If you have kids with food allergies, gluten intolerance, or any kind of restrictive diet, Halloween is probably your worst nightmare come true. Strangers who don’t know any better about what your kid can and can’t eat, handing out delicious looking candy that all your kids’ friends are devouring. You can either monitor them like a hawk, confiscating all their candy and probably starting a fight, or you can trust that they’ll know what they can’t eat…and that could be a dangerous assumption to make. After all, food allergies send thousands of children to the emergency room every year, proving fatal, in some cases.

So what are you, as a parent, to do? Do you spoil your kids fun or put them in potential danger?

Unfortunately, there’s no clear-cut solution to this issue. Not everyone on your block can accommodate to all allergies and the tough call is yours to make as a parent. But there is an organization looking to make this hectic Halloween a little easier on everyone.

How? By painting pumpkins teal.

The Teal Pumpkin Project is trying to help kids with food allergies enjoy their Halloween. The TPP is encouraging people worldwide to paint one pumpkin on their porch a bright teal, which lets parents of food sensitive trick o’ treaters know that their house is safe to go to.

Anyone who decided to participate in the project should have non-food goodies on hand, like glow sticks, little toys, stickers – anything that will allow the kids to participate in this fun tradition with their friends without putting them in harm’s way.

This is such an easy way to help out your neighborhood kids this Halloween! By painting your pumpkin teal, you’re essentially a beacon of fun and safety that passing kids can rely upon. And all you had to do was paint a pumpkin a funky color and stock up on crayons!

If no kids with dietary restrictions come by, hand out the non-edible goodies WITH some candy to other kids. Trust us, no one is going to object to a Snickers bar and a little toy. You definitely don’t lose anything in participating, but you could very well be saving someone’s Halloween night.

We encourage you to spread the word about this project far and wide! The Teal Pumpkin Project is a new idea, sponsored by the Food Allergy Research & Education Foundation, and they’re trying to spread the word as best they can – but sharing this post or posting about what you’ve read on Facebook will spread the message that much further. After all, if no one knows what the teal pumpkins mean, then no kids will be helped.

You can go on the Food Allergy Research & Education website to learn what areas near you are participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, as well as how you can bring the even to your area. There’s also an opportunity to donate, if that’s how you feel you’d like to help in making this Halloween a safer one for everyone!

What do you think of this brilliant project? Will you be painting a pumpkin teal this Halloween? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.