12 Unique Non-Food Items for Teal Pumpkin Project

What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?

Happy October! Halloween is just days away. You might see some teal pumpkin decorations and they’re part of a national campaign called the Teal Pumpkin Project, originally created by Becky Basalone. She had a wonderful idea to have some teal pumpkins and a sign outside to let people know non-food treats are available in a separate container to help kids with food allergies feel included and safe.

Disclaimer: Please check that all ingredients are suitable for your allergies and be sure to ask your medical care team regarding any allergy related questions (I do not share medical advice). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Choose Allergy Safe Non-Food Ideas

Some examples of non-food treats include coins, Halloween themed stickers, pencils, bubbles, decks of cards, etc.. As you shop for different items, be mindful to avoid potential allergens in non-food items such as latex in balloons, wheat in play dough, nickel in costume jewelry, and dyes in temporary tattoos.

We seldom ever have people come to our house so this year I’m hosting a vehicle at my church’s trunk or treat. I was happy to see that CVS has a lot of non-food options along with the usual Halloween candies. However, I have some issues with being around latex and opted to order online so that I could choose items that are latex-free to stay safe.

I shopped online and found some unique non-food treats that might be fun, functional, or spark a new interest. I added links so you can see what I mean but over time those links might change due to availability (or if you find this post next year). I also recommend checking after Halloween to see if anything super cute that stores well is still available at a lower price.

12 Unique Teal Pumpkin Project Non-Food Items

1. Increase trick or treaters’ visibility at night. LED items that blink and light up are great, I bought some LED rings. (affiliate). I checked each one to be sure they’re assembled well and turn on and only had to fix 4 out of the whole box. Glow sticks are also a great option.
2. Check with your local businesses for freebies or low cost coupons. Our local bowling alley used to give away packs of free bowling passes, good for one game.
3. Bugs are awesome. These creepy crawly insects (affiliate) light up and look beautiful.
4. People who like to hold something or fidget will enjoy silicone stress relief and sensory toys (affiliate) and keychains (affiliate).
5. Bookmark rulers (affiliate) that kids can use at school or for completing homework.
6. I love multipoint pencils when I was a child, these Halloween multipoint pencils (affiliate) are cute but a bit pricey.
7. Another childhood favorite are multicolored pens (affiliate) with a pumpkin decorative topper, some of them are teal pumpkins.
8. I also ordered these glow in the dark bugs and fingertips (affiliate). Place them in the sun or under bright lights until they glow in the dark (10-30 minutes, as time allows).
9. Wind up toys (affiliate) are great for developing fine motor skills.
10. Buy stickers or labels to decorate small 8 oz bottles of water with stickers (affiliate link) or Halloween water bottle labels (affiliate). Trick or treaters will become thirsty after an evening of walking and yelling “trick or treat!”, quench their thirst with a bottle of water.
11. Older kids love vinyl stickers (affiliate), look for ones which are waterproof and easy to remove.
12. Look for Halloween party favor packs (affiliate) for a fun and large assortment of toys. This is an affordable option where each item will cost about the same as candy and you can save any leftovers for the following year.

Bonus idea: If you need a special gift to tuck into a Halloween basket for a loved one, I adore this Squishmallows Winston the Mummy Owl. His teal colored ear tufts are so cute, you might get lucky and find him at a local store.

Have a Safe and Healthy Halloween

If you are staying home to pass out treats, be sure to put a sign outside to let trick or treaters know that you have teal pumpkin non-food treats for children with food allergies. You can also learn more on FARE’s site about the Teal Pumpkin Project.

I bought a cute sign (affiliate) to hang on my car for the trunk or treat, some teal and black streamers, and will use other items that I already have in my house. My neighbors in my local BNSN group also gave me extra toys to give away.

If you’re passing out candy or want to buy some allergy safe Halloween candy, I recommend Kids With Food Allergies’ Halloween Candy Post. They’ve included some of my favorites: Enjoy Life Foods, Amanda’s Own, free2b, Gimball’s Jelly Beans, Surf Sweet, Trader’s Joe’s sunflower seed cups, and YumEarth. Definitely head over to their website and check out the complete allergen information.

If you are heading out with your children to trick or treat, have a good dinner before so no one is tempted to snack on treats before returning home to read labels and check for safety. Walk with a group to stay visible and carry a flashlight. Most importantly, remember to bring your epi, other emergency meds, and a fully charged phone in case of an emergency. 

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I may mention the names of stores and/or brand names of products that I use because readers ask and I share products and sources which I use and think may be helpful to readers, all opinions are my own. Please note that manufacturing practices and ingredients can change at anytime without notice and readers are always responsible for assuring allergen safety before buying or consuming foods. NutFreeWok.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for reading!