Free Printable Teal Pumpkin Project Signs For Halloween

Get free printable Teal Pumpkin Project signs to let kids know you’re offering allergy-friendly items for trick-or-treating! A great way to include all kids this Halloween season!

I’m so excited to be participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project this year! I’ve actually wanted to do this for awhile, but didn’t plan far enough ahead to make it happen at our house, until this year. It will be our new tradition going forward!

I have celiac disease and my son went dye-free a few years ago (and I joined him shortly after), so we’re always on the search for allergy-friendly candy. My son does a really good job of knowing what he can and can’t eat (and I’ve obviously become well-informed as to what candy is gluten-free), but trick-or-treating on Halloween can still be a bummer sometimes when there aren’t a lot of allergy-safe houses. If you’re an allergy mom of allergy kids, you more than understand the struggle food allergy families face!

Did you know that 1 in 13 kids has a food allergy? That’s a huge percentage of little trick-or-treaters each Halloween. That’s why the Teal Pumpkin Project is so cool! It’s a simple way to tell your neighborhood that your house has allergy-friendly options instead of or in addition to regular candy. Every child deserves a positive experience on Halloween!

Get more details and grab a free printable sign below!

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What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?

The Teal Pumpkin Project is a worldwide movement that promotes safe, inclusive trick-or-treating for children with food allergies or other dietary restrictions.

When you place a teal pumpkin on your porch, it signals that you offer non-food Halloween treats – like stickers, glow sticks, or small toys – instead of or in addition to traditional candy.

The idea began in 2012 with a Tennessee mom, and in 2014, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) launched it nationally. Today, households across the U.S. and beyond proudly display teal pumpkins every Halloween.

How to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project

It’s simple to join in! Here’s how:

Display a teal pumpkin or printed teal pumpkin sign

I’ve designed multiple printable Teal Pumpkin Project signs that you can download for FREE at the end of this post. Simply print and hang on your front door, window, or in front of your non-food treats bowl.

You can also add teal pumpkins to your front porch decor. Simply paint a regular pumpkin teal with acrylic paint, outdoor paint, or spray paint. If you have little kids, make it a family project and let them go crazy painting! It’s a fool-proof kids craft (and then you can fill in gaps when they’re done if you want 😜). If you’re struggling to cover the orange, you may need multiple coats or you can also prime the pumpkin white first.

Instead of a real pumpkin that you’ll have to throw away after Halloween, you can also paint a craft pumpkin so you can reuse it year after year (make sure the pumpkin is weather-proof, or else just display on Halloween night).

If you’re not up for a painting craft, you can also sometimes find teal plastic pumpkins at stores: I found this light-up teal plastic pumpkin at Target and it’s perfect for advertising that you have non-food treat options! I also lucked out and found a teal Halloween bucket at Walmart for under $4 (would be great for trick-or-treaters, too, but I use it to hold my non-food items). Here are some similar teal buckets.

Offer non-food treats

Choose small, inexpensive items that all kids can enjoy – lots of ideas below!

Keep non-food treats separate

If you’re also offering candy, use two separate bowls – one for non-food treats and one for candy – to avoid cross-contamination. I usually have three separate bowls: one for toys, one for allergy candy, one for traditional Halloween treats. I keep the allergy items on a small table with a teal-colored tablecloth, away from the regular candy.

Add your house to the map

You can register your home on FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project map, so local families can find allergy-friendly stops in your neighborhood. I’ve shared this link with my neighborhood Facebook group and I’ll continue to do so every year – I’m hoping to turn my whole neighborhood teal on the map!

Non-food treat ideas

• Glow sticks or glow bracelets: Dollar Tree has packs of 12 for $1.75, Walmart has packs of 8 for $1.24 (in the party favors section). This assorted pack of glow sticks would also be an inexpensive option. If your glow sticks have the little connector pieces, put them on the ends of the sticks carefully (I accidentally snapped a couple sticks, so putting the connector on halfway is good enough).
• Halloween stickers or tattoos: I made a bunch of stickers with my Cricut to give out this year!
• Mini bubbles
• Spider rings
• Mini fidget toys
• Pencils: I found packs of 12 for $1.50 at Dollar Tree
• Erasers
• Mini notebooks
• Small packs of crayons: A basic pack like these work great, but I also thought these Halloween ones were so much fun!
• Bouncy balls
• Toy cars or figures
• Mini rubber ducks: I bought two packs of these ones to give out, they’re pretty cute!
• Whatever else you can find in the Halloween section at Dollar Tree, Walmart, or Target! I tried to purchase items that were between $0.10 and $0.25 apiece to keep costs low (but splurged slightly more for a few fun things like the rubber ducks).

