Halloween can be a scary time of year for children's ministers, with congregations sometimes divided about how to treat it. I have heard some say we shouldn't recognize it in any way. I'm of the mind-set that any outreach we can provide families as a positive alternative to Halloween is something we should do. That's why we always held a fall festival at my church.

It's always a plus when we can take something like Halloween and use it for God. Fall fest preparations are under way at many churches, so I wanted to share with you some tricks and treats to help make this year's celebration the best.

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1. The Skit Guys. If you haven't visited their website yet, do it now. Not only do they have cool skits and scripts, you can also download promotional videos for your fall fests, trunk-or-treats, and even your Holy Ghost Weenie Roasts! The promos are downloadable and easily customizable, letting you put your logo and event information on top of their videos.

2. Allergy-free is the way to be. Halloween candy is the best. But I never considered all the kids out there who have allergies. Group recently held an event for kids and included allergy-free (no nuts, no chocolate) candy bags. The kids lit up when they got their own special bags, and the parents were appreciative. If you are like me and never considered allergy-free candy bags, this is the year to start! (You might also consider providing small toy bags for candy-free families.)

3. Weird Science. Along with a trunk-or-treat, my church hosts a fall fest with games and activities. We have the standard favorites, like a cakewalk, beanbag toss, and pie-eating contest, but we also put on a short "Mad Scientist" show. Kids would gather in a room decorated like a crazy laboratory and do fun science experiment devotions. We did things like sprinkle pepper in a small pan of water and demonstrate how it scatters when a little dish soap is added. Then we compared it with how the pepper is like sin and the soap is like Jesus. A highlight of the fest came at the end when we would do the classic mints and diet soda gusher experiment.

4. Face time. The face-painting booth is always a hit. While you have kids sitting down and (almost) still, have your face painters ready to tell a story or Bible point that goes along with the things they are painting. If a boy wants a jack-o-lantern, remind him that God lights up our lives. If a girl wants a tiara, explain that she is God's princess.

5. Dress-up themes. I love to dress up in costumes for our fall events. At last year's trunk-or-treat, my wife and I dressed as characters from a popular bird vs. pig app. We always specified "no scary costumes" on all of our flyers, but we would usually have a few kids who came dressed up in classic movie killer garb. One way you can cut down on that is to have themed events. For example, have a superhero fest where everyone dresses like a hero.

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Make sure to check out Slime Time, Heroes Unmasked, and The Great Tomb Raid for some easy but incredible fall fest ideas as well.

We want to know what events you put on in the fall! Let us know what your kids love and what didn't work as well! Leave a comment in the box below!