They’re Gourd-geous! Teal Pumpkins for Safe Trick-or-Treating

Posted on Friday, October 29th, 2021

Trick-or-treaters will be putting the final touches on their Halloween costumes this weekend in preparation for the big day on Sunday. There are many ways to stay safe on Halloween – wearing reflective clothing, always using the buddy system, and remembering to wear a face mask in crowded places. One Green Cluster class learned how to make trick-or-treating safer for kids with food allergies.

Co-Head Teacher Zoe Carril taught a lesson this week on the Teal Pumpkin Project. The project is a nationwide movement that encourages families to leave a teal pumpkin outside their door to indicate they are a home providing a non-food related treat.

Students read an article that explains the movement, and then they had a class discussion centered around why this would be important to participate in.

“It brought up a lot of wonderful themes, such as inclusivity and equity – how no kid should feel left out on Halloween,” Ms. Carril said.

To finish out the lesson, each student received their own mini pumpkin to paint teal. They then attached a sheet around their pumpkin stems to let people know they have candy and non-food treats. Ms. Carril said this was important for her to teach because she knows a lot of children who have food allergies, as well as having a food allergy herself.

“This was also a great opportunity for them to be able to advocate and share the importance of the Teal Pumpkin Project to their friends and families, and be a part of a nationwide movement,” she said.