With Valentine’s Day approaching, I have been trying to choose books about love for my daughter, Juliet, and I to read together each night. I want her to know how deeply and unconditionally I love her and also how God’s love for her far surpasses my own great love.

As I looked at our shelves the other night, The Runaway Bunnyby Margaret Wise Brown jumped out at me. “That’s perfect!” I thought to myself. We’ve read this book a million times before, but we’ve never had a conversation about how God loves us as unwaveringly and as fiercely as the mother bunny loves her little bunny.

If you’ve never read the book, it begins like this:

“Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away. So he said to his mother, “I am running away.” “If you run away,” said his mother, “I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.”

“If you run after me,” said the little bunny, “I will become a fish in a trout stream and I will swim away from you.” If you become a fish in a trout stream,” said his mother, “I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you.”

The story continues in this way with the little bunny coming up with another and yet another thing to turn into and his mother responding with how she will chase after him and find him NO MATTER WHAT. It’s a beautiful story of unconditional love.

As I thought about the picture of love presented in this book, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the love stories of the Bible such as the book of Hosea, the story of the prodigal son, and the greatest love story of all: Jesus coming to earth and becoming human just because He loved us so much. No matter how far we ran from him, and no matter what we became, He was willing to leave heaven behind and give up His life because we are His children and He loves us.

I thought to myself, “This is going to be great! We’re going to read a great book together AND have a meaningful spiritual conversation!”

It didn’t exactly turn out that way. Here’s what happened:

As we began reading the story together, Juliet asked me, “Mommy, why is that bunny running away? and I said, “Why do you think he is running away?” and she said, “To join the circus!” (Towards the end of the book, the bunny tells his mother he will join the circus.)

I took this moment to tell her that I was like the mother bunny and that if she ever ran away, I would always go after her because she was my little bunny. She just sort of nodded and then we continued reading.

A few pages later, Juliet suddenly jumped up, and exclaimed, “I’m the little bunny!” and ran away. I put the book down and proceeded to chase her down the hall and tackle her in my room.

I again reminded her that I would always catch her because she was my little bunny. She smiled, giggled, and then announced, “I’m a butterfly, I’m going to fly away from you!” and ran down the hall. I responded with, “I’m a net and I will catch you!”

We played this spontaneous little game over and over again—she was a little bird; I was a nest. She was a lady bug; I was a little girl with a bug-catcher. She was a roley poley, and I was a pile of dirt. Again and again, she ran away from me, and again and again I caught her.

Then we sat down, finished reading the book, and got ready for bed. As I tucked her in, I said, “God is like the mother bunny, too. No matter what you do, no matter how far you run away from Him, He will always come after you because you are His little bunny and He loves you.”

And she said, “Hey. You have hair in your nose.”

So maybe we didn’t get the meaningful spiritual conversation in, (we did have a discussion about the benefits and purposes of nose hair) but we did make some memories and invented a fun, new game! Even though she wasn’t really ready to talk about God’s love for her, I think the seed was planted.

And like that mother bunny, I’ll keep chasing her down and telling her tirelessly about God’s love, over and over again. And the best part is, I don’t have to do it on my own. He won’t stop His pursuit of her either.

Vanessa is a regular contributor to Impress Your Kids. She is a stay-at-home mom to an energetic three-year-old, Juliet. They spend their days together reading books, attempting crafts, and occasionally beating tree trunks with large sticks. You can read more about their adventures at Silly Eagle Books.

It’s Christmas! LIKE FOR REAL. I’ve decorated the house, I’ve bought presents (well, most of them) and even hosted a Christmas party. But I still haven’t sent out Christmas cards. Or made teacher’s gifts. The only teachers in Lydia’s life are her teachers at church (she goes to two services on Sunday) and her ballet teacher. And to Lydia? They are all famous.

When Lydia was 1 I made the cutest card for her teachers at church. I digi-scrapped a picture of her with a nativity scene with the words, “Thank you for introducing me to Jesus.” Her teachers were teary-eyed and some have said they still have it on their fridge!

