Make Halloween Trick-or-Treat Safe for Kids with Allergies

Filed in archive Allergy Support Groups , Food Allergies , Gadgets and Tools Against Allergies , Living with Allergies by ruth on October 13, 2008

Mini Orange Plastic Pumpkin Candy Bucket (6 count)

Just a couple more weeks and it's Halloween once again. Time for trick-or-treating and it ought to be fun! But what if there are kids with food and other allergies in your neighborhood? Surely, you don't want these kids to miss out on the fun and tradition? With a few steps, you can help make Halloween a safe and enjoyable activity for ALL kids on the block, including those with food allergies. Here are a few tips from Enjoy Life Foods and AllergyMoms for a safe and fun-filled Halloween trick-or-treating:

Be proactive. If you know of children in the neighborhood with food allergies, ask their parents what types of candies are safe. They'll be thrilled to know you care.

Keep a stash of "safe candy" or fun trinkets. Pick up an assortment of Enjoy Life's new boom CHOCO boom™ bars, the first-ever dairy-, nut- and soy-, and gluten-free chocolatey bars. Also, have fun trinkets on hand such as bubbles, Silly Putty, tattoos, stickers, spider rings and bracelets. Kids with food allergies or intolerances will be grateful to receive something they can actually enjoy.

Be discreet. If you know a child has food allergies, don't ask "Oh, you're the one with the peanut allergy, right?" Kids want to fit in and don't like to be singled out.

Everyone loves ingredient labels. Give out candy with clear ingredient labels so parents and children can decide which candies are safe.

Don't drop candy into kids' bags. Allow each child to select his or her candy. More often than not, they'll know which candies are safe and which aren't.

Listen to the children. If a child says "No thank you," it may be because they don't see a safe option in what's being offered. Don't make a fuss by insisting they take candy that may not be safe for them.

Parents know best. Don't assume that peanut allergy is the only allergy. There are many types of food allergies and food intolerances, so it's important to let parents decide what candy is safe for their child.

Think of your guests. If you're entertaining for Halloween, don't leave candy dishes unattended and be mindful of children "stashing" candy. Young children with food allergies may be easily tempted by "unsafe" candy.