Cranford Street Celebrates Allergy Safe Halloween

CRANFORD, NJ - Those trick-or-treaters braving the gauntlet of food allergies this Halloween now have a safe haven on one street in Cranford. This year the majority houses on Oneida Place are participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

If you've been paying attention to Halloween decor this season, you've probably noticed some teal pumpkins in the mix. These blue-green gourds look cool, but they're actually part of something much bigger: It's called the Teal Pumpkin Project, and it's a way to include kids with food allergies and other conditions in all the trick-or-treating fun. According to organizers, the majority of Oneida Place will be participating.

By placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep, you're letting the neighborhood know that your house has non-food treats available on Halloween night. You can paint a regular pumpkin teal, but there are also inflatable teal pumpkins, Teal Pumpkin Project flags, teal pumpkin torches, teal pumpkin lawn signs and teal pumpkin treat buckets you can display. You can also add your home to the Food Allergy Research & Education's Teal Pumpkin Project map.

Some safe treats on the menu for the night are:

• Glow sticks/necklaces
• Pencils/crayons/markers
• Bubbles
• Stickers
• Erasers
• Slinkies
• Noisemakers
• Bouncy balls
• Finger puppets
• Halloween rings
• Mini notebooks
• Playing cards
• Bookmarks
• Temporary tattoos
• Nail polish
• Stampers
• Activity books
• Fake mustaches
• Silly straws

Organizers note that some homes will still be giving out candy and request that parents accompany the child to the front door and ask for a safe treat.

(Photo provided)

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