Teal Pumpkins for Non-Food Items at Halloween

Teal pumpkins have a new meaning this Halloween. Displaying one means that your home has non-food items available for the little goblins and superheroes as they come looking for treats.

Some might wonder why this is important.

Because what child likes to be left out of the fun of Trick or Treating?

And what happens if that child has severe food allergies, diabetes, or another condition that limits the types of foods the child can eat? Or what about all the parents who worry about the excessive intake of sugar this time of year?

Show parents that you are giving kids the option of a safe treat by displaying a teal pumpkin. There are many non-food treats that kids would love ~ stickers, pencils, glow sticks, bubbles, plastic jewelry, vampire teeth, pencil toppers, hair pieces, magic trick cards, and many more. Be sure you have some that are safe for toddlers.

Non-food items are better than nut-free, because kids have allergies to all kinds of things, and it is impossible to know in advance what all those allergies are. And for kids who must limit their overall sugar intake, non-food treats rule.

We put together some reusable teal pumpkins at the office. My initial plan was to spray paint some plastic pumpkins, but decided to use Duct tape to cover plastic pumpkins instead. Less smell, no time waiting for them to dry, and if we ever want to use them outside, they will be fairly weather-proof.

Pretty cute, huh?

And yes, plenty of people have asked if they are to celebrate our KC Royals. Not exactly. But hey, we can double their duty during Blue October!

Share this idea with your neighbors and friends. Use social media. Put a note in your neighborhood bulletin. Share with your school nurse. Ask stores to display a flyer.

Get the word out!

For more information and a free printable flyer (like the one pictured in our office above), see the original post where I learned about this great idea: The Teal Pumpkin Project