There was a story in the media recently about a family that intended to hand out toothbrushes this Halloween. Even as dentists, our first reaction to that story was “Well, there’s a good way to ensure your house gets egged this Halloween!”
Tooth and gum health aside, there is another GREAT reason to hand out candy alternatives: Kids with allergies. If you are the parent of a child with serious food allergies, you know how difficult it is to manage Trick or Treating and the overwhelming desire by kids to eat everything in their treat bag.
A new movement called the “Teal Pumpkin Project”* is setting out to help remind families that there are kids who can’t eat the chocolate bars or other nut laden goodies and that we can help ensure that ALL the kids have a great Halloween night by having some candy-free alternatives available.
What sort of alternatives will avoid your house being egged? That’s easy!
- Glow sticks, bracelets and necklaces – which have the added bonus of making the wee ghouls and goblins more visible as they tour the neighbourhood!
- Halloween toys from the dollar store – who wouldn’t want a rubber spider, a rubber eyeball or a set of fangs?
- Mini-playdoh containers are perfect and fun for kids of a variety of ages.
- Stickers and tattoos are always a hit – Halloween themed ones are available!
- Bubbles! Tiny bottles of bubbles or other party favours (again, the dollar store is your friend here) are awesome! You can get self-inking stamps, necklaces, rings, all sorts of goodies!
- Halloween themed pencils, erasers and pencil toppers are great for school aged kids! A healthy and happy reminder of a spooktacular night of fun!
Want some non-candy but still edible alternatives? Though not necessarily allergy friendly, some healthier favourites include: little bags of pretzels, mini boxes of raisins and nut free granola bars. These are just a few options that will help make this Halloween happy and healthy for all!
Download a Team Pumpkin Project poster here, if you want to let Trick or Treaters know that you have non-food treats available: http://www.foodallergy.org/
And regardless of what your children find in their trick or treat bags this Halloween, they still have to take care of their teeth! Make sure they brush at least twice a day and floss at least once a day, and make sure you take them to see their family dentist twice a year. Orion Dental has offices in Milton and Scarborough and we’d love the chance to take care of your kids beautiful smiles! Book an appointment today!