For many families Halloween is a fun time of year. Yet, for children who manage complex medical conditions, Halloween can be a time when they are unsafe or excluded altogether. This is the reality for children with life-threatening food allergies, childhood diabetes, sensory needs, as well as any child requiring a special diet. This Halloween, The Charlestown Mothers Association and The Lions Club are teaming up to promote The Teal Pumpkin Project in our neighborhood, in order to help these children be safe and included on Halloween.
Participation in Teal Pumpkin is simple and easy. If your home is on the trick or treating path, first, put out a teal colored pumpkin on your doorstep (found at CVS, Target or Michael’s) or paint a pumpkin teal, or simply hang up a teal pumpkin flyer on your door (found below). Second, offer non-food trinkets to all children in a separate container in addition to the usual candy. A simple way to offer them is to say to each child, “You can choose a candy or a toy!” That’s it! If you would like to print out a free flyer, please see FARE’s website at https://www.foodallergy.org/sites/default/files/2017-08/TPP-Flyer-Download.pdf
Some examples of non-food treats are: Pencils, crayons, bubbles, mini slinkies, kazoos, balls, puppets, note pads, spider rings, and yoyos, etc. *Try to avoid playdough because it contains wheat, a top 8 allergen. Teal pumpkin trinkets can be found at Target, Dollar Tree, and online at Rhode Island Novelty, Oriental Trading and Amazon.
With this initiative, we can make Charlestown the most inclusive Halloween in the city! We will be creating a map of houses participating in Teal Pumpkin and posting on the CMA website on Oct. 31. Also, we will be giving out FREE starter packs of non-food treats to homes around The Monument to give away to trick or treaters (while supplies last). If you would like your home to be included on the map or to receive a starter pack, please email [email protected] by Oct. 29.