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Halloween Alternative or Fall Festival Ideas

© 2016 CTA, Inc. www.CTAinc.com

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Looking for something new and different for this year’s October Family Event? Look no further! You’ve come to the right place!

Folks in many churches and communities just like yours are looking for a new fall event idea, one to help them—and kids from their neighborhood, too—celebrate God’s wonderful love for us in Jesus. Any and all of the ideas below will help you tie everything together and keep God’s redeeming love in Christ as your central focus. Interested? Read on!

Halloween Alternative or Fall Festival Ideas

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The games, craft, and conversation in this theme will encourage children to share the Good News of Jesus the Savior with their family and friends.

A visit to your local party store or a quick web search can spark decorating ideas. Think: white lights, glow-in-the-dark items, spotlights, yellow streamers, etc.

Consider recruiting people from your church who have a natural, winsome way of talking with children about Jesus. Invite them to lead an activity. This will give them an opportunity to “shine for Jesus” while the children participate in the activity.

“Jesus Time”Plan a large-group worship activity to begin or wrap up your event. Visit the Resource & Idea Center at www.CTAinc.com to download the free Time to Shine for Jesus Ministry Message from CTA and focus on it as the main activity for the day.

Consider using a special ending designed for use with the Time to Shine for Jesus LED Firefly Flier: (This works best in a dim room or outside at night.) Gather the children into a crowded, somewhat disorganized bunch. Designate one child at the center of the bunch to turn on his or her LED Firefly Flier. Talk about the difference the light makes and compare that to one person sharing the light of Jesus as was discussed in the Ministry Message. Then explain the directions for the activity before anyone else turns on a Firefly Flier:

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•When the person next to you turns on his or her flier, count to 3 in your head and then turn on your flier.

•Watch how the light spreads out through the crowd.

When everyone’s flier is lit, point out the contrast between when one person was shining for Jesus (telling others about him) and when everyone is shining for Jesus. Marvel at the great growth in light and talk about the privilege of bringing the Light of the World, Jesus, to those people who don’t have his light in their life.

Then, on the count of 3, everyone can spin his or her flier off and find it to take it home. (You may want to have a few extra fliers on hand in case some get lost.)

CraftsFirefly Craft (using the Time to Shine Glow-in-the-Dark Necklace)

What You’ll Need•A dim space indoors or a safe place outside, dark enough to see the glow from glowsticks• Empty, green plastic 16.9-ounce soda bottles, one for each child• 12-inch chenille wires, 4 for each child (3 will be legs and 1 will make antennae, so choose

appropriate colors)• Permanent markers to draw eyes and decorate body•Card stock or construction paper to make wings and wrap around the bottle for the body• Patterns for body (make a rectangle 4 inches by 8 ½ inches)• Patterns for wings (in this guide)• Pencils for tracing patterns

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• Scissors•Double-sided tape (or roll a piece of tape as a

substitute)•Glue• Time to Shine Glow-in-the-Dark Necklaces (use

just the glow sticks for this craft)

What You’ll Do1. Children should trace one body pattern and cut it out of the construction paper or card

stock. They can draw designs on the body, if they’d like. For the wings, have them fold a piece of construction paper in half, trace one wing (putting the fold at the top), and cut it out. Then unfold the wings and set these aside.

2. Wrap each of the legs around the body at equal distances from each other. Twist them so they fit snugly, and then bend them in the shape of legs.

3. Starting at one edge of the legs and ending at the other, glue the construction-paper body around the bottle (it will be open where the legs are).

4. Glue the wings to the top of the firefly’s body.5. Use a permanent marker to draw eyes on the cap of the bottle.6. Wrap a chenille wire around the neck of the bottle, twist to secure, and bend the ends to

look like antennae.7. Open the bottle, crack the glow stick and shake it to

activate.8. Put the glow stick inside the bottle and replace the cap.

You might want to secure the glow stick to the neck of the bottle with a bit of double-sided tape. (Or tell the children how to do this and let them do it at home.)

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What You’ll SayYou can help your firefly fly by swooping it through the air. Do you notice how your eyes follow the light of the glow inside the bottle?

