Places All Across New York Participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project

Once again, cities all across our state are stepping up to help all trick-or-treaters enjoy the Halloween celebration.

Some of us have heard of the "Teal Pumpkin Project," but don't know what it means for trick-or-treaters. Maybe you've seen a teal pumpkin outside certain homes last year on Halloween. Do you know what these teal pumpkins stand for?

The "Teal Pumpkin Project" is a movement to help kids with food allergies to be able to enjoy trick-or-treating like everyone else. Can you imagine being a child collecting your candy on Halloween, just to have your parents take away most of it because you're allergic to some of the treats? For a kid, it's hard to understand. A lot of times they just see it as they're different, and because of their allergies, they can't enjoy the things all the kids get to.

So what can you do?

It's simple, really. You can choose to participate (if you would like to), by handing out something other than candy. We're not saying be that house that hands out little, travel-size toothpaste, but you can hand out little toys or trinkets. Some ideas include:
-Stickers
-Bubbles
-Mini coloring books or puzzle books
-Necklaces or other plastic jewelry
-Small toys
-Glow sticks
-Bouncy balls

If you do take part in the Teal Pumpkin Project, make sure you put a teal pumpkin on your porch or in front of your house, so families that have kids with food allergies will know you're participating in the movement.

There's a map on the Teal Pumpkin Project's website where participants can put their home on the map. So far, there are tons of participants in the Buffalo area, Syracuse, in and around Albany, and other places throughout New York. Unfortunately, no marks have been put in the Utica area, but that doesn't mean people aren't taking part in this movement. Again, just look for the teal pumpkins on Halloween.

And if your kid has a food allergy, we hope this project helps them enjoy their Halloween, just as much as any other child. You can also get more details on the Teal Pumpkin Project and other food allergy info by visiting their website at: FoodAllergy.org

BONUS VIDEO:

[Teal Pumpkin Project]