Along with that picture I made those pretzel-hershey-kiss-m&m treats. Have you had them? My friend Kathy from House of Hills made some with her daughter this week and did a great post about it! I also love the pretzel-rolo-pecans treats she did, too!

I’ve made and gifted Muddy Buddies–you know that yummy peanut-butter-chocolate-powdered-sugar Chex mix? Oh my goodness. It is divine. And very easy to make—you get to throw it all in a giant plastic bag and shake it up. Lydia loved it! Oh, I’m getting hungry!

So, I’ve been on the look out for a new kind of treat to bring to her teachers (and to my tummy) and I think I found a good one from Marie at Make and Takes! Look how fun, easy and adorable this is:

(photo by Make & Takes)

All you do is melt chocolate chips, dip your candy canes in and then gift-wrap! I am so in love with this. I just bought a pack of candy canes today so this is perfect!

And now, I can think of no other good way to segue this except: SPEAKING OF CHOCOLATE, Nestle is giving away a big bag o’treats to one of our lovely readers! They’ve got this big photo contest going on at Nestle Family.com where you can win one of several $50 giftcards! They wanted to share the wealth and have generously offered up a big holiday gift pack which will include coupons for FREE Toll House chocolate chips and cookie dough, Carnation Evaporated Milk and Breakfast Essentials, Stouffer’s, Juicy Juice and Boost Kid Essentials, as well as products from Wonka and Rasinets. Also, a cute silver picture frame and a yummy Carnation holiday recipe guide. The prize value is around $40.

If you’d like to win, please leave us a comment below. Any comment will do—even a simple Merry Christmas! But if you’d like to dazzle the judges with your impressive comment, please tell us about your favorite handmade treat you love to give at the holidays! And as always, you can receive an additional entry if you tweet or facebook this post!

Merry Christmas to you!

Like Amanda, I love giving gifts! The thrill of the hunt, knowing that the gift I picked out for a friend fits them perfectly…  as I watch my boys grow, picking the perfect gift for them is just as much fun!  And finding gifts that are meaningful and long-lasting, inspiring and educational… again, I love it!

We are also in the same boat as Amanda with our toys situation – although we don’t have a playroom for all the toys, they are everywhere! And Donovan’s birthday is 4 days before Christmas, with Elias following soon after.  The season of giving can be overwhelming around here!

But with gifts like these Top NON TOY Gift Picks for Boys of Any Age, we’ll be adding to their fun and excitement without adding more toys!

1. Abacus

Seriously.  How much more educational can you get while still being fun?  (Or am I the only one who thinks this is fun?) I remember playing with an abacus when I was young – and it wasn’t all about counting to me – my imagination ran crazy with it, making patterns that had nothing to do with numbers.

2. Inflatable earth and planets

Elias and Donovan are already crazy about space and the planets.  Not only can you play ball with the planets, you could hang them up in a bedroom (I’ve had this in mind since I hung the maps in Elias’s room).  Easy and educational!

3. Colorforms

A blast from the past!  An activity that just oozes creativity – and it is endless, because Colorforms can be used over and over again.

4. Dominoes

Blocks and manipulatives at the same time, plus they help kids learn numbers and can actually be used to play dominoes when the kids get older!  With a huge set like this one, you could also make some amazing domino-toppling-courses (or whatever you call the domino effect with actual dominoes!).

5. Etch A Sketch

Another classic!  Helps with fine motor skills, and lets creativity explode for years!

6. a parachute

Remember this from gym class?  I actually started getting sad about homeschooling my boys at one point, because I thought they would miss out on some of the best memories I have about grade school – playing with the giant parachute.  Turns out you can get these for your kids on your own!  And they come in all kinds of sizes, for any number of children!  You bet that my boys will be getting one of these soon.

7. a wagon

Look at this Radio Flyer wagon – it has all terrain wheels!  Perfect for a backyard – heading down to the park – pulling along side a creek on a little hike…

8. drawing books

My brother and I both loved Ed Emberley’s drawing books when we were kids – here are several that I’ve found online… and as kids get older, they can move on to books like this one from Lee J. Ames.

