Harvest Party

• Harvest parties are intended to celebrate the beauty and majesty of autumn. Colored leaves, pumpkins, apples and scarecrows are central decorations for the harvest party. Traditional activities for harvest parties include bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving and hay rides. Games for a harvest celebration include wheelbarrow races and sack races. Pumpkin painting and face painting are great harvest party activities for younger children.
  
  

Fall Carnival

• Fall carnivals are fun family events that can involve fundraising, as well. Church members can dress as carnival characters or Biblical personalities. Have a costume contest for each age level to encourage dress up. Add more Biblical teaching with a storytelling tent. Recruit local storytellers or talented congregation members to share Biblical stories. Offer a prize for amateur storytellers. A cake walk and a bake sale encourage members of all ages and interests to get involved and help raise money. Traditional carnival games will keep the kids and adults entertained while sharing the joy of God's love with others.
  
  

Trunk or Treat

• This twist on the traditional tailgating party is perhaps the most popular alternative Halloween celebration. Community members are encouraged to bring their classic cars and park them in the church parking lot. Congregation members dress up according to the theme, often 1950s or Biblical heroes. Children go from car to car getting treats from the trunks of the classic cars. The activities may be traditional harvest games or carnival games. Outdoor activities, such as super slides or dunk tanks, are common at trunk or treat parties.
  
  

Glow-in-the-Dark Party

• Shine the light of God in a dark world. That is the theme of a glow-in-the-dark party. The children wear glow bracelets, glow necklaces and white or neon clothes. Black lights should be used for decoration to make the glow jewelry stand out. Flashlight tag, kick the can and other after-dark games are ideal for glow-in-the-dark parties. Kids can catch lightning bugs outside and put them in jars. Lite Brite is another activity that is ideal for this kind of party. "This Little Light of Mine" is one of many songs that fit this theme, as well.