100+ trunk or treat ideas for church: The ultimate creative list!

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Every year, church members look forward to the annual trunk or treat event at church. For some churches, this is their most attended event of the year! Coming up with fresh trunk or treat ideas for churches makes these events not only fun for families—they're also powerful opportunities for outreach and ministry.

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Trunk or treat is a fun alternative to trick-or-treating on Halloween. Some churches host their annual trunk or treat event on Halloween night, while others host it the weekend before or after, or the week of Halloween. Other times, churches combine their fall festival with a trunk or treat experience.

Either way, a great trunk or treat event gives children and families in your congregation and community a memorable experience at church and is a fun way to offer a trick-or-treat alternative. 

If you’re looking for trunk or treat ideas for church fall festival events, you’re in the right place! 

When you’re planning on hosting a trunk at your church event, make sure you check with leadership beforehand about your church’s preferences and guidelines for the event. 

Questions to ponder include: 

• Is this event open to the community? 
• Is this an outreach event? 
• Can anyone host a trunk, including visitors & non-members? 
• Are there food allergy or food safety guidelines in place? 
• Are there specific guidelines for decorations? 
• How will these decisions affect marketing & promotions? 

Oftentimes, pastors and church leaders have specific guidelines for their trunk or treat event. For example, some churches prefer only Bible-themed trunks (see below for ideas), while others leave it up to the imagination. In another example, one pastor requested that his church’s trunk or treat not have any references to traditional Halloween imagery, such as witches, ghosts, or skeletons. Yet other churches don’t mind this type of decor. 

Some trunks are simple and budget-friendly, while others go all out with hand-painted items, sewn costumes, and sets built from scratch. It’s up to you how simple or extravagant you make your decorations! 

Make sure to have bowls of candy available for your trunk or treat visitors. Consider offering beverages for parents, such as coffee, or offer hot chocolate for everyone. 

Trunks are hosted by individuals or households. If you’re hosting a trunk, ask your family if they’d like to be involved in the theme, decorations, and costumes. They could offer some great ideas! Overall, your trunk or treat should be simple, kid-friendly, and easy to understand. 

Trunk or treat events are a fun and meaningful way to connect with church members and newcomers alike. If you’re a church leader, volunteer, or parent looking for creative trunk or treat ideas for church, we’ve got you covered!

A favorite category for many churches, Bible-themed trunk or treat themes are a great way to reinforce familiar stories in a fun and visual way. Easy trunk or treat ideas for church Bible Stories or Bible characters include: 

• The Creation Story
• Noah’s Ark
• The Ten Commandments
• The Prince of Egypt
• David & Goliath
• Treasures in Heaven
• Daniel & the Lions Den
• The Promised Land
• Feeding the 5000
• Jonah & the Whale
• Moses’ parting of the Red Sea
• The Nativity
• Queen Esther
• Ruth & Boaz
• …and many more! 

With so many stories, characters, and scenes to choose from, you can use your trunk to share an inspiring story from the Bible in a fun and memorable way. 

Do you plan on handing out fun, thematic snacks at your trunk? Build your trunk or treat theme around your favorite food or beverage! There are so many themed trunk or treat ideas for a food-themed trunk, including: 

• Donuts (“Donut worry, God’s got this”)
• Popcorn (movie theater)
• Candy apples for “Fruits of the Spirit”
• Hot chocolate (campfire or church camp theme)
• Coffee for adults (“Running on coffee & Jesus” or “He fills my cup”)
• Pumpkin treats 
• Themed cookies
• Brownies
• Cinnamon rolls (“Jesus is the Bread of Life”)

Turning any food item into a theme is a great way to decorate your trunk. Whether you’re offering cookies, brownies, coffee, or hot chocolate, you can add themes like “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) or “Fruits of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23). Besides handing out candy, offering a special treat will draw even more visitors to your trunk and make it extra memorable. 

Pop culture favorites easily catch kids’ attention. From popular movies, television shows, books, and pop culture characters, there are endless trunk or treat ideas to choose from, such as: 

• Star Wars
• Up
• Paw Patrol
• Alice in Wonderland
• Bluey
• Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
• Jurassic Park
• Scooby Doo
• Dr. Seuss
• Spongebob Squarepants

Or, consider choosing family-friendly classics like VeggieTales or The Lion King with a message about courage or faith and a Bible verse. 

In addition to classic characters or themes, consider creating a trunk inspired by a legend or iconic figures. These can range from folk heroes to characters from fairy tales to real life—just be sure they’re friendly and appropriate for a church setting. Fun ideas for church trunk or treat events include:

• Sports icons, such as Babe Ruth or Serena Williams
• Christian legends, such as Billy Graham 
• Historical figures, such as NASA astronauts or Rosa Parks
• Biblical writers & Apostles, such as Paul the Apostle

By making your trunk or treat theme about special icons and legends, you can use your trunk as a teachable experience to share important moments about history with kids, such as Paul the Apostle’s preaching in Rome. 

Disney themes are always a crowd-pleaser. From Frozen to Toy Story, these vibrant trunks offer loads of inspiration. There are so many trunk or treat ideas using Disney movies and Disney characters, including: 

• Mickey Mouse
• Aladdin & Jasmine 
• Tangled
• Lilo & Stitch
• Peter Pan
• The Little Mermaid
• Beauty and the Beast
• Monsters Inc.
• Cinderella
• Moana
• Cars

If you’re a parent, you could select your kids’ favorite movie characters and start from there. You may choose to tie in a simple biblical truth—like loyalty, bravery, or forgiveness—with your Disney theme to keep the heart of the event focused on faith.