9. Play-Doh

Kids of ALL ages like this! ehem… and look at these great accessories that you can get, too.  Or you can go with old kitchen utensils – they work just as well at cutting and smooshing and rolling and pressing and playing.

10.  memberships/lessons

Two years ago, my parents gave us a membership to the Children’s Museum of Richmond.  What a fabulous gift!  We enjoyed a year of new experiences, full of learning and fun.  We’ve also been thinking about enrolling Elias in some sports classes – either a mixed sports class at the local gym, or a martial arts class at a local studio.  As kids grow older, you can give them music lessons or art lessons, too!  Check out children’s museums and science museums near you, and contact local gyms and studios to see what type of specials they might be running through the holiday season.

What’s your favorite NON-toy gift for a boy? Please share in the comments!

Did you miss our Holiday Gift Guide: Non-Toys for Girls?  Take a look there, and come back for more… we have a couple more gift guides up our sleeves for you!

Also – if you have a Holiday Gift Guide on your blog, click over to our first gift guide and link up with us, so we have a huge long resource list – and we can all go shopping together!

I love giving gifts. I love picking out THE perfect gift for a friend or family member. Now that I have kids I love thinking about gifts that will inspire them, spark creativity or just make them excited! Leigh and I have a few gift guides in the works and I’m excited to share this first one with you!

Lydia is only 3 but she has more toys than a small country. We have a playroom for goodness sakes! A room to store her toys! And to make matters worse, her birthday is 12 days after Christmas! I have purposed to NEVER buy her a toy. I try to buy things that will be just as exciting—only without all the plastic, lights and  speakers!

And now, here are my Top NON TOY Gift Picks for Girls of Any Age:

1. Umbrella

I know. This sounds silly. But having your own cool umbrella is—well, cool! I have a rainbow umbrella and my kids think it’s an adventure every time it rains. Lydia will be getting an umbrella this year and I’m kinda leaning toward this kitty umbrella above. Cute, right?

2. Hula Hoops

Lydia’s ballet teacher incorporates lots of fun active play in their class. They use scarves, the balance beam, a parachute and  hula hoops! The girls love every bit of it! I don’t think I want a balance beam in the house but a hula hoop I can do! Hula hoops come in all different sizes so I’ll be getting Lydia the mini hula hoop this year!

3. Jump Rope & Rhyme Book

Lydia is enthralled with jump ropes. I was trying to teach her to jump rope (unsuccessfully) and then remembered the rhyme, “Bubblegum, bubblegum in a dish…” but after that I was stuck. So, when I saw this book, Anna Banana: 101 Jump Rope Rhymesat the thrift store, I had to get it! We have had a lot of fun with this book. I think it would be a fun gift for older elementary girls coupled with a nice jump rope.

4. Anything from Crayola

I love Crayola products. They are quality AND very creative. I’ve told you how much we love the Washable Window Markers. We also have this Color Wonder™ Glitter Paint & Large Paper which Lydia loves because the paper is about 3 feet wide. Even a pack of colored pencils and a blank pad of paper would be a fun gift for a budding artist. Or a gift basket filled with lots of fun Crayola products!

5. Handmade, Vintage or Old-Fashioned Toys

I love the idea of kids having the same toys as their parents. Or their grandparents’. Etsy is full of sweet handmade dolls and other toys that would be perfect for a little girl. I love this little “lumpling” doll from Amy Rue.

For Lydia, I’m planning on getting her a Raggedy Ann doll. We have been listening to the audio version of Raggedy Ann from the library. It is an absolutely precious book and Lydia is enthralled with it. I think any girl would be excited to have her very own Raggedy (like this one from oh sew dollin’s etsy shop) along with a Raggedy Ann Stories book!

6. An Experience!

My very favorite gifts are more than objects—I like memories! In Atlanta we have a local magazine called Atlanta Parent. It lists all the local festivals, storytimes, camps and free activities. Try scouring one of these magazines or local blogs to find cool local kids events at the museum, specialty shops (like American Girl) or a big traveling show like Disney on Ice! You can put the tickets in a picture frame, tie them around an appropriate doll or book and it will be a fun gift for any age!

