As October rolls around and neighborhoods transform into spooky spectacles of orange jack-o-lanterns, cobwebs, and plastic skeletons, you might spot something unexpected among the traditional Halloween decor: bright teal pumpkins. No, your neighbors haven’t just discovered a new paint color at Home Depot. These eye-catching blue-green gourds carry a meaningful message that’s changing Halloween for thousands of families across the country.
If you see a teal pumpkin sitting on someone’s doorstep this Halloween, it means that home is participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, a global movement designed to make trick-or-treating safer and more inclusive for children with food allergies. Instead of offering only candy, these households provide non-food treats like glow sticks, stickers, small toys, or bubbles, ensuring every kid can enjoy the holiday without worry.
From One Mom’s Porch to a Worldwide Movement
The story behind the Teal Pumpkin Project is as heartwarming as it gets. In 2013, a Tennessee mother named Becky Basalone wanted to find a way for her son, Caden, who had life-threatening food allergies, to fully experience Halloween like other kids. So she painted a pumpkin teal, the designated color for food allergy awareness, and filled it with small toys and trinkets instead of candy.
What started as one mother’s solution on a single porch quickly caught fire. The local Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee noticed what Basalone was doing, and the idea began spreading throughout the region. By 2014, the national nonprofit organization Food Allergy Research & Education, better known as FARE, officially launched it as a nationwide campaign.
Today, more than a decade later, teal pumpkins have become a familiar sight everywhere from major retailers like Target and Walmart to residential porches across the United States, Canada, and beyond. The simple act of painting a pumpkin has evolved into an international symbol of inclusion and awareness.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Halloween might seem like harmless fun for most kids, but for the approximately one in 13 children living with food allergies, it can be genuinely dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 8% of children in the United States have been diagnosed with food allergies as of 2025.
The statistics get even more sobering when you dig deeper. Nearly 40% of children with food allergies have required emergency medical attention due to allergic reactions. Currently, there’s no cure for food allergies, which means the only reliable way to prevent reactions is to completely avoid trigger foods.
When accidental exposure does happen, especially exposures that result in anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially fatal reaction, immediate treatment with epinephrine from an EpiPen is essential. But even with rapid intervention, the situation remains extremely serious and requires immediate medical care.
Most conventional Halloween candies and chocolates contain common allergens like wheat, eggs, soy, nuts, and dairy. This means trick-or-treating can be a minefield for kids with allergies. While parents typically sort through their children’s candy haul afterward, the experience of going door-to-door knowing most treats are off-limits can be isolating and disappointing for allergic children.
How the Teal Pumpkin Project Works
Participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project couldn’t be simpler. Homeowners who want to make their house a safe stop for all trick-or-treaters just need to display a teal pumpkin on their doorstep or hang a teal pumpkin sign on their door or window. This signals to passing families that non-food treats are available.
The pumpkin itself can be a real pumpkin painted teal, an artificial teal pumpkin purchased from a store, or even just a printed graphic taped to the door. The specific format doesn’t matter, what matters is the message it sends.
FARE provides free printable signs that participants can download and display, making it even easier to join the movement. The organization also maintains an interactive Teal Pumpkin Project Map where families can add their addresses, allowing parents of children with allergies to plan safe trick-or-treat routes in advance.
Non-food treat options are limited only by your imagination. Popular choices include glow sticks, Halloween-themed erasers, stickers, small toys, bubbles, vampire fangs, spider rings, temporary tattoos, pencils, and bouncy balls. The key is keeping these items in a separate bowl from any candy you might also be offering, to avoid cross-contamination.
Beyond Just Allergies
While the Teal Pumpkin Project was created specifically for children with food allergies, it benefits other kids too. Children with diabetes, celiac disease, or other conditions that require dietary restrictions can also enjoy Halloween more fully when non-food options are available. Some families appreciate having alternatives simply because they want to limit their children’s sugar intake.
