Invitations: Give each family in your church an invitation in advance to celebrate Halloween at the church. Ask that each family dresses up as characters from their favorite Bible story.
This event will have five different activity rooms and the families can rotate through these rooms as they choose. At each of the activity room hand out one of these verses (a different verse for each activity room)
- John 14:27
- Joshua 1:9
- Isaiah 43:1
- Psalm 23:4
- Psalm 27:1
Activity Room One: Games Room
In the games room there will be a number of different games going on at once – be aware that this might be the children’s favorite activity room.
- Bobbing for Apples: fill a bin with water and apples. Those wishing to play must use only their mouths the pick up the apples.
- Pumpkin drawing: Have a number of pumpkins and the kids can draw on.
- Sack Race: Have three different sacks. The kids need to get inside of the sacks. They need to race them by jump in the sacks; the first to reach the finish-line wins.
- The Best Dressed: Give the kids toilet paper to create an outfit on their parents. The parent that looks the “best dressed” wins.
- Ring Toss: Set up water-bottles and have the kids throw rings at them to see how many rings they can get around the water-bottles.
Activity Room Two: The Mess Hall
In this area there will be free pizza, pop, coffee (for the adults), chips, and assorted candy. In this room the families can fellowship with others as they choose and enjoy a meal. If you do not have a budget big enough for free food then you can sell tickets to this event.
Activity Room Three: Theatre
In this room the fallowing play takes place every half-hour. Have the times posted so that nobody misses this activity.
Characters:
- Max (dressed as a ghost)
- Sally (dresses as a princess)
- Halloween
Max: Sally, I’m not sure that I like Halloween…
Sally: Why not, Max?
Max: Because it is scary!
Sally: What is so scary about it? It is just a bunch of kids walking around in costumes.
Max: What about the monsters, the wizards, and Mr. Halloween?
Sally: I don’t think those things are real…
Max: But what if…
Sally: Come on, we need to go home soon and I want to get more candy before the sun goes down.
(Max and Sally walk up to a door and ring the bell – Mr. Halloween opens the door)
Max: AHH!
Sally: Mr…. Hallo…ween… you…do…exist…
Mr. Halloween: Max, Sally, you don’t need to be scare of me, Halloween is only my last name. I’m not actually scary.
Max: But…
Sally: We’ve heard rumors…
Mr. Halloween: Like what?
Max: You eat mice for breakfast…
Sally: You give out liver instead of Halloween candy…
Max: Your favorite soup has brains in it…
(Mr. Halloween starts to laugh)
Max: What’s so funny?
Mr. Halloween: I have a funny last name and therefore I must be scary… Boo!
Max and Sally: AHH!
Mr. Halloween: Oh kids, neither of you need to be scared
Sally: Why not?
Mr. Halloween: Let me read you one of my favorite Bible verse, (Mr. Halloween pulls out his Bible and flips it open), it says, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV).
Max: What does it mean?
Mr. Halloween: Well, it means that God is with you.
Sally: Is He with me right now?
Mr. Halloween: Yes, Sally, God is with you right now. You do not need to be afraid because God loves you and He is big enough to take care of you.
Max: So you mean that I don’t need to be scared of monsters?
Mr. Halloween: Well to tell you the truth, monsters aren’t real, but even if they were real you wouldn’t need to be afraid.
Max: Oh, well that is a relief!
Mr. Halloween: It sure is kids!
Sally: Thanks Mr. Halloween, from now on I am not going to be afraid, instead I am going to pray to God to take care of me. Let’s pray right now: Dear God, thank you that we can have fun on Halloween but please keep us safe. We trust you and we will not be afraid anymore, amen.
Activity Room Four: Trunk-Or-Treat
This activity room will take place in the parking-lot. Get a number of church volunteers to decorate the trunks of their cars with different scenes of the Bible (examples: Christmas scene, Easter scene, Crossing the Red Sea scene, etcetera). The kids can go from trunk the trunk and collect candy.
Activity Room Five: Photo Booth
Have a designated area where the families can get photos together or where the kids can get photos with their friends. Make sure to get their email addresses so that you can send them their pictures. Have different hats and costumes so that the families can have fun with their pictures!