What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?

When you put a teal pumpkin on your door step it means that you have non candy treats available. A single mom of two, Becky Basalone, decided to paint a pumpkin teal, the same color as allergy awareness and hand out treats that were not food. I actually came across the Teal Pumpkin Project^® using the hashtag #noncandytreats on instagram 5 years ago!

Love the idea of non-food treats for many reasons. It supports the allergy awareness, it promotes healthy and happy, it also includes kids with who have autism or have been diagnosed with behavioral issues. In my opinion, ADD/ADHD is influenced majorly by diet and lifestyle (early electronic use in babies and toddlers) but that is a subject for another post. A recent study suggests that spike in autism may be connected to the preservatives found in processed foods. Here is a study on additives and sugar and it’s how it is harmful on children.

So I accidentally stumbled upon the Teal Pumpkin Project looking for a fun way to make Halloween fun and healthy.

Out of all my three kids, only one had an allergy issue to egg, Nico but thankfully he already outgrew that. The more I work with babies, toddlers and different families the more I see more kids suffering from allergies. No simple allergies or intolerances but serious allergies, the kind that will make you want to keep your child home on Halloween. As a mom putting my self in their shoes, what would I want others to do if that was me and my kids? It was a no brainer to support and share

. I fell in love with the idea and have been and will continue to support the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Here is how you can participate

If you would love to support the Teal Pumpkin project all you have to do is purchase or paint a teal pumpkin. Put it on your door step and make sure to have non candy treats for those trick or treaters. 
Amazon has picked up on the Teal Pumpkin project and even has a candy free kit ready for you. 
Here are some ideas on what we can use for non candy treats:                                            
– glow sticks
-bubbles
-stamps
-stickers
-crayons
  –mini maracas
-finger puppets
-whistles
-silly glasses
-mini notepads
-spider rings
-stencils
Many of these items can be purchased through Amazon, the dollar store, or Target dollar section for an affordable price.

I also created this Free Printable for you to use, if you decide to participate this year. You can print it and display it if you choose to. I would love to see how you participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project. Please hashtag #RockwithMamaTeal if you decide to use this printable or share your ideas with me.