Kidology - Halloween Alternative Ideas for Family Fun

Title:	Halloween Alternative Ideas for Family Fun
Author/Source:	Barney Kinard
Topic:	Family Harvest Ideas
Summary:	Halloween can be a special family time for the Christian family. Here are some suggestions for making this time more meaningful. Perhaps these suggestions will be helpful in building your own family traditions. Just try one or two this year.
Halloween can be a special family time for the Christian family. Here are some suggestions for making this time more meaningful. Perhaps these suggestions will be helpful in building your own family traditions. Just try one or two this year. Have a church family party. The last Saturday in October is good because of the time change. The kids will get an extra hour of sleep. You might have family games: bob for apples, make a silly costume with limited props, carve a pumpkin contest, color a pumpkin contest, family skits or talent show, or have a scavenger hunt by families. Carve a pumpkin for others. Then take it to a family who have no children, or to someone in a convalescent hospital or a widow. Take a box of food for a needy family. Include an uncarved pumpkin or take it to missionary family in your church. Give out Halloween tracts at the door. Of course, give nice treats too. Tape a piece of gum to the tract and write “something to chew on” or tape a sucker with “a lick and a promise.” Share extra “trick or treat” candy. Divide your kids’ candy and fill a fancy tin with some of their extra candy. Have them give it to a needy friend or a person to share with their office friends. Save some of the Halloween candy. Put it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Use this to stuff your stockings at Christmas. Make pumpkin bread as a family. Then give it as a “love gift” to a friend. Save the pumpkin seeds and roast them in the oven for eating. Invite another couple over to share the evening. You might consider a couple without children. Have a simple dinner and let them enjoy handing out treats and/or helping with your children. Have a neighborhood children’s party. Emphasize games, food and group activities. Check out your local library or video store for a fun video to show. This could be used as neighborhood outreach. You might include a flash card story with an evangelistic emphasis. Learn about Reformation Day (October 31st) with your family. Some Christians use Reformation Day as an alternative to Halloween. You might want to check it out at the library. Think about what you can do to celebrate it instead. Use the holiday to teach some of the negative aspects about Halloween. With older children, use the story of the witch of Endor (I Sam. 28:7-25) to show the Biblical view regarding witches. Take your family to a pumpkin patch. Notice the pumpkin carving displays. Then let each family member select a pumpkin to take home to creatively carve. Look up information regarding Jewish feasts and fall celebrations. For example, the Feast of Tabernacles (see Exodus 23:16). Another festival is Purim (see Esther 9:20-32). Get some new family traditions. Have family discussions about honesty. You might begin this with an object lesson on the masks of Halloween. Read Romans 12:1-2. Emphasize not being conformed to this world (by putting on masks), but be transformed by renewing of your mind (by putting God’s thoughts in your mind). Thus, being real honest about who we really are as Christians.


This post is located in the following zone(s): Halloween, Holiday Ideas