Many of the yard decorations arouned here have gotten macabre - tombstones, fake limbs sticking out of the ground, ghouls, skeletons, skulls & zombies - I find them offensive. The pervasive images of death are just gross to me.
So in an effort to avoid all of that our church has a big party for kids - anyone is welcome to bring their kids - as a way to provide an environment that's not so "dark". There are games (booths to throw rings around bottles, beanbag tosses, etc.) plenty of prizes in the form of candy, face painting, etc. The only guidelines are that costumes can't be scary or include weapons.
A benefit of the party is that parents come inside the church building and realize that since the roof didn't fall in maybe they'll come back another time - and some do. ;o)