7. Sticker Book

When I was a kid, I collected stickers. I don’t think that’s cool anymore. But there are some amazing sticker books out there now. My favorite is by Phidal. The stickers are reusable with games and activities. Lydia has done matching, counting and color recognition with these books. AND they keep her busy for days! Her favorite is the Fairies Forever Sticker Book. Of course.

8. Start a Collection. Foreign money, nutcrackers, snowglobes, vintage book series, blown glass or a charm bracelet. You can couple this gift with the “supplies” that go with it (a book for storing stamps, a special shelf for the snowglobes, a book identifying money, etc.). The best part of this gift is that you never wonder what to buy again. You’ve got a set gift for years to come. It’s a tradition and gift in one!

9. Personalization.

Lydia loves to see her name on anything. Of course, you can never find “LYDIA” on stickers or a pencil. But kids still love to see “their” letter! I love this Peacock print from English Muffin’s etsy shop. (I know, I don’t have anyone in my family that starts with P–I should have named Lydia Polly!)

If you don’t want to do a letter or a name, there’s always another special even that is unique to your child–their birth month! This is the January print from Sarah Jane Studios. She has a print from every month and each one is as sweet and wonderful as this one.

Of course, there are always personalized necklaces, bags and shirts. Look for something your child would like and get their name on it! It adds extra pizzazz to a very normal gift.

10. Chinese Jump Rope

I may do an entire post on Chinese Jump Rope one day.  I had a Chinese Jump Rope as a kid and thought it was so cool. Then, when I lived in Florida, I subbed for a PE Teacher. He only did non-competitive sports in his class. One whole unit was on Chinese Jump Rope. I have never seen so many creative games and excited kids!

What’s your favorite NON-toy gift for a girl? Please share in the comments!

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If you’ve got a Holiday Gift Guide on your blog, please feel free to link it below! It can be a gift guide of any theme as long as it’s family friendly! I just know how much I love to see what others give and it would be great to see all our super ideas in one spot!

Please grab our button below or link to us in your post so others can join in on the great Holiday gift ideas!

(cool lego christmas tree photo by balakov)

Now that we are careening closer and closer to Thanksgiving, I’m on the prowl for fun Thanksgiving crafts and activities. We already did one leafy turkey craft and an OREO turkey (<–my guest post at Make and Takes!) and here are a few we did last year at Impress Your Kids…

Ah, yes. The Indian Corn Napking Ring from Family Fun. Also known as the craft that never was…

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A Thanksgiving JOY jar! A perfect way to keep your kids (and yourself) thankful and joyous during this holiday season!

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A crafty way to GIVE to others this Thanksgiving–with vegetable stamps! I want to do this again this year!

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Thanks AND Giving! This was a fun turkey countdown to Thanksgiving craft my daughter loved!

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Do YOU have a favorite Thanksgiving craft or activity to share?

Last night we did our first family devotional time. OK, it wasn’t exactly a devotional. But it was a family activity. And it was about Jesus. So, I’m going to call it a devotional.

We sat down together and read The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs. Then we acted it out. Here’s how it went:

First we picked out a beautiful pumpkin from the pumpkin patch grocery store. Then we washed it off and opened it up! (Psalm 51:10)

Then we cleaned him out–all the hidden, dirty things inside! (Ezekiel 11:18-20)

We gave our pumpkin a new face! (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Finally, our pumpkin was lit from the inside and shining for the whole world to see!
(Matthew 5:16)

The Pumpkin Patch Parable tells this same story in more details and gives scriptures every step of the way. The scriptures and the story point to the miracle that Jesus does in our lives–he chooses us, washes us off, takes away all our dirty sin, gives us a new heart, a smile on our face and a light to shine to the world! It’s a beautiful picture and a long-standing object lesson that we are able to see for  weeks to come! Lydia and I were chanting, “Let your light shine! Matthew 5:16!” the whole time we were looking at our shining new pumpkin. It made quite an impression!

