Halloween is a fun holiday for kids, but it can also be stressful if your child has food allergies. Here are six ways to avoid a food allergy scare on this spooky night.

Use Teal Pumpkins

If you’re hosting a kid-friendly Halloween party, you can opt for teal pumpkins. These are symbolic of food allergy awareness and are a way to let kids with allergies know that you understand their needs. Teal pumpkins also help kids without allergies understand the importance of being careful around foods that may contain allergens.

Switch to Safer Treats

While you can’t eliminate the risk of exposing your friends and family to your food allergies, you can take steps to minimize those risks. “safer treats” are free from your allergen(s) of concern. If you’re hosting a Halloween party this year—or thinking about bringing goodies along with you when traveling—it’s worth reading through ingredient lists so everyone knows what treats are safe.

Treats for All

• you can find allergen-free candy anywhere, such as Target, Walgreens, and CVS.
• allergy-friendly treats will be labeled accordingly.
• make sure to have a small array of different treats for everyone.

Skip the Snacks and Keep the Fun

Halloween can be a scary time of year for those with food allergies. It’s hard enough worrying about your health, but it can be nerve-wracking to think about your loved ones going out into a sea of candy and snacks that might cause them to have an allergic reaction.

But there are ways you can make Halloween fun for everyone in the family—even if you have food allergies. Here are six ideas:

• skip the snacks and keep the fun! Use this time to get creative and try new activities instead of focusing on what you’re eating or not eating.
• you could go bowling or play board games at home (or both!)
• take extra walks around town together, or play other games like Capture the Flag or “Kill the Zombies.” These games don’t involve consuming any kind of food; they’ll help you bond as a family by exercising together!
• talk about your allergies with your kids. Explain why it’s essential for them not to eat anything that has allergens in it if their friends bring those kinds of treats over—and explain why they shouldn’t share their snacks with others unless they know 100% what ingredients they contain firsthand (especially since kids are more likely than adults are). Your kids will appreciate knowing why these rules exist–and hopefully respect them even more because they understand how serious this issue is (and hopefully won’t want anyone else getting hurt either!).

Talk About Food Allergies

Ensure your kids understand their food allergies and how to react if they have an allergic reaction.

• talk to them about what they can and cannot eat.
• teach them how to read food labels.
• review the details of their allergy with a health care professional, including any medications or other precautions that should be taken (for example, if you have a peanut allergy and are carrying an EpiPen with you on Halloween night).

Halloween Can be a Scary Time for Kids with Food Allergies — But it Doesn’t Have to Be

Food allergies are severe and scary and can cause life-threatening reactions, so taking precautions is essential when you’re out trick-or-treating. One way is to use teal pumpkins in your home or neighborhood to help inform children that your house is safe for those with food allergies. Teal pumpkins may seem like just another fun decoration, but they have a deeper purpose: helping kids avoid dangerous allergic reactions on Halloween night!

So, stay away from the scary candy and try to have fun with your kids. We know this is a tough time of year for parents of food allergy kids, so we hope that these tips help you all make it through Halloween day safely! If you want to get your children tested for allergies, contact our Orlando allergy doctors today!