Always a hit, superhero-themed trunks inspire kids with messages of courage, strength, and doing good. You can go with popular comic book heroes or make up your own "Bible Heroes" based on Scripture! There are so many fun ways to tie in Scripture with superheroes, including: 

• “Jesus is My Superhero” Marvel or DC heroes (Superman, Spider-Man, Black Panther)
• Bible Hero Mashup (Esther, David, Moses, and others as heroes)
• “Power of Prayer” superhero trunk
• “God gives us strength” strong superheroes (Philippians 4:13)
• “God’s Justice League” (DC Comics)

Destination themes are simple, fun, and incredibly versatile! These trunks can offer fun decor and lots of storytelling potential. Destination themes are easy trunk or treat ideas for church that are sure to be a hit. Here are some fun destination-themed trunk ideas, along with how to connect them to faith:

• Beach or ocean (“Fishers of Men”)
• Jungle (“Missionary to the Jungle”)
• Desert (“reaching The Promised Land”)
• Log cabin (“Trusting God in the wilderness”)
• Movie theater (“God’s story is the greatest story”)
• Castle (“Royalty in God’s Kingdom”)
• Space (“God Made the Universe”) 

You can take inspiration from real places, imaginary ones, or biblical geography to teach deeper truths in a kid-friendly way.

Does your family have a favorite sports team or sporting activity together? Showcase your fandom by decorating your trunk, showing off team jerseys, and even setting up a “tailgate” or end zone at your trunk. 

Whether it’s football, soccer, baseball, basketball, or any other sport, you can celebrate and draw visitors back to the faith with phrases like: 

• “Team Jesus” 
• “Jesus is our MVP”
• “Run the race with perseverance”
• “Faith is the best defense”
• “Fueled by the Holy Spirit” 
• “Huddle up with Jesus” 

Showcase your favorite pastime or activity as a trunk theme! Hobbies make great visuals and easy trunk or treat ideas for church. They provide interactive fun and could include:

• Gardening & plants (“Grow in God” or “Planted in His Love”)
• Reading books (“God’s Word is the Best Book”)
• Painting or art studio (“Created in His Image”)
• Music or band (“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” – Psalm 100:1)
• Fishing (“Fishers of Men”)
• Baking or cooking (“Taste and See” – Psalm 34:8)

Adding props from your favorite hobby makes the trunk feel personal and inviting!

Another fun route is to decorate your trunk around a well-known Christian saying or church catchphrase. You can select a favorite saying at your church, from the youth group, or even from a mission trip. These can be clever, uplifting, and simple for your visitors to understand. Some generic ideas include: 

• “Let Your Light Shine” with lanterns & glowsticks
• “God’s Love is Sweet” with candy decor & hearts
• “Armor of God” with cardboard armor & swords
• “Jesus is the Rock” with boulders or rock music theme
• “Fueled by Faith” (race car or pit stop theme)

These themes are great ideas for church trunk or treat themes if you want to tie in a specific verse or inside reference while keeping it inspiring.

A travel-inspired trunk can be a creative way to celebrate God’s creation or unity. You can focus on your home state, favorite vacation spot, or one of America’s iconic National Parks. Fun options include: 

• National Parks (Rocky Mountain, Grand Canyon, or Zion with a “Wonders of Creation” message)
• Your home state (location of your church)
• Iconic states, such as Hawaii (“Paradise”), Colorado (“Faith can move mountains”), or California (Jesus Movement theme) 
• Route 66 / Road Trip theme with signs, maps & “Jesus is the Way” message
• Desert or mountain scenes representing biblical locations like Sinai or the Wilderness
  

Another fun idea is to create a trunk that’s interactive and full of motion! A games-themed trunk adds a new layer of fun and keeps kids engaged longer. You can even make your game Bible-themed. Consider these trunk or treat game ideas for church fall festivals, like:

• Carnival-style game (ring toss, mini golf, or bean bag toss)
• Classic board games like Candy Land or Monopoly
• Fun toys like Legos, Connect Four, or Jenga with a “Build on the Rock” theme
• Video games, like Mario Kart or Minecraft 
• Bible trivia or “Spin the Wheel for Scripture”
• Arcade theme or “Jesus is the Real Prize”
• Obstacle course or “Race of Faith”

As fun and creative as trunk or treat events are, they also hold powerful potential for outreach. By welcoming families from the community into a joyful, safe, and faith-filled environment, your church has the opportunity to plant seeds of connection and truth.

Encourage volunteers to be intentional, not just in decorating their trunks, but in offering a kind word, a prayer, handing out Bibles, and inviting visitors to church. Hand out church flyers or kids ministry info alongside candy to go the extra mile and turn your trunk or treat event into a ministry opportunity. 

At the end of the day, it’s not just about the decorations—it’s about the relationships built and hearts reached. In doing so, you can transform these trunk or treat ideas for church into something beyond a fun experience for kids and families—into meaningful ministry.

More resources you may find helpful

• Fun-filled faith: 15 Exciting games for children’s church
• God of every season: Encouraging autumn Bible verses
• Welcome to church: 10 ways to make your visitors feel at home
• 12 church fall festival ideas to build your community
• 10 fun & meaningful Thanksgiving church celebration ideas