Of Fire Pits and Harvest Parties

It's really starting to feel like October! The nights have been gradually getting cooler and last night we had a fire outside in the fire-pit. Ahh...pure joy! Here, where we are in California, it usually doesn't feel like fall until about this time. I've just gotta say that I do believe fall is my favorite season.

Every year, we throw a little harvest party at our church on Halloween night where we have some very homemade and simple carnival style-games for the kids that are trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. We don't celebrate Halloween and over the years I have had a harvest party for the kids at church, as an alternative. A few years ago, I decided it would be fun to set up carnival games in the fellowship hall, thinking it would be just our kids, not realizing that the kids at the door would want to come in and take part (silly me!). That first night we probably had a hundred kids come through. It was fun and it stuck. This is our third year, I think, doing the carnival games.

It's amazing how happy kids can be with simple games like the bean-bag toss or popping balloons with darts. The little ones really love the fishing game, especially. We also have a cupcake walk and some group games like silly relay races and contests. Our kids and a few adult helpers run the games. We give candy as prizes whether they win or not. We give out our kids' church papers such as "Our Little Friend" and "Primary Treasure" folded up in a baggie with candy, at the door, as a way to share Jesus with them. Basically, it is just a way to serve the children in our neighborhood and community and is tons of fun. Our kids are very blessed to participate in this activity and look forward to it every year.

So it's getting close and we're getting excited!