Spooky-Safe Halloween: Tips for a Fun and Allergy-Friendly Night

It’s likely that you or someone you know is managing an allergy and at Anaphylaxis UK, we believe no one should feel left out during Halloween!

That’s why we’ve put together our top tips for hosting the perfect allergy-friendly party, along with advice to help your child enjoy trick-or-treating safely. With just a few extra precautions, you can ensure everyone has a fun and inclusive Halloween experience. 

Top tips for an allergy-friendly Halloween party 

1. Check with guests – When inviting people, it’s important to always ask if anyone has allergies, and if so, how they would like to be catered for. It may be that they prefer to bring their own food, or you can ensure their specific allergen isn’t included in your buffet. 
2. Prep-prepared Foods – Try to avoid serving too many home-made foods because of the risk of cross contamination in their preparation. Pre-prepared foods with clear labelling are safer for people with allergies.
3. Label – Labelling food with any of the top 14 allergens that are present can also help individuals make their own decision. Do include any precautionary labelling such as “may contain nuts”. If you have friends bringing treats over to the party, encourage them to include a list of ingredients. 
4. Keep the packaging – Keeping the packaging will also allow your guests to be able to double check. Checking labels is a very important precaution to take when living with an allergy. 
5. Cross-contamination – If you are including multiple allergens in your spread, be aware of cross-contamination. Remember to keep food separate, use separate utensils, and thoroughly clean preparation surfaces to prevent an allergen contaminating an otherwise safe dish. 
6. Know what to do in an emergency – Get clued up on what to do if you or your friend has an anaphylactic reaction. Take a look at our instructions here. 
7. Avoid latex decorations – Not all allergies are food related. If someone attending has a latex allergy, just make sure you avoid decorations such as latex balloons and opt for alternatives such as foil balloons instead. 
8. Ordering in – If the food is being ordered in, for example a takeaway, allergen food information regulations apply. See our guide to ordering takeaways with an allergy here. 
9. Games – Try to avoid games that involve food where there may be a risk of cross-contamination. Make sure everyone can get involved in your games!

Top-tips for safe trick or treating

1. Set ground rules – Establish clear rules with your child, such as not eating anything until you’ve inspected it together. Remind them not to accept homemade treats or unwrapped items.
2. Bring safe treats – Pack a small bag of allergy-safe treats that you know your child can enjoy. This allows them to have something to snack on whilst trick or treating, when other children will be eating their collected goodies.
3. Check labels before eating – Once trick-or-treating is over, sort through the collected treats and check all labels carefully. Be aware that some small sweets might not have full ingredient lists on individual packaging, so it’s safest to avoid those unless you can verify the ingredients. Have some allergy-safe treats at home that you can swap out for the ones your child is not allowed.
4. Carry allergy medication – Ensure your child has their emergency medications, such as their adrenaline auto-injector (EpiPen/Jext) or inhaler, with them at all times, just in case of accidental exposure.
5. Communicate with neighbours – Before trick-or-treating, you can reach out to your neighbours to explain your child’s allergies. Some may even offer to have allergy-safe or non-food treats on hand, or you could pop round with some allergy-safe treats they can give your child.
6. Plan the route – If possible, plan a trick-or-treating route ahead of time and stick to homes or neighbours who are familiar with your child’s allergy needs.
7. Consider costume safety – If your child has contact allergies, make sure their costume and accessories are free of potential allergens. Avoid face paints or masks that could contain ingredients that might trigger a reaction.
8. Bring a torch and a phone – A torch will help you read labels in the dark, and should an emergency arise, you are able to administer an adrenaline auto-injector in a well lit situation. A phone will allow you to call for emergency assistance quickly.
9. Not comfortable with trick-or-treating? If you’re still unsure about your child’s safety while trick-or-treating, consider hosting a small Halloween get-together at home. This way, you can create a safe environment with fun, non-food games and allergy-friendly treats, ensuring everyone can join in the spooky fun without worry.

Do you have a little one eager to join in the Halloween fun? Check out our Halloween Wordsearch and Colouring Pages for some spooky entertainment!   

We hope you have a happy and safe Halloween!