with her fellow princesses and be able to just reach into her bag of sweets and find that there were more safe treats than not.
So, as a parent of a child with food allergies I am writing a list of sweets that are safe options to add to your bowl of chocolate bars, because Halloween should be about joy, laughter, adventure and mystery – and everyone should feel included!
The Teal Pumpkin Project
Also, a couple years ago I learned about something called the Teal Pumpkin Project. The idea is so simple: offer non-food treats for children with any kind of food allergy. To let us parents know you have non-food treats available, you simply paint a pumpkin teal and place it on your porch. Whoever came up with this idea, I thank you with my whole heart! I’ve taken it upon myself, as I know loads of other families with food allergies have, to share this with as many people as I can. Most of these candies below have some vague allergy alert information that says “made in the same facility as,” and “made on the same machinery as.” While the following candies are all dairy-, egg- and nut-free, only some are gluten-free. Remember, whenever trying something new take it slow and watch your little one closely.
Safe Halloween Candy for Kids with Food Allergies
- Twizzlers
- Gummy bears
- Fruit snacks
- Skittles
- Brachs candy corn
- Dum Dums
- Sour Patch Kids
- Jet Puffed Marshmallows
- Starburst
- Airheads
- Mike and Ike’s
- Smarties
- Jelly Belly jelly beans
- Jolly Ranchers
Teal Pumpkin Project Non-Food Treats
- Pencils
- Temporary tattoos
- Stickers
- Glow sticks
- Erasers
Happy Halloween!!! Have fun out there!!!!
To download flyers, door signs and more showing your have treats available for kids with food allergies, please visit The Teal Pumpkin Project.
The TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT® and the Teal Pumpkin Project® logo are registered trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).
Coryn Wade
Her eldest daughter has severe food allergies and Coryn looks forward to sharing some of the things she has learned along the way. She hopes to help others with food allergies find safe and wonderful ways to enjoy food!
Latest posts by Coryn Wade (see all)
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole - November 6, 2016
- Safe Halloween Treats for Kids with Food Allergies - October 27, 2016
- Safe Foods & Restaurants for Kids with Dairy and Egg Allergies - October 3, 2016
Oh wow I didn’t even think about this! My son is 10 months old so I haven’t gone trick or treating in years, my Halloween usually consists of lots of drinks and a late night haha! But this year was a bit different with a ton of babies all dressed up in little Halloween costumes, so cute : ). Thanks for sharing this I will have to remember to come back to this next year, bookmarking! Thanks again for sharing with #StayClassyMama!
I really like the idea of Non-Food Treats. I am pinning this! Thank you so much for sharing your tips with us on #FabFridayPost x
I love the idea of a non sweet Halloween. There is so many sweets involved I wouldn’t want my girls having it all even with no allergies. Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove X
What a lovely idea – I hope it catches on. I think the non-sweet treats are a lovely idea whether you have kids with allergies or not – there’s an awful lot of sweets and chocolate consumed on Halloween! Thanks for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
I love the teal pumpkin idea. I wonder if we have that over here in Canada too. #FabFridayPost
What a great list to put together, I few of my friends have children with allergies. It’s so important to give them alternatives so they don’t miss out on all of the fun!
#stayclassymama
Wow, I’d never heard of this but it’s a great idea. TBH I never give out sweets (I don’t like contributing to the sugar overload) and focus on little treats like stickers and plastic spiders so allergies aren’t a problem. Will look out for teal pumpkins. Great post.
#SharingtheBlogLove