Whether they plan to appear as cartoon characters, restaurant foods or traditional standbys like ghosts and hoboes, children will be turning out in droves for candy and treats next weekend to celebrate the second most-popular holiday of the year.

How they choose to make the Halloween rounds may be a little different this year, however, thanks to the efforts of some local churches.

Overall safety concerns and a desire for good, clean Christian fun will lead many parents to church-based Halloween activities this year.

More and more civic and church groups are organizing holiday activities to keep kids off the streets in the evening. Besides serving as a nonthreatening outreach opportunity for the groups, the activities also are benefiting the community by increasing the number of opportunities geared towards families and reducing the amount of Halloween vandalism.

"We're celebrating with the children of our church as part of our regular monthly children's ministries," said Linda Bangert. "We just wanted to do something that was a safe Halloween activity."

Bangert works with the children's ministry at Hobbs Chapel. Each month, she helps plan entertainment for the church's youngest members and their friends.

The children will meet today to decorate pumpkins, make spiders, create scarecrows and enjoy other holiday fun.

In an effort to continue its outreach missions, the House of Hope will sponsor an Hallelujah Blast from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Halloween. Children ages 3-11 can attend the event, which promises "games, candy, prizes and fun." Admission is one bag of individually wrapped pieces of candy per child.

Lynwood Baptist Church has organized what is probably the largest church-related Halloween celebration. The church will hold its fourth annual Fall Festival from 6-8 p.m. Halloween night at the Osage Community Center.

Admission is a canned good which will be donated to the FISH food pantry.

The church sponsors the event each year as a "safe, fun Christian alternative to Halloween." The festival features games, food, door prizes, and of course, lots of candy.

The fall festival is geared to children from preschool age to sixth grade. Costumes are acceptable, but the church has requested that there be no scary costumes.

In its short existence, the fall festival has tripled in size. When first planned, it was geared to outreach. Members said the event has been successful mainly because it's a good, non-threatening way to meet people away from the church setting.

All in all, opportunities abound for parents looking for alternatives to a blustery evening of traditional, outdoor trick-or-treating. Although the scarier aspects of the evening probably won't be present, local churches still guarantee their events will be kid-pleasers.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

* Use makeup instead of masks when creating costumes so that vision isn't obstructed.

* Costumes should be flame resistant and short enough to prevent children from tripping or falling.

* Children should wear well-fitting sturdy shoes. Carrying a flashlight or lantern while trick-or-treating helps illuminate dark streets and makes children more visible. Costumes also can be decorated with reflective tape to help ensure visibility.

* Homeowners shoudl repair broken steps, chair rails and fill holes in the yard to prevent accidents as trick-or-treaters arrive.

* Candlelit jack-o'-lanterns and indoor jack-o'-lanters should be kept away from anything that can easily ignite.

* Motorists should reduce speed and drive with extra caution in neighborhoods where children will be out.

* Adults should accompany small children as they visit neighborhood houses. Do not enter homes unless accompanied by an adult.

* Trick-or-treaters should only visit houses where residents have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.

* Warn children not to eat any of their treats before they get home. Examine all treats before allowing children to eat them.

Sources: Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition and American Optometric Association.