Halloween Alternatives for Families with Food Allergies

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!  I love to dress up, put up spooky decorations, carve pumpkins (and eat everything pumpkin flavored!!), and watch creepy movies.  As a kid, Trick-or-Treating was one of my favorite parts of Halloween.  Getting dressed up in costumes and going door to door in our small town, seeing all the amazing decorations, and of course, filling a plastic pumpkin with CANDY!  Unfortunately, for kids with food allergies, what should be a fun activity can quickly become a night of exclusion, disappointment, tears and danger.  Candy is full of allergens- nuts, milk, corn, eggs, soy and wheat just to name a few.  For kids with severe allergies, even coming into contact with  allergens can be life threatening.  Trick-or-Treating can also be difficult for families that follow special diets for other health concerns, religious beliefs or moral reasons.  These factors can make this favorite past-time tricky to navigate for many families, but fear not because with a few guidelines and ideas, Trick-or-Treating can still be a blast no matter what your dietary needs are!

Look for the Teal Pumpkins!  
The Teal Pumpkin project is an awesome campaign by the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE).  Their goal is to help all kids enjoy a safe and fun Trick-or-Treating experience, as well as to help raise awareness of food allergies.  The idea is very simple- people who want to participate will provide NON-FOOD treats for trick-or-treaters, fun things like glow-sticks, small toys, bubbles, stickers, etc.  Then, put out a Teal Pumpkin, to let Trick-or-Treaters know that they can get safe treats from your house.  Don't have time to paint a pumpkin teal?  No big deal, you can find printable signs on the Teal Pumpkin project website (link above).
If you have kids with food allergies and want to know where to find local people who are participating, the website has an interactive map so you can plan out your route ahead of time.  Let your friends, family, and neighbors know about the Teal Pumpkin project, and encourage them to provide fun items your kids can enjoy.

Switch Witch!
Halloween candy can be Switchcrafted by a Switch Witch.  Late on Halloween night, after you have finished trick-or-treating and are tucked in bed, your Switch Witch will take away your candy, and exchange it for a special surprise!  A Switch Witch will come and live in your house for the month of October, you may or may not ever see your Switch Witch- they are all different, some are secretive, and others are friendly, some are playful and mischevious, while others are helpful.   Switch Witches don't only visit children with food allergies, they can visit any children who wish to exchange some or all of their candy for a special surprise.  Kids can write a letter to their Switch Witch, letting her know what sort of things they would want, and how much candy they would like to exchange.
The following websites have additional details about how you can have a Switch Witch come to your home:
http://switch-witch.com
http://switchwitches.com

The Great Pumpkin and the Halloween Candy Fairy are also magical beings who can come to your home and exchange candy for special surprises.  Every family has different traditions, so find an option that works best in your house!  This offers a fun, exciting option for kids who can't eat Halloween candy, or for families that prefer to minimize sugar intake.

Host a Halloween Party or Plan another fun activity
Instead of going Trick-or-Treating, plan a fun, safe night at home!  Have your kids invite their friends for a great night in, where you can control the food.  Buy candy and make treats that you know are safe, and let other parents know what food items are ok.  Watch Halloween movies, decorate pumpkins,  play Halloween games, have a costume contest with awesome prizes, and set up stations throughout the house for kids to "trick-or-treat" at.

Don't feel like organizing or hosting a party? Plan a different fun activity- find a corn maze, go out to a Halloween movie, go to haunted house, see what events and activities are happening in your area, and find an alternative that doesn't revolve around candy.

Prepare Ahead
Above all else, prepare ahead of time, and discuss Halloween plans with your kids. Remind kids with food allergies not to eat ANYTHING without checking with you first.  Talk about which candy items are safe, and which are dangerous. The Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board has lists of candy that are free of different allergens.  Ask your friends, family, and neighbors to have safe items to give to your children, and plan your trick-or-treating route ahead of time. Decide if you would like to ask a Switch Witch, Great Pumpkin or Halloween Candy Fairy to come to your house to exchange candy.  Find out if your kids would rather do a different activity.

Let them be a part of the decision, it is hard enough feeling left out when your friends are enjoying Halloween, give your kids the opportunity to decide how they want to make Halloween unique and special.

I remember one Halloween when I was little and we got a huge snowstorm, so we couldn't go trick-or-treating.  My mom bought Halloween candy and set up stations in our house.  My brother and I got all dressed up, and then went "trick-or-treating" in our own house.  While we didn't get to go out with our friends, we had a great time at home celebrating as a family.  The effort that mom put into keeping our Halloween fun, despite the storm, made the night extra special.  Your kids will appreciate your desire to create a safe, fun Halloween!

HAPPY HAUNTING!
~Erin the Allergista~