Teal pumpkins are back to make Halloween safer for kids

For kids with food allergies, the trick-or-treating part of Halloween can be something of a let-down - especially if parents won't let the little monsters and witches go door to door asking for treats.

Most chocolates and candies are chockfull of allergens like tree nuts, peanuts, and wheat, making them potentially dangerous for some children.

That's why teal pumpkins are popping up in front of houses once again.

For a third Halloween, the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization is spearheading the Teal Pumpkin Project. Homes offering an allergy-safe alternative to Halloween treats will put a teal pumpkin out front indicating their participation.

An interactive map on the project site lets households mark their location. By pinning onto the map a home is committing to passing out non-food treats (think small toys, plastic jewelry, glow sticks, small games or puzzles) instead of or in addition to candies and other food treats.

FARE spokeswoman Nancy Gregory told Mashablethat some 12,000 homes have been pinned on the map, up from last year's 10,000. She expects to see many more teal pumpkins out in the wild since not everyone marks the map.

Some people were hoping for an easier way to have a teal pumpkin, Gregory said, so teal pumpkin products are available online and at stores for the first time this year. Shoppers can purchase an inflatable teal pumpkin all ready to go.

For the past three years Beth Cobb has been painting a pumpkin to put outside her Crozet, Virginia, home.

Her son, who is 10 years old, has had a peanut allergy since he was three.

"I got frustrated," she told Mashable. "We would go places and half of them would have peanuts."

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Hers is one of many homes in her neighborhood that gives out bubbles, pencils, spider rings and small toys instead of candies that her son can't eat.

"I do it to show more support for him and his allergy," she said.

Even the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., is getting in on the teal action.

Gregory said the prevalence of food allergies among children has increased dramatically since the 90s.

"Food allergies aren’t just a trend or an inconvenience," Gregory said. She was quick to remind Halloween revelers that for some kids a food allergy can be really severe and even life-threatening and totally not worth that fun-size Snickers bar.

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