Shine the Light on Halloween: Elementary Lesson

Use this fun and creative lesson around Halloween to help kids shine the light of Jesus. Find more great elementary Sunday school lessons to help kids grow in their faith.

1. The Good, Bad, and Ugly

You’ll need:

• Bible
• newsprint
• tape
• markers

Tape the newsprint to the wall.

Say: At Halloween, some people think of darkness, night, and spooky things. I know you’ve seen store displays that are dark and yucky. Some people like to dress up in dark and spooky costumes, and other people like to dress up and pretend in nice costumes. Let’s make lists of costumes and put them under two categories: darkness and light. Name a costume for me, and we’ll decide which list to put it on. Write kids’ answers on the newsprint.

When the lists are complete, ask:

• Which costume list honors God?
• Which costumes would Jesus want us to wear?

Read aloud John 1:1-9.

Ask:

• What does the Bible say about God’s light? about the darkness?
• How are these verses like or unlike what happens at Halloween?

Say: At Halloween, our choice of dress up costumes and the things we pretend and play can honor God, the God of Light.

2. Flashlight Hike

You’ll need:

• Bible
• flashlight

Using a flashlight, take children on a hike through a dark room in your church. Keeping the lights off, turn off your flashlight and have them sit in a circle.

Ask: How…

• does it feel to be in the dark?
• is Halloween a dark time?
• did the flashlight help us find our way?
• can the light of the Holy Spirit guide us during Halloween?

Use your flashlight to read aloud Matthew 5:14-16.

Ask:

• What does light do?
• How can we be God’s light for the world at Halloween?

Say: You’re in the light when Jesus puts his light in you. That’s kind of like a jack-o’-lantern. When we see a pumpkin face, we can be reminded that the light inside is like the light of the Holy Spirit that God places in us if we ask him to.

3. Let It Shine

You’ll need:

• lunch sacks
• cookie cutters
• pencils
• votive candles
• sand

Say: We’re going to make luminarias. Luminarias are used to light a path. Our luminarias will light the path to faith in Christ on Halloween.

Give each child a lunch sack. Have children use cookie cutters to trace heart or cross shapes onto their sacks. Then have them use pencils to poke holes through the sacks about one-quarter inch all around the traced shapes. Have kids pour enough sand in the sacks to cover the bottoms. Give each child a votive candle to place in the sack and light at home. Explain that kids’ parents need to light their candles and supervise the use of the luminarias.

Then close in prayer, asking God to help people who live in darkness see the light of Christ and trust him as their Savior.

4. Food for Thought

Allergy Alert: Some children have food allergies that can be dangerous. Know your children, and consult with parents about allergies their children may have.

You’ll need:

• dried pumpkin seeds
• cheese spread
• crackers
• plastic knives

Tell kids to: Spread the cheese on your cracker. Use the seeds to create designs on your cracker that’ll remind you of Jesus and his light, such as a smiley face, a light, or a cross.

Mark von Ehrenkrook is a children’s and family pastor in Puyallup, Washington. 

Check out all these Halloween ideas!