Easter

Easter is the perfect time to celebrate as a family!  The date of Easter changes each year but you don’t have to wait for the Easter weekend to have this Theme Day, you could use it as a way to prepare.  I have included both religious and secular activities for this Theme Day so you are sure to find something to satisfy your family this Easter. 

Print out the Family Theme Day Planner and decide which activities you’d like to do and in what order.

 

INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION:

If you are Christian you already know that Easter is a very holy time that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus.  This Theme Day might be a good time to remind your children of the real meaning of Easter as opposed to an Easter basket full of treats after a visit from the Easter Bunny.  If you are not religious you might want to use this Theme Day as a celebration of spring and renewal focusing on the idea of rebirth after winter which can be symbolised by flowers and coloured eggs.

 

SONGS:

There are many religious songs about Jesus which can be used for this Theme Day.

The Veggies Tales: An Easter Carol has a beautiful Easter Song.  Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klUumz5xRPo

For a secular Children’s song try “Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail.”

 

SCRAPBOOK ACTIVITIES:

COLOURING PAGES:

You can find many free coloring pages online by using your favourite search engine and typing in “Easter Coloring Pages” or print out my “Happy Easter” Coloring Page.

 

JOURNALING QUESTION PROMPT:

Write out one or more of the following questions in the family notebook or on a piece of paper to glue in your family scrapbook:  What do we celebrate at Easter? What family traditions do you have at Easter? What is your favourite thing to do to celebrate Easter? What are the symbols of Easter and what do they mean?

 

 Choose the level of your child:

¨     Toddler – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and have your child draw a picture of the answer

¨     Preschooler/Kindergartener – discuss the answer(s) out loud first and write the answer down for him/her leaving one word for him/her to write out himself/herself with your help. You could also encourage him/her to draw a picture as well.

¨     Early Grade School – have your child either write out the answer himself/herself (encourage phonetic spelling) without your help, or offer to help with spelling each word out loud one word at a time.

¨     Grade School – have your child write a sentence or two on his/her own and then read over and discuss the response.  (You decide whether to correct the spelling or not)

¨     Older Child – have your child write a longer response (paragraph).

¨     As A Challenge – instead of a question ask your older child to write a poem or a story about Easter.

PUZZLES:

Print out an Easter Word Search:

Easy (Secular) Easter Word Search or Moderate (Religious) Easter Word Search.

Check here for the answer keys to the Easter Word Searches:

 Easy Easter Word Search Key or Moderate Easter Word Search Key.

 

Print out an Easter Word Scramble Worksheet:

Easy (Secular) Easter Word Scramble or Difficult (Religious) Easter Word Scramble

Check here for the Word Scramble answer keys:

Easy Easter Word Scramble Key or Difficult Easter Word Scramble Key

 

Print out an Easter Maze:

Easy Easter Maze or Challenge Easter Maze

 

BOOKS:

Raid your child’s bookshelves to find any books about Easter.

OR

Go to the library with your child to find some books about Easter.

OR

Go to the library on your own to find books about the sun from both fiction and nonfiction to have already on hand for your theme day.  Many libraries allow you to go online and search for titles based on subject (search for “Easter”).  Reserve them if you can to save time.

 

Here are some picture books about Easter:

 

· 10 Easter Egg Hunters, by Janet Schulman and illustrated by Linda Davick, Alfred A. Knopf, 2011—This fun counting book rhymes as it follows the egg hunters in their search for coloured eggs.

 

· ABC’s of Easter, Story and art by Patricia Reeder Eubank, Ideals Children’s Books, 2010—This alliterative alphabet book features all sorts of Easter and spring fun.

 

· The Bunny Who Found Easter, by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Helen Craig, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998—A bunny searches in the East for Easter where the old owl told him he would find other bunnies.  In searches through all the seasons until he meets a girl bunny and together, after they have a family, they understand that Easter is not a place but a time of renewal.

 

· Looking For Easter, by Dori Chaconas and illustrated by Margie Moore, Albert Whitman & Company, 2008—This is a sweet little story about a little bunny who is searching for Easter.  He discovers that Easter is new life when he gives his newly made basket to a bird in need.

 

· Who Hid the Easter Eggs?, by Pirkko Vainio, NorthSouth, 2010—When Harry the squirrel sees Jack the jackdaw take a grandmother’s hidden Easter Eggs he convinces the bird to give them back and hide them for the children.

 

Here are some nonfiction books about Easter:

 

· Easter, by Gail Gibbons, Scholastic Inc., 2003 – This picture book is a good review of Easter, beginning with an overview of Jesus’ life and death, and coves some Easter symbols like lilies and eggs, and then reviews other traditions like the Easter Bunny, family gatherings and Easter bonnet parades.

 

· Easter, by Jessica Morrison, Weigl Publishers Ltd., 2011—This is an easy reading overview of the history of Easter with large photographs.

 

· Happy Easter, Davy!, By Brigitte Weninger and illustrated by Eve Tharlet (Translated by Rosemary Lanning), NorthSouth Books Inc., 2001—Davy the rabbit and his brothers and sisters wonder why the Easter Bunny only visits children and not rabbits.  Davy decides to surprise his siblings by leaving them eggs and presents for Easter morning.

