Teal Pumpkin Treats
Last year was my first time joining in allergy-friendly Teal Pumpkin Project and now it's just been second nature as I buy my treats for my few trick-or-treaters. In 2014, the Food Allergy Research and Education folks came up with this great idea to encourage us all to offer candy alternatives and denote your participation by displaying a teal pumpkin outside your home, (so families will know to look for you)! It is simply a way to provide goodies for kiddos that may have food allergies and feeling a little left out on Halloween night. Learn more about the project and find participant printables on the FARE website.
While I still go buy the usual bags of candy (and eat too many pieces before trick-or-treaters actually arrive), I now additionally pick up fun prizes, games and glow sticks for my teal "candy bowl." If you're a little lost on what to offer, here's a few things to get you started:
Pirate patches, bouncy balls, small cars, slinkies, glow sticks, krazy straws, hopping frogs, beads and plastic glasses.
In basically any store, check out the party section and find those fun things you'd buy for a birthday celebration. I tend to stick with non-noisy prizes (no to harmonicas and whistles) so that the parents don't instantly hate me! Glow Sticks are my favorite, since it's a great way to help the kids be seen when the sun goes down. Spritz from Target has some great party toy options near the greeting cards and Dollar Tree always has a good selection too (on their website, you can buy in bulk).
Besides being inclusive for the kiddos, this is super easy to participate in and it can be a LOT cheaper than candy. You may just ditch sweet treats altogether!