I know this is a blatant rip-off of the Halloween Jack-o-Lantern. Liz Curtis Higgs describes it as redeeming something that God created–a pumpkin. And can I say something else? God knew. God knew people would use the pumpkin as something scary. And that his creation would be a symbol for a mostly evil holiday. And I think he put this symbolism together for this very purpose–to redeem it and remind us how He has redeemed us!

This is an excellent book with sweet pictures and a very profound message. I encourage you to get this book even if you don’t do the carving of a pumpkin together. It will help your kids associate a pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) with God’s love instead of with Halloween!

See my review of Liz Curtis Higg’s The Pine Tree Parable! One of my FAVORITE Christmas books!

I’m so excited to share this guest post with you. I met LeighAnn when I was a part of a church-planting team in Florida. She is a mom to three and a strong woman of God. Plus she’s cute and funny! She blogs at Devoted Living.

In the fall of 1975, my parents agreed that it was time for our family to bow out of Halloween. I was so young when they changed policies that I do not remember trick or treating the previous year. I do remember a few awkward October 31^st s when the doorbell was ringing, and we were hiding inside our house. There was the disastrous year that we passed out candy and Christian pamphlets together. That effort only annoyed and offended our neighbors.

Mom and Dad knew that, for our family, we should skip Halloween altogether. The challenge was: what to say to people without sounding judgmental. Non-Christians thought we were weird about everything so this seemed no different. But for some reason, Christian families that did celebrate Halloween were mad at my parents. They seemed to have an unreasonable anger that we wanted to avoid the events of that holiday. Why couldn’t they let our family just do what we felt led to do?

There was this dread over us each year, wanting October to come and go without a confrontation with anyone. As a kid, I didn’t know what to say when other adults and teachers tried to convince me that my parents were depriving us of this innocent kids’ holiday.

For several years, we felt alone in the stand against Halloween. School was the hardest part of the season. My mom was a teacher and decided that it was best to let our teachers know that we didn’t celebrate at home, but that we could participate in school activities and needed no special treatment.

My older brother recalls how hard it was that our neighbors were all outside on Halloween night, and we had to stay inside. One year we were particularly discouraged about not going trick or treating and hauling in assorted candy. After school, we slumped onto the sofa. Dad came in with several big bags of candy and spread them out on the coffee table in front of us.

“What is this?” we asked. His answer has stuck with me ever since.

“This is not about candy. We will buy you plenty of candy. This is about our family obeying God. Your mom and I both agree that it is best for us to not celebrate Halloween.”

In that moment, I finally understood that we were not being punished; we were being protected. Our parents had always been strict about not enticing us with evil in movies and books, so Halloween was just not acceptable. Recently a friend shared with me that she can still see images of horror movies that she watched as a teen. These scenes pop into her mind at unwanted times. I was protected as a child, and I am so grateful for it. I have to fight sin in my own life. I don’t need any extra evil added to my load.

WHAT WE DO. My husband and I and our three kids do not “do” Halloween. In 11 years of parenting, we have approached this in several ways depending on the age of our kids. We have tried church fall festivals, but we felt like we were enjoying G rated Halloween. It took a few years to get a routine that works for our family. It’s really about consistency for me and that is not simple, because Halloween lasts for several months and is everywhere we go. When a funny character offers them candy at Sea World, we say ok. Do we dress up specifically to trick or treat at Sea World? Well, no.

My seasonal survival methods include the following: 1. watching DVDs and taping TV shows ahead so that they are not watching Halloween ads on Disney Channel for the entire month of October. 2. avoiding stores that are overly decked in mummies and skeletons. 3. finding an activity for October 31^st that gives the kids something to look forward to and gets us out of the house.

Recently, I decided to reclaim fall as a fun time of year for our family. We can focus on things that are good. The weather is nicer, and we want to be outside more.

We also plan our October 31 activity each year and include other families who are opting out as well.

Mini golf has been a hit the past few years. We try to pick a place that they haven’t visited in a while so that we all look forward to it. We snack on our favorite candy and enjoy spending time together as a family. We have redeemed the day, but it is still an effort to stay upbeat and not get discouraged by the volume of creepy creatures all in the name of innocent fun.

