5 Unique Fall Family Events

Fall is a great season to reconnect with families! Whether you’re connecting with families in-person, digitally, or at a distance, here are some of our favorite and most creative fall family events:

Reverse Trick or Treating – Every kid is familiar with trick-or-treating. You dress up, walk to a neighbor’s house, ring the doorbell, say “Trick or Treat!” and you get free candy! But what if you could REVERSE this fall activity and utilize it as a community outreach and family service project? In this Fall outreach event, instead of going door-to-door asking for candy, families go door-to-door to hand out candy and collect donations for a local charity! Read more about how this works here and download a full guide to host your own Reverse Trick or Treating Event here.

Glow Night – Whether your church recognizes Halloween or not, your community most likely does, so it’s a great opportunity to connect with and reach your local families! The main idea behind Glow Night is to have your church family outside its walls, loving your community intentionally on Halloween. Families in your church host stations (you could do 1 for the whole church or ask several families to host a station) in high-traffic-trick-or-treating areas. These stations could include treats like candy, goody bags, hot chocolate, hotdogs or BBQ, and of course glow sticks! You can of course share about your church or include an invitation to serve too. Read more about how Glow Night works here and download a full guide to host your own Glow Night here!

Not So Spooky Sunday – PSA: Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to mix things up and offer something special that morning. Not So Spooky Sunday is a lesson that teaches on Isaiah 41:10 (NIrV) and reminds kids that we don’t have to be afraid because God is with us. It uses either a carnival, fall-fest style schedule or a normal large group/small group style schedule, so you can choose what works best for your group (we did ours fall-fest style during a Sunday morning, and the kids LOVED it!). Download this lesson here.

Drive-Through Fall Family Night – If your community is still not gathering in person, you could host a drive-through fall fest event! It’s designed for families to remain in their cars for most of the event, but still get a chance to participate in fun games, connect with each other and connect with your church family! Find a guide with all the info you need to set up your own drive-through Fall Family Night here.

Brown Bag Fall Hunt – This event is great for the littles in your ministry! Meet families at a local park with brown paper bags and a list of fall items. Preschool parents have the chance to connect with you and with each other, and their preschoolers have a blast exploring God’s creation and creativity in the fall. Learn more about hosting your own Brown Bag Fall Hunt here.

BONUS IDEA: Mini Fall Escape Room – Escape rooms have risen in popularity over the last few years, and you could easily set up a fall-themed escape room at your Fall Fest or other fall family event! This fall-themed mini escape room can be explained, played, and re-set up in 20 minutes or less as families solve clues to try to find the missing candy! Learn more about setting up your own fall escape room here.

BONUS IDEA: Trunk-or-Treat – Though not necessarily unique, we can’t talk fall events without mentioning Trunk-or-Treats! This tried and true event involves families decorating car trunks and handing out candy. It can be as big or as small as you want, and it’s often a great community outreach event. Trunk-or-Treat can be overwhelming to plan, but it doesn’t have to be! This bundle includes everything you need to start planning your church’s Trunk-or-Treat! It is full of ideas, templates, graphics, printables, and more! Get a jump start on your Trunk-or-Treat by downloading this administration bundle.

What events are on your ministry calendar for the fall? Explore all of our fall resources here.