Halloween. That one day of the year that is hard to reconcile with being dairy-free. When your kids are pleading to go trick or treating with their friends always filled me with dread. I’m not a big fan of Halloween, and trick or treating was not really a thing when I was younger. However, it is a growing trend here in the UK and it’s hard to keep saying no. I don’t want our children to think of me as a spoil-sport. Even if an allergy isn’t a concern; you may be dairy-free through choice, it can be equally as tricky. So, I set myself the challenge of finding ways the kids could join in the fun. Rather than locking the doors, turning off the lights, disconnecting the doorbell, and saying no to Halloween, I looked for ways they could join in.
Plan ahead.
Planning ahead is key to avoiding much of the stress of the day. A lot will depend on the age of your children as to what choices to make, but below are some top tips for a dairy-free Halloween.
- Ask your neighbours if you can give them some safe sweets in advance so that when your children knock on their door they can join in. My two were blown away at being given safe sweets when they were younger. The joy on their faces was worth the effort of organising it.
- Carry a bag of safe sweets to trade out the ones they cannot have if they cannot wait, or trade them when you get home.
- Trade the sweets they cannot have, for other, non-sweet treats such as vampire teeth, Halloween stickers, etc.
- Throw a party at your house before you go trick or treating so they can enjoy some Halloween treats and fun beforehand.
- Sometimes, very young children are nervous and don’t want to go out but do want to enjoy some Halloween fun. Offer them a Halloween party at home and do some Halloween-based crafts or baking.
- Our children are older now and as much as they enjoy Halloween they don’t want to go trick or treating. Instead, they organise a movie night with their friends, watch Ghostbusters or Hotel Transylvania, and share Halloween sweets and treats that are safe for everyone.
- Consider looking into the Teal Pumpkin Project in the USA. This is an amazing idea where children who suffer from allergies can join in with Halloween and receive non-food treats instead. It would be amazing to see something like this take off here, given the growing trend for Halloween in the UK.
Quick wins for Halloween Treats
- Monster Jelly – Lime green jelly with edible eyes on top.
- Scary Fruit Snacks – Mandarin pots with Jack-O-Lantern faces drawn on the lids.
- Popcorn or Marshmallows in bags with ghost faces drawn on with a marker pen.
I’ll be posting more Halloween ideas in the come weeks, so check back, to see what I have found
The Teal Pumpkin Project
I love this idea. A teal pumpkin signifies allergy-friendly, non-food treats are available when trick or treating. This is an initiative in America to ensure the inclusivity of children who would not otherwise be able to join in. You could read more about the project if you wanted to consider creating your own ‘Teal’ pumpkin.