WHAT WE SAY. Is the fight worth it? Is this a worthy cause? It would be so easy to just go along with a safer version of this holiday, but I know I can’t. I know that we need to “avoid it all.” We are planting seeds now for a harvest in their lives as they grow in the Lord. We are keeping weeds out of the garden by not participating.

If you are looking for courage to opt out of Halloween, I hope to offer that here. Even with no memories of trick or treating, I am fine. I have no pictures of me in Halloween costumes- as cute as I would have been. I do not have regrets about missing Halloween as a kid.

The younger your kids are when you establish new traditions, the easier it is. Have your answers ready for your kids with details and verses. Tell them why you are uncomfortable with Halloween and be honest that you are praying for guidance about the best way for your family to spend that day each year.

And, most importantly, have your one liner ready for strangers. When the sweet dental hygienist asks every year, “What are the kids going to be for Halloween?” It’s now easy for me to gently say: “we don’t do Halloween.”

photo by matt mcgee

i encourage my kids’ imagination year round. Halloween is an especially fun time of year for dressing up because everyone is doing it. however, there is a lot of other junk that everyone else is doing this time of year that we don’t do. we keep the focus on dressing up, pretend play, painting pumpkins, and good, clean fun.

the only ghost we speak of is the Holy Ghost. there is no such thing as witches or goblins. pumpkins are friendly, skeletons are human bones, bats are nocturnal, and spiders eat mosquitos. Halloween, in our home, is a time for dressing up and eating candy with friends. no evil connotations. no spooky stories.

God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a peaceful mind. (2 Tim 1:7)

this is Bubba’s 2nd Halloween and i’m taking full advantage of his inability to tell me what he wants to dress up as on the occasion. for as long as i can get away with it, i’m dressing my kids in {relatively} themed costumes. they make such a cute little duo!

last year, Bubba was a puppy and Big Girl was a giraffe. theme = sweet animals.

at a costume party last weekend, Big Girl was a princess and Bubba was a dragon. theme = storybook fairy tale.

on Halloween night, when we take them out to collect sweet treats, Big Girl is dressing up as Jasmine and Bubba is dressing up as Abu. theme = Disney’s Aladdin.

can’t you just see my little monkey wearing this? it was custom made by Kiki’s Things on Etsy.

and that’s how the Halls do Halloween.

how do YOU do Halloween?

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MamaHall is a wife and mama of two, sister and friend, daughter of the Most High, writer and reader, Jesus follower, dessert eater and coffee drinker, Gorbella’s founder, marketing gal, craft-aholic, homeschooling mama, picture-taker, coupon clipper, hugger, glass half full, easily distracted, Bible believer, and queen of her domestic domain. She is also a fabu blogger who is “making the most of motherhood” (Ephesians 5:16). She blogs at MamaHall.

We’re not doing Halloween this year. We’re not dressing up. We’re not going to pass out candy. We’re not going to a festival-y carnival-y thing at a church. We’ll probably turn our lights out and go to bed early. Why? Because Lydia is too afraid. Not necessarily of Halloween—but of every big, loud, scary thing she sees.

And like I said before, I can’t rectify trying to do something fun (ie trick-or-treating) while placing my daughter in a situation where she WILL come into contact with something MEANT to be scary, evil and/or gross. And I feel good about that decision. I don’t want Lydia to love things that are purposely dark. I want her to always be wary of things that are opposite of GOOD.

On the other hand, I’m a little disappointed because I was really looking forward to dressing up. I had 80% talked my husband into dressing up as characters from UP (hubby=Carl Fredrickson, Lydia=little Ellie, Asa=Dug, me=Kevin or Russell). I thought it would be nice to meet some of our neighbors. Plus, I love me a good Reece’s pumpkin.

Here’s the thing: Halloween is a holiday with blatant pagan roots. It just is. There is no denying that Halloween, in it’s beginning was straight up evil. And for many people today, they still identify with it’s evil-ness and celebrate that. As a Christian, I do NOT want any part of that. I don’t want my kids to see a funny ghost and like it. I don’t want a cute zombie to be something they desire.

