Handling Halloween at School 

The spooky night may be on a Saturday this year, but don’t expect your child’s school to forego the festivities. Here are some tips for a safe Halloween in the classroom:

• Talk with the teacher as soon as you can about snacks, treats and activities.
• If food will be served for the class, offer to bring it. At the very least, provide something safe for your child to eat. 
• For younger children, attend the party, at least long enough to see that no unsafe foods turn up.
• Remember that Halloween-sized versions of candies and chocolate bars may contain different ingredients than full-size versions, so read the label every time.
• Remind your child that the days after Halloween are prime time for allergen-filled candy and treats to show up at school. Extra caution and hand-washing is needed.

Tip from Pamela Lee, Allergic Living’s associate editor and mother of a son with food allergies:

"In the weeks before Halloween, try to find parties or events that don’t involve food." Lee’s family has done things such as going to a local pool that showed a movie. Sitting in the warm water watching Ghostbusters created nice family memories, without the worry of an allergic reaction.

• More Tips - from Anaphylaxis Canada’s Laurie Harada.

• Spooky but Safe Candy.
• When The Great Pumpkin Almost Goofed.
• Discussions on F.A. and Halloween here and Halloween Shopping here.