Scavenger Hunt

• Kids of all ages love a scavenger hunt. Make a list ahead of time of things that need to be found, then hide the items on the church grounds, making sure that there are enough so that each team will have a chance to find all items. Make sure that the list is appropriate for the age group: a fifteen year old has a different level of understanding than a five year old. Include on the list some "fall items" (a small pumpkin, an apple, a mask, etc.) and also some items from biblical stories, such as "five small stones" like in the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), or a jar to signify "jars of clay" (2 Corinthians 4:7). When you're ready, divide the kids up into teams and hand out the lists. The first team to find all the items on the list wins.
  
  

Leaf Raking

• What better way to show the love of Jesus than by helping others? Almost every church knows of people who are sick or shut in. Obtain permission to help them out by raking their leaves. Pick a judge. Break up into groups of four of five people, including one adult in each group. Then each group is assigned to rake and clean up the yard of someone who can't do it on their own. When everyone is done, hold a pizza party that night (the participants will have earned it) and have the judge declare who did the best job. The members of the winning group receive an extra prize: a trip to the movies, a CD from a favorite Christian band, or whatever is deemed appropriate.
  
  

Fall Festival

• Many churches hold a Fall or Harvest Festival on Halloween night, but one can be held any time in the fall. Have the different Sunday School classes each plan a game for the festival. You can include bobbing for apples, eating an apple off of a hanging string, sack races, three legged races, beanbag toss, pumpkin painting and other activities. Allow the kids to dress up in non-scary costumes and hold a costume contest. Make sure you have plenty of small prizes. Include a cake walk and a pie contest. Invite the entire church and the surrounding neighborhood to come out and have fun.