Halloween is the best when you are a child. You get to dress up as anything you want. Grown-ups "ooh" and "ah" over you. You get to stay out past your bedtime exploring the neighborhood and getting free candy. Then you get to go home with your spoils and if you’re lucky your parents will let you actually eat some of your goodies.

But what about the kids with food allergies?

I’m lucky enough that I never had to be concerned with that. I’m not allergic to anything edible. No one in my family is, so it’s never been an issue for us. But through the years I’ve started meeting more and more children who have severe food allergies. One of my best friends in high school was allergic to peanut butter. The little girl who lives next door to me is allergic to like, half the food pyramid. Trick or Treating is a letdown for them because they can’t enjoy what they’ve been given.

Luckily kids with food allergies no longer have to worry about receiving a bunch of candy they can’t eat. Ever noticed a few teal pumpkins in your neighborhood as you were trick or treating? These teal pumpkins aren’t just an interesting design choice. They’re painted teal because it is the color of food allergy awareness. These pumpkins signify that there are non-food treats at the house. These treats are anything from stickers to little plastic figurines. It’s more than just a pumpkin. It is allowing a child to participate in a childhood tradition without feeling weird about not being able to enjoy the treats they get.

Participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project is really simple. All you need is a teal pumpkin and if you don’t have time to go paint a pumpkin, you can use one of these free printables and hang it up instead. If you have no clue what to have on hand as a non-food alternative, check out these suggestions from the Teal Pumpkin Project.

When you’re out getting your Halloween candy for the little trick-or-treaters consider the Teal Pumpkin Project and pick up some non-food items as well. You could make a child’s whole Halloween.