However, in 2009 when the Halloween candy rolls out and the pumpkins start appearing, most of our world is not thinking of that evil. Most people think of Halloween as costumes and candy and neighbors.

What should a normal American Christian parent do? Well, I certainly will not fault someone for hiding from Halloween. People who choose to close their doors and turn off their lights are obeying God by staying far far away from even the appearance of evil. At the same time, I can’t fault someone for letting their kids dress up like a cowboy and get candy from their neighbors either.

I DO have a problem with people dressing their kids up as mass murderers or dead cheerleaders. (<—I know someone who let their 8 year old daughter be a dead cheerleader.) I have a problem with people decorating their homes or stores with disgusting scary things that are intended to frighten children. I used to have a friend that put fake tombstones in her front yard with her kids’ names on them. That’s just TOO much. I believe in speaking good things over my kids, why in the world would I ever ACT out something so evil towards them?!

So, what is a normal American Christan to do? Here’s a few fun ideas I’ve heard or experienced:

Safe House. Be the “safe house” in your neighborhood. Decorate with pumpkins and other fun things. Have a few carnival-type games in your front yard. Hand out food or snacks. Serve coffee for parents. If you can, get some other people at your church to do the same and have “safe houses” all over your city. Set out info about your church. Ask people if you can pray with them before they leave. It’s an opportunity to SHINE brightly on a DARK night. And to be the coolest house in the neighborhood!

Pumpkin Party. My friend Mandi hosted a Pumpkin Party this year. Everyone brought a pumpkin and she provided the rest. We painted our pumpkins, frosted pumpkin cookies and had pumpkin snacks. It was a fun time to “do” the Halloween stuff without focusing on the yuckiness. It’s the same idea as doing a Spring Party in lieu of Easter.

Church or Community Event. If you haven’t hit up a local community or church event at Halloween, you need to check it out! Most churches around us host Harvest or Fall Festivals—complete with carnival games, food, candy and inflatable games. If you go to a church it’s usually free and scary-costume-free! I’ve been to a few community events (including the Zoo) and when it is advertised as a family event, it usually is scary-free.

Go Early. If you want to do the trick-or-treating without the scare factor, just go while it’s daylight. Most of the preschoolers will be out then and most NORMAL people will know not to answer their front door dressed as Darth Maul.

Host Your Own Party. I’ve heard of a cool Willy Wonka party on Halloween, an All Saints Party (come dressed as your favorite saint) and even an Iron Chef party! Try hosting a themed event where people can dress up how YOU want them to! You might just start a NEW tradition!

Here are a few additional resources on Halloween for you and your family:

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? Focus on the Family Radio Broadcast

What Are We Gonna Do About Halloween? An Adventures In Odyssey Radio Drama

Mommy Why Don’t We Celebrate Halloween? by Linda Hacon Windwood (a book for kids, explaining Halloween’s history)

Perspective on Halloween by Randy Alcorn (one of my favorite authors ever!)

FYI: I’ve decided to do a few posts on Halloween in the next two weeks. Tomorrow we’ve got a special guest-post from Mama Hall. I’ve also got a costume post and a purposeful parenting post up my sleeve. I was going to ignore Halloween completely on Impress Your Kids but decided to post on it for two reasons: 1) Christian parents will be googling what to do for Halloween. Hopefully google will lead them here. 2) IYK desires to be a toolbox for Christian parents. Halloween is a BIG deal for kids. We want to help and give you information, options and Biblical perspective about this “holiday” so you can lead your children effectively.

photo by vintagehalloweencollector

photo by parents.com

100 Days of Holidays from Parents.com {this is a daily email newsletter, which I’m usually not a fan of, but there is some seriously cute stuff—even with the Halloween stuff! I can’t wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas!}

Mommy, Come Home by Amy at the Finer Things In Life {great blog series about being a mom!}

List Poems by Let’s Explore {poems so easy a 3 year old could write them. literally!}

12 Days of Libbie at Vanderbilt Wife {a sweet way to honor your children}