5 Fun Halloween Alternatives
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[1 Comment]It's no secret that Halloween ignites strong debates among Christian parents. Every fall, I can safely bet that someone from church will ask me if my family "celebrates" Halloween, and the truth is that I actually enjoy the question. My answer is always, "We 'celebrate,' but we don't celebrate Halloween." In other words, we make Halloween an occasion to celebrate our family without supporting the "darker side" of the holiday. Over the years, we have come up with some great activities to strengthen our family ties in late October that you can use whether you participate in Halloween or not.
1. Mystery Bowling
My parents are responsible for inventing something that's become a fall tradition for my family, the game of Mystery Bowling. They figured that since many other families were out trick-or-treating, the bowling alley would be quite empty. They were right. So a few days before Halloween, they would sit down with a homemade bowling card to map out a goofy game of Mystery Bowling.
To create your own game of Mystery Bowling, first think of a different bowling stance to be used in each of the ten bowling frames. For example, our family has bowled some frames backwards, some frames with our weak hand, and some frames tiptoeing up to the lane while holding the ball above our heads like Fred Flintstone. Next, give each frame a score requirement. For instance, you might require your family members to knock down three pins in frame one while frame two might require six or seven pins. Any bowler who doesn't meet the pin requirement must choose a silly costume piece to wear during the next frame: a hat, a skirt, even a big curly wig. If a bowler does meet the pin requirement he might earn a piece of candy or a bag of chips. I can still remember how hilarious it was to watch my father twirl down the lane with a bowling ball in one hand and a lace doily on his head. Our game of Mystery Bowling has allowed us to enjoy the positive parts of the holiday?the candy, the dress up, and the silliness?without worrying about the unsafe aspects. On occasion, we were even able to share the purpose of our game with others at the bowling alley.
2. Family Film Festival
Another activity your family might enjoy is making a family movie. Start by choosing an imaginary setting for your movie. For example, your family might want to act out a cowboy story in the Old West or a futuristic tale on another planet. Next, think about some of the props and costumes that you could find around your home.
For instance, this could be the perfect time to make use of those old clothes in the attic or to dust off the motorcycle helmets for use as astronaut equipment. In one of our family favorites, we even dressed up our dog as a horse. Use your imagination. Then, as a family, write your script. Assign each family member his or her own part and let everyone offer input about what their lines should be. Our family likes to do the writing little by little, writing and taping one scene at a time so we don't forget our parts. We just stop the camera after each scene is taped, and then begin to write and practice the next one. If you don't have your own video camera to work with, borrow one from a friend or your local library. Remember that your movie doesn't have to be perfect; the finished project will always be a hit, bloopers and all. You might even want to invite friends and relatives to view the finished project. Our family still watches a movie we made almost 10 years ago.
Originally published in: Christian Parenting Today, Page 32
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patricia
i must lack compassion because i see nothing wrong with telling my kids no, God has no problem telling me no, esp if something is harmful.Making mischeif in the street is a nono, plus the devil loves to use kids in his mischeif making. I will BUY you some candy. But even that gives into the society demands, i mean if you have lots of fun normally one day wont kill them. I think its just if you were raised with it, you think youre missing out but you dont miss what you never had. I mean what's the big deal just tell your friends its a demonic holiday and we dont celebrate it.. boom. The need to please gets us in more trouble than its worth.
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