 

· Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs: The Story of the Easter Symbols, by Edna Barth and illustrated by Ursula Arndt, The Seabury Press, 1970—This is an older book but older children may like the more in depth look at the symbols of Easter as it is mostly text with few pictures.

 

· We Love Holidays: Easter, by Savious Pirotta, PowerKids Press, 2008—This book has big photographs and larger text making it a good one for early grades to read.

 

· The Story of Easter, by Aileen Fisher and illustrated by Stefano Vitale, Harper Collins Publishers, 1997—This is a great review of Easter and includes interesting around the world Easter customs as well.

 

· Ukrainian Egg Decoration: A Holiday Tradition, by An Stalcup, Powerkids Press, 1999—Usign photographs and large text this book explains the tradition of the Ukrainian Pysanky, those beautifully decorated eggs.

 

For some more religious picture books about Easter try these:

 

· The Easter Story, According to the Gospels of Matthew, Luke & John, with paintings by Gennady Spirin, Henry Holt and Company, 1999—This is a beautifully illustrated book with paintings in a style that looks like they were made by the renaissance masters.

 

· The Easter Story, retold by Allia Zobel-Nolan and illustrated by Trace Moroney, Scholastic Inc., 1999 – This retelling is based on Mark, chapters 11 to 16.

 

· On that Easter Morning, by Mary Joslin and illustrated by Helen Cann, Good Books, 2006—This bright picture book retells the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection in a story form rather than biblical.

 

 

 

CRAFTS:

STICKER COLLAGE:

Materials: Coloured paper and various Easter themed stickers, (Optional) makers and/or crayons.

Step 1: Give your child the paper and stickers and let him/her have fun creating a collage or a scene.

Step 2: (Optional) If your child desires, let him/her add embellishments or details to the scene or collage using crayons or markers.

 

PAPER EASTER EGG:

NOTE: If you are too afraid of the mess of dying real eggs with your little ones try this simple craft instead.

NOTE: Easter eggs are a symbol of Christ’s resurrection and are also a symbol of new life. For more information on Easter Eggs check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg

 

Materials: Paper (coloured or plain), various stickers (or use small pieces of paper cut into different shapes or  sequins and white glue or glitter glue), crayons and/or markers, child safe scissors.

 

Step 1: Draw a simple egg shape (an oval) onto the sheet of paper.

Step 2: Help your child cut the egg out of the paper.

Step 3: Let your child decorate the egg using stickers or gluing pieces of paper or sequins to the egg shape.  Your child could also just simply draw on the egg using crayons or markers as my one son did.

Step 4:  Your child could also add glitter or glitter glue, if desired.

 

DYED EASTER EGGS:

This wouldn’t be a proper Easter Theme Day without egg decoration!

Materials: Hardboiled white eggs, liquid food colouring (from the baking aisle), hot water, white vinegar, mugs or small bowls (to make half and half eggs), spoon to mix, slotted spoon or tongs to gently lift the eggs from the dye, egg carton to set eggs in to dry.

Step 1: For every colour you wish to make you will need a separate bowl or cup and also a 1/4 tsp of food colouring. So set out the mugs or bowls and add the food colouring first.  I make sure to set each bowl/cup on a piece of paper towel or newspaper as well.

Step 2: Into each cup or bowl of food colouring add 3/4 cup and 1 tbsp of white vinegar.  Mix each one to combine the colour.

Step 3: Gently lower an egg into your homemade dye and let the egg sit until it turns the colour you desire. The longer they are left in the deeper the colour. NOTE: To make an egg have two colours use a shallow bowl full of dye and lay the egg on the side.  Half will be dyed that colour.  Then lay the egg in another bowl with another colour on the other side.

Step 4: Gently remove each egg and let it sit in the egg carton to dry.  If you have a paper egg carton you may want to lay stripes of waxed paper in each slot so the wet egg will not dry and stick to the paper.

 

EASTER EGG VARIATION—CRAYON DESIGNS:

 

To add crayon details and designs have your child draw on the eggs using crayons before they are placed in the dye.   The dye will not adhere to the wax leaving those colours shining through.

 

EASTER EGG VARIATION—ELASTIC BAND DESIGNS:

 

Wrap elastic bands gently around the eggs and then lower them into the dye.  When the eggs are dry remove the elastic which will leave white designs.

 

EASTER EGG VARIATION—LEAF PATTERNS:

 

Lay a small leaf onto your egg (you may need to use glue stick to help it stick if it is too curly) and then tightly (but gently) wrap it an old stocking around it and tie it shut. Put the covered egg in the dye and once dry remove the stocking and the leaf to reveal a white leaf design on your egg.  You can also do this with stickers.

 

EASTER EGG VARIATION—NATURAL DYES:

 

If you are looking for a homemade dye recipe that doesn’t involve food colouring and is more natural try these sites:

 

This one offers six colours : http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/more-holidays/homemade-easter-egg-dye-00000000056344/index.html

This one offers many different colours: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/homemade-natural-easter-egg-dyes.html?page=2

 

YOGURT CONTAINER BASKETS:

Materials: empty (and cleaned) yogurt containers, coloured tissue paper, white glue, old paint brush, coloured construction, Easter grass (Optional) or cotton balls or tissue.

