“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” is my favorite Halloween movie and every year, I love using the characters from this show in my ministry. It’s a sweet story about a boy named Linus who mistakenly puts his faith in a disappointing Great Pumpkin.
Unlike the Linus, who delivers his eloquent speech at the Charlie Brown Christmas program, this little guy is thoroughly confused about what or who to put his faith in. What a wonderful way to bring kids the gospel! Showing this short movie at a family night party is a great way to get the conversation started. Besides showing the film, these party ideas work well too.
Charlie Brown Party Games
- I Got a Rock: Fill several dozen, paper lunch bags with candy but fill a few of them with rocks. Fold the tops of the bags over so no one can peek inside. Ask each child to pick a treat bag. Let each one open their bags. Some kids will get a bag of rocks, but keep it lighthearted. Talk about the scene from the show and how it feels to be disappointed. Surprise these kids with a special prize!
- Pumpkin Bowling: Set up water bottles on the floor, like a bowling alley. Have kids roll the pumpkin to try to knock down the bottles. Pumpkins don’t roll well so this may take a few attempts. Set up the bottles for each child. Reward the best bowler with a pumpkin to take home.
- Apple Bobbing: All you need is a few things for this Great Pumpkin game–towels, a bucket, water and apples. Kids will take turns bobbing for apples. (Do use caution with small children and never leave a bucket of water unattended around them.)
Charlie Brown Party Decorations
- Pumpkin Patch: I like to offer healthy snacks, too. Draw happy jack-o-lantern faces on tangerines or oranges and arrange them a pile a fake straw. What a fun looking pumpkin patch!
- Welcome Holy Spirit: Create a construction paper sign that says, “Welcome Holy Spirit,” (instead of Great Pumpkin) and tape the sign to a bamboo skewer. Poke the skewer in a pumpkin and use it as a decoration.
- Set up a photo booth for your Great Pumpkin party. Make Snoopy’s doghouse out of a cardboard box or copy Lucy’s party background. You could also set up a cardboard cut out with a Snoopy, Lucy, Linus or Charlie Brown body and let kids pose behind them.
Have fun with this seasonal theme!