by Ivy Bonhorst / ga11012007

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Our Spookley the Square Pumpkin FHE turned out great, I just wanted to share. I want to start out by saying that I'm not endorsing this movie, I just thought it was a cute movie with a good message. In fact, I DVR'ed this movie off of Disney Channel, so I didn't even purchase it. Here's the website which has the movie: CLICK HERE to visit the site.  From this website, I printed off the Spookley Coloring book, which I used in the lesson. It turned out really fun and memorable for my children: ages 2, 5 and 8.
 
Additional note from me (Melanie): I did a google search for the movie and found it on Amazon between eight and twelve dollars depending if you wanted a new or used copy.  Or you could check your TV schedule around Halloween and see if Disney or another channel is planning to air it, like Ivy did.
 
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Spookley the Square Pumpkin FHE
 
FHE TOPICS: Halloween, Standing as a Witness, Choosing the Right
 
MATERIALS: Spookley the Square Pumpkin movie, Spookley coloring page and crayons, Gospel Art Kit pictures of Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life
 
OPENING SONG: "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus" or "Choose the Right"
 
CLOSING SONG: "The Iron Rod" or "The Wise Man Built His House upon the Rock" 
 
LESSON: Watch the video (approx. 50 minutes), then have discussion using these questions or your own.
 
1. Why was Spookley different from the other pumpkins? (He was a square pumpkin, the others were round.)  
 
- How are we different from other people at work/school? (We are members of the church, and don't believe or act the same way others do.
 
2. Why did the other pumpkins make fun of Spookley? (He was different from them.)  
 
-How do other people make fun of us? (Sometimes people might laugh at you because you don't do the same things as them, like smoking, drinking beer, or wearing not modest clothing.)
 
3. What did Spookley do even when people laughed at him? (He still participated in the Jack-a-lympic games and then later saved his friend's life.)
 
- How can we be brave like Spookley, even when people are laughing or making fun of us? (We can remember to choose the right, no matter what.) 

- Can you think of a time when you chose the right no matter what?
 
4. What happened to all the pumpkins when the storm came? (The round pumpkins who made fun of Spookley rolled away. Spookley didn't blow away, because he was square.)
 
- We don't have to worry about blowing away in real storms, but what kinds of storms do we have to fight when we are at school or work? (People trying to get us to do drugs, or lie, cheat, or join them in making fun of others.)
 
5. Is there a scripture story about people who were laughed at? (Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life, show GAK picture. Talk about how Nephi and his family were being laughed at for following the iron rod, but they were strong and didn't listen to the people laughing at them, just like Spookley did.)
 
6. Talk about the song of the Wise Man who Built His House upon a Rock. There was a storm in that song, too, but the Wise Man who was on a rock "stood still" just like Spookley did during the storm. The Foolish Man who didn't make good choices, just like the other pumpkins, got blown away in the storm.
 
7. At the end, what reward did Spookley get? (A glowing light from within when he was turned into a jack-o-lantern.)
 
- Was this reward better than the candy corn crown? Why? (Candy corn would get all mushy or soggy during the storm, and wouldn't last long. The "glowing" would last much longer and gave everyone else a good feeling too.)
 
- Which reward lasts longer, the candy corn crown or the "glowing from within"? (The "glowing" was a real reward, because you get a good feeling inside. The candy corn crown would go away as soon as you ate it, or maybe get soggy or lost and not last long.)
 
- What rewards that we get are like the candy crown? (Worldly things that don't last long like new clothes, candy or toys. Things that we can't take with us when we go to heaven.)
 
- What rewards are like Spookley's "glowing light"? (The good feeling that we get when we choose the right and get that glowing feeling inside. We can share this light with others AND take it with us to heaven.)
 
8. Was it good that Spookley was square? How can we be different or "square" like Spookley? (Standing for the right no matter what.)  Have you ever heard someone say, "Dare to be Square"? What does that mean? (Dare to be different. It means that we should be different from others.)
 
COLORING ACTIVITY: We should be different and not follow others when they are making fun of someone else. The prophet says that we're different from others, and we should be.  We should "Dare to be Square" like Spookley. I have a picture of Spookley so that you can remember to be different like Spookley and choose the right no matter what. On the top, let's write "Dare to be Square" so you can remember.
 
MORE DISCUSSION TIPS:  There are a lot of other things to discuss with this movie. My 8 year old daughter noted that the candy crown was like the people that recently died in the San Diego fires because they wouldn't leave their home or personal items behind to evacuate. After watching this movie, my husband had a completely different take on the "moral" of this movie. He said that Spookley didn't get to choose being different, he was born that way. But even though he was different, he still used his differences to help others! He also said that we can't "judge a book by its cover" (which is the moral stated at the end of the movie) and know what a person is like just by judging what they look like on the outside. It's how a person acts and helps others that tells us what they're really like.