Here’s my Dollar Tree haul this year (I’d skip the little mazes next time because I found out after opening how cheap they are – the backing came right off, so I ended up tossing them):

Play-Doh is a questionable addition to an allergy-friendly Halloween bowl. A lot of people don’t think about this, but it actually contains wheat so it’s not safe for individuals with celiac (obviously, we’re not eating the Play-Doh but cross-contamination can still be an issue, especially for kids). I totally didn’t think about the fact that Play-Doh also contains fragrance, which can be problematic for people with sensitive skin. If you do want to offer small containers of Play-Doh, definitely put them in a separate bowl from everything else.

I know some people include vampire teeth in their non-food options, but I’d discourage it (I can just imagine dirty fingers contaminating them and then a sensitive child putting the teeth in their mouth – you never know, even a tiny amount of their allergen could cause allergic reactions).

Another thing I’d skip is slap bracelets: I’ve heard they can be incredibly dangerous and sharp if the outer cover comes off, so it’s not worth it to me. (I’m here for food safety and all safety!)

Allergy-friendly treat ideas

If you still want to offer something edible and sweet, these are the best allergy-friendly candy options:

• YumEarth: We love Giggles, Chewys, Sour Littles, Gummy Fruits, and Organic Pops (their suckers). Choco Yums aren’t my personal favorite, but my son loves them! All YumEarth products are free from the top 9 allergens, plus they’re dye free!
• Free2b products: These are free from the top 9 allergens and a great alternative to candy like Reese’s.
• EnjoyLife products: I’ve seen EnjoyLife chocolate bars before, but now I can only find baking chips so this may no longer be an option.

I’ve been able to find YumEarth products in the Halloween section at Target the last couple years. You just have to shop early, because they don’t stock a ton (though I’d wait for a buy one/get one half-off sale). Buying these snack packs is much cheaper than going with the full-size versions (which I can sometimes find at my local Walmart–unless you feel like really splurging and then you’ll really be the go-to home for trick-or-treating!).

There are a few “regular” candies that are somewhat allergy-friendly, like Smarties (though they have dye). And some people consider things like Skittles and Starburst allergy-friendly (but again, dye). You could also offer snack packs of things like Veggies Straws and Pirate Booty, which are at least gluten-free (but still contain other food allergens). If you do want to give out any of these items, just keep them separate from the true allergen-free treats listed above.

Free printable teal pumpkin signs

I made several free teal pumpkin printables, depending what you’re looking for. There are three different versions of just a teal pumpkin (feel free to cut it out before hanging in your window). Or you can choose one of the text options. Leave a comment at the bottom of this post if I’m missing a text option you’d like to see added!

These free printable signs are for personal use only, but you can print as many as you need!

To download, just click on the image below that you want. Print at 100% scale on a US-letter size piece of white paper or cardstock.

FAQ about the Teal Pumpkin Project

What does a teal pumpkin mean?

Teal is the color of food allergy awareness. A teal pumpkin on a doorstep signals that a home is offering non-candy treats for kids with allergies, medical conditions, or dietary restrictions.

Do I have to give up candy completely?

No! Many people offer two options – one bowl with candy and one with alternative treats that aren’t edible (toys, stickers, etc.). Just be sure to keep them separate to avoid cross-contamination.

Where can I buy a teal pumpkin?

I would check for plastic teal pumpkins at Target, Walmart, Amazon, or your local craft store. You can also paint your own (a real pumpkin or a craft pumpkin).

Is it expensive to participate?

It doesn’t have to be! Non-food items can be very affordable – glow sticks, pencils, and stickers often cost less than a bag of candy when bought in bulk. Dollar stores
 and Amazon often have the least expensive items, or you can check the party favor section at party supply stores.

Allergy-friendly candy is more expensive, but you can easily stick with the non-food toys and still participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project. (Though, for me, I know how exciting it is to be offered YumEarth candy, so it’s worth the extra cost to provide that for our allergy neighbor kids.)

How do I add my home to the Teal Pumpkin map?

Visit the Teal Pumpkin project map on foodallergy.org and click the yellow button that says “Add My Location”. You’ll be able to list your household name (optional), contact info (it won’t be displayed publicly), and a description of what you’ll be offering (optional, but can be helpful). Once completed, your house will be marked allergy-friendly and added to the map!

When should I set out my teal pumpkin?

Place your teal pumpkin and treats out on Halloween night, or earlier if your neighborhood does a trunk-or-treat or community event. (I like to place a sign in my window for a week or two before Halloween so anyone passing my house might see it and take note that we’re allergy-friendly.)

What are the most common allergens?

The top 9 food allergens are milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, and sesame. Most popular Halloween candies contain at least one of these (and often multiple), so offering non-candy treats is a simple act that can make a critical difference, making Halloween fun for everyone.

Teal Pumpkin Project printables

I hope you consider participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project this year! It’s such a great initiative to include all children, regardless of allergies and food intolerances. Plus, if you offer non-food options and toys, you’ll probably become the hot spot for trick-or-treating in your neighborhood – even non-allergy kids love it!

Happy Halloween!

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