Light gets attention. Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine” (Matthew 5:14–16). When we are kind and when we share Jesus’ love, it gets the attention of our friends and family. We know and believe that Jesus is the Savior. We know and believe his death on the cross means our sins are forgiven. We know and believe that his rising from the dead means we, too, will live. Because we know and believe all this, we can be lights in the world as we tell our friends and family all this Good News!

Coloring Page

What You’ll Need• Printed copies of the Time to Shine for Jesus coloring page from the Resource & Idea Center

at www.CTAinc.com•Crayons or markers

What You’ll DoIt’s best if children can be seated in small groups around tables for this activity. Direct the children to read the Bible verse together with you, then give them time to color the page.

What You’ll SayAs they’re coloring, start small-group conversations and role play by using the following questions:

• In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” Can you think of ways that Jesus is light, ways that he brings light to the world? Take the next few minutes, and give each person in your group a time to tell one way. How many ways can your group list?

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• In Matthew 5, Jesus says. “You are the light of the world.” Talk with your group about all the ways you can think of to be light in the world.

•How can it be that Jesus is the light of the world AND you are the light of the world? Share your ideas with your group.

It’s true. When we are afraid in the darkness, turning on a light helps us feel safe. A flashlight can lead us safely through the darkness. The Bible calls sin “darkness.” Disobeying God is not safe and it can feel scary, too. Jesus is our Light. He died to take away our sins. When we trust in Jesus as our Savior, he guides us safely through this life to life with him in heaven. Jesus is our light! We can be lights, too, when we share the good news about Jesus the Savior with others.

Note: Consider distributing CTA’s Time to Shine for Jesus goodie bag. It will help the children keep crafts and any other mementos in hand throughout the event.

GamesFlashlight Tag

If you hold your event outside and have a grassy area that also provides places to hide, get everyone involved in an energetic game of flashlight tag. One player is It. It holds the flashlight with the light off and counts to 50 before turning on the flashlight, hunting for the others, and “catching” them in the beam of the flashlight. After 5–10 children have been caught, start a new round, with the first person who was caught acting as the new It.

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Firefly Flashlight Tag

In this tag game, It is the person all the others are trying to catch, the firefly. As the firefly, It must turn the flashlight on briefly and then shut it off and count to 12 and then turn it on again. While the flashlight is off, It can move around to try to avoid would-be taggers. The first person to tag It gets to be the new firefly.

If you have a large space where multiple groups can play at the same time, more children will have a chance to be the firefly.

Flashlight Freeze

This game works indoors in a dim room, or outside in the dark. Stand in the center of the group of children with everyone spaced out for comfort and safety. Hold the flashlight so that it shines at the children’s torsos, not in their eyes. Slowly turn, moving the beam with you as you do, sweeping in a complete circle. Children can wiggle and jump and shake their arms and legs when they are in the dark, but anyone who moves in the light is out and must sit down. Make several complete circles and then congratulate those who are left standing.

You may want to send a prize home after game time. CTA’s Time to Shine for Jesus Activity Book will give children ages 7–11 some fun and engaging experiments and crafts to use as they explore darkness and light. The book will lead them to see Jesus’ light in their lives and learn ways they can share that light.

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© 2016 CTA, Inc. Permission to make photocopies or reproduce by any other mechanical or electronic means is and is intended for use within a church or other Christian organization, but not for resale.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Snack/FoodUse the Time to Shine with Jesus Plastic Tumbler to distribute snacks or drinks.

Take snacks and drinks in a new direction with this event. Think “fireflies” and “light” and have a blast! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Bug Juice! Use lemonade mixed with blue Kool-Aid powdered drink mix to make a “buggy-looking” green drink.

•Cut your snacks in the shapes of stars, using a star-shaped Christmas cookie cutter.• Provide snacks that are “light colored” (white, yellow, orange). Here are some ideas to

choose from: banana, yellow or white cheese, pineapple, starfruit, yellow tomatoes, peeled cucumbers, cornbread, yellow peppers, yellow-skinned apples, peeled apples, yellow gelatin.

Fold On This Line

Cut On This Line

Pattern for Wings