Trick-or-Treat: Non-Food Treats for Halloween

Much like ghosts, zombies and creepy clowns, food allergies can be a frightening thing too. The tradition of Halloween has always been to pass out candy to all the trick-or-treaters that pass by. For parents of children with food allergens, this can get frustrating. If a child with food allergies took one bite of the wrong treat, it can cause an allergic reaction.

Halloween food treats often contain ingredients like peanuts, milk, nuts, and eggs that act as a food allergen. These treats can cause allergic reactions such as rash, itchy skin vomiting, stuffy nose, or diarrhea for some children. It can even cause an anaphylactic reaction which typically affects more than one part of the body. An anaphylactic reaction can happen very quickly and it can be life threatening in certain situations.

We warned you it could get frightening.

To ensure that every kid can enjoy trick-or-treating it’s a good idea to provide non-food treats.

Handing out non-food treats encourages a safe Halloween that all kids can enjoy. These treats are available at dollar stores, general merchandise stores, party stores and online. The best part about it is that these treats are fairly cheap and easy. The list of items you can hand out is endless but we’ll provide you with a list to get you started.

• Bubbles
• Stickers
• Glow sticks
• Bouncy balls
• Vampire teeth
• Yoyo
• Crayons
• Spider rings

And if you’re afraid that kids won’t enjoy these treats, don’t worry –they’ll love them.

Thanks to FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project there’s an official way to show that your home provides allergen-free treats –place a teal pumpkin and/or put FARE signs in front of your home to let the neighborhood know that you have a treat for everyone.

It’s still okay to have plenty of candy to pass around –just be sure to keep the food treats separate from non-food items.

Even if your kid isn’t affected by food allergens, you should still participate. Parents of children with food allergies will be appreciative and there’s nothing like putting a smile on a kid’s face.