The movement has also sparked awareness of other inclusive Halloween practices. Some families now recognize that trick-or-treaters carrying blue pumpkin buckets may have autism or sensory processing disorders, meaning they might have trouble saying “trick or treat” or “thank you,” or they may be sensitive to certain costumes and decorations. Purple pumpkin buckets can indicate a child has epilepsy and may be sensitive to bright or flashing lights.
Why Teal Became the Color of Food Allergy Awareness
You might wonder why teal specifically was chosen to represent food allergy awareness. The color has actually been used to raise awareness about food-related medical conditions for more than 20 years, long before the Teal Pumpkin Project began. When Becky Basalone painted that first pumpkin in 2013, she was tapping into an already established symbol within the food allergy community.
The choice of teal makes these pumpkins stand out against the sea of traditional orange Halloween decorations, ensuring they’re easily spotted by families who need to find them. That high visibility is crucial for the project’s success, turning what could be a subtle gesture into an unmissable beacon of inclusion.
The Growing Reach of the Movement
What makes the Teal Pumpkin Project particularly remarkable is how organically it has grown. Without massive advertising budgets or celebrity endorsements, the campaign has spread through word-of-mouth, social media sharing, and the genuine desire of communities to be more inclusive.
Major retailers have embraced the movement too, with stores carrying pre-made teal pumpkins during the Halloween season. This commercial availability has made participation even easier for busy families who want to join but don’t have time to paint their own pumpkins. The fact that teal pumpkins are now stocked alongside traditional orange ones in mainstream stores shows how thoroughly the project has entered the cultural mainstream.
Parents and children across neighborhoods from Utica and Rome in New York to suburbs across Canada now look for teal pumpkins when planning their Halloween routes. The Teal Pumpkin Project has essentially created a nationwide network of allergy-aware homes, giving families peace of mind and children with allergies a sense of belonging during a holiday that previously felt exclusive.
Making Your Home Part of the Solution
If you want to participate this Halloween, now’s the perfect time to get your teal pumpkin ready. You can grab some teal paint and transform a regular pumpkin, pick up a pre-made teal pumpkin at a local store, or simply print out a teal pumpkin sign to hang on your door.
Stock up on some non-food treats at your local dollar store or online. Many retailers now sell Halloween-specific non-food items in bulk, making it affordable to participate. Remember to keep these treats in a separate bowl to prevent any cross-contamination with candy you might also be handing out.
Consider adding your address to FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project Map so families in your area can find you. This small step can make a huge difference for parents trying to plan a safe and enjoyable Halloween evening for their kids.
Most importantly, spread the word to friends, family, and neighbors. The more homes that participate, the more inclusive and fun Halloween becomes for everyone. Share information about the Teal Pumpkin Project on social media, talk about it with your community, or even organize a teal pumpkin painting party with other families in your neighborhood.
A Small Gesture with Big Impact
At its core, the Teal Pumpkin Project represents something bigger than Halloween logistics. It’s about recognizing that not every child experiences the world the same way, and making small adjustments so everyone can participate fully in community traditions. It’s about parents looking out for all kids, not just their own. And it’s about turning a potentially scary, exclusive experience into one where every child feels welcome and safe.
The beauty of this movement is its simplicity. You don’t need special training, expensive equipment, or a big time commitment. All it takes is a teal pumpkin on your porch and a bowl of non-candy treats. That tiny gesture tells families dealing with food allergies that they’re seen, valued, and included in your community’s celebration.
As Halloween approaches and you start planning your decorations and candy stash, consider adding a teal pumpkin to your setup. It might seem like a small thing, but for a child with food allergies who can finally trick-or-treat without fear, it means the world. And in a holiday built around community, costumes, and creativity, making sure every kid can participate safely is exactly the kind of magic Halloween should be about.
So this October 31st, when you see that bright teal pumpkin among the orange ones on your neighbor’s porch, you’ll know it represents something much more significant than just another Halloween decoration. It’s a symbol of awareness, inclusion, and the simple kindness that makes communities stronger. And that’s worth celebrating.
