How to Make Birthday Treats for a Peanut-Free Class

Of the school age kids in America, 2.2 million have food allergies. Reports of the life-threatening reaction, anaphylaxis, have contributed to the notoriety of peanut allergies. Some schools, in an attempt to protect students with peanut allergies, have instituted peanut-free zones. Often, these zones include the child’s class and a section of the lunchroom. In some instances, the zones may be much larger or encompass the entire school. Managing a peanut allergy can be difficult enough to deal with for the families they directly affect. It can feel impossible for the well meaning parent of a non-allergic child to make a birthday treat for students in a peanut-free class.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Peanut-free treats
• Non-food treats (optional)

1. Contact the teacher for recommendations a week or two in advance of the birthday. The parent of the allergic child may have already provided the teacher with a list of peanut-free birthday ideas.

2. Offer to work directly with the allergic child’s family to put together an appropriate treat. Ask the teacher to pass your name and contact information to the allergic child’s parents so they can contact you.

3. Make homemade treats using controlled ingredients, free of peanut contamination. Thoroughly wash dishes and utensils that will be used in preparation and packaging. Include a card listing all ingredients (and applicable brand names) with all treats to be distributed during class.

4. Put together a mix of hard candies as an alternative to baked goods. Select a mix of shapes and colors for variety and visual appeal. Dress them up in a colored cellophane wrap with ribbons or by filling clear, plastic containers.

5. Supply non-food treats. Create goodie bags from stickers, stacking pencils, shaped erasers, pizza place tokens, notepads, small toys and other trinkets. Follow a theme of the birthday child’s choosing. Consider containers or bags that match the chosen theme.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult food allergy websites for peanut-free treats the whole class can enjoy. If the recipes seem too complicated, choose to make simple treats like gelatin with homemade whipped cream.
• Try not to feel rejected if the parent insists on sending special treats for the allergic child. Depending on the severity of the allergy, some parents may not feel comfortable trusting an inexperienced person to make safe treats.
• Do not ask for the child’s name or parents’ contact information. Allergies are a medical condition and the teacher could violate the allergic child’s privacy by sharing this information.

Resources

• Recipes from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network