 

Step 1: Cut pieces of different coloured tissue paper (squares and rectangles work well).

Step 2:  Make a simple paste by mixing equal parts white glue and water.

Step 3: Use an old paint brush and paint on paste onto the yogurt container.  Lay a piece of tissue paper on the glue and flatten to shape around the container.

Step 4: Continue to add glue and tissue paper until your child reaches a design or colour that he/she likes (use enough to cover the yogurt containers words).

Step 5: Let the glue dry.

Step 6: Cut a strip of paper from construction paper to use as the handle and tape inside the yogurt container allowing it to curve as the handle.

Step 7: Fill with Easter grass or cotton balls or tissue.

Step 8: Place a single dyed egg on the grass/cotton/tissue.

 

HAND PRINT EASTER LILIES:

NOTE: The Easter Lily symbolizes purity , hope and life.  Check here for some history: http://www.lilyflowerstore.com/lily-facts/history-of-easter-lillies.html

Materials: White paper, Green pipe cleaners, stapler, pencil, green paper, and child safe scissors.

 

Step 1: Trace yours child’s hand (or children’s for a family bouquet) onto white paper.  Make as many handprints as you would like flowers.

Step 2: Help your child cut out the hand prints. 

Step 3: Gently wrap the paper handprint around a pencil to curve it to make a lily shape.

Step 4: (Adult step) Staple the hand print together to keep the flower shape. Push a green pipe cleaner through the bottom of the paper lily and staple to keep it in place.

Step 5: Have your child make some green leaves from the green paper.  Help him/her to cut them out and then staple them to the pipe cleaner.

Step 6: Repeat each step for each lily.

Step 6: (Optional) Tie a ribbon around the bouquet of lilies and give away as a gift or put in a vase to display on your Easter table.

 

CRAFT STICK CROSS:

NOTE: The cross is the ultimate symbol of Easter and Jesus.  Use this simple craft to make a table centre piece that will remind everyone of the true meaning of Easter.

Materials: Craft sticks or popsicle sticks (we used one fat craft stick and two skinny popsicle sticks), markers, a paper cup, white glue, Easter Stickers (Optional), sharp scissors (adult step).

 

Step 1: Have your child colour two popsicle or craft sticks.

Step 2: Glue the sticks together to form a cross shape.  Let them dry.

Step 3: Let your child decorate the paper cup (you could also use a white cup and have your child paint the cup—we opted for the less messy sticker decorations).  Make sure the decorations are not upside down  (the cup should be upside down with the opening on the table).

Step 4: (Adult Step) Use the sharp scissors to press into the bottom of the cup (which is now the top of the cup) and insert the cross into the slit.

 

 

PAPER TOWEL ROLL BUNNY:

I haven’t forgotten the Easter Bunny.  Here is a simple craft in honour of the giving rabbit.

    NOTE: For the history of the Easter Bunny check here:  NOTE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny

 

Materials: Empty toilet paper rolls, white paint (as well as paintbrushes, paint clothes, brushes and paper to cover the table), white paper, black marker, pink crayon, child safe scissors, cotton balls (one for each bunny) glue stick, face cloth for sticky fingers.

 

Step 1: Have your child paint the paper roll white and then leave it to dry.  (Work on another project or read while it dries).

Step 2: Once the roll is dried have your child draw a face on the rabbit using the black marker.

Step 3: Have your child (or you can do it for younger children) draw two bunny ears on the white paper.  Use the pink crayon to colour the inside of the rabbit’s ears.

Step 4: Have your child (or help your child) cut out the rabbit ears.  Apply glue to the ears and then stick them to the roll.

Step 5: Have your child either draw feet and arms on the roll (as my eldest did) or else cut out feet and arms with paws from the white paper and then have your child glue them on the bunny.

Step 6: (Optional) We added some Easter stickers to make it look like the rabbit was carrying a basket.

 

 

FOOD:

SNACK:

Buy some Hot cross buns, or better yet make homemade ones.  We make them every Good Friday! Yum!

 

LUNCH:

Hard Boiled Eggs anyone?  I’m sure there were a few broken eggs around as you dyed them.

Pear Bunny Salad:

NOTE: This was a snack for our Animal Theme Day (so check there if you want to see a picture) but I thought it would be perfect for Easter as well.

Ingredients: Canned pears, raisins, cheese, lettuce leaf.

 

Step 1: Lay out a lettuce leaf onto a plate.

Step 2: Place a pear half onto the leaf as the rabbit’s body.

Step 3: Arrange the raisins as the nose and two eyes on the pear.

Step 4: Cut out two rectangular shapes out of cheese for the bunny’s ears and arrange on top of the pear.

Step 5: Enjoy!

DINNER:

Do you host a special dinner for Easter?  Let your children help plan and cook for the big dinner.

Are you attending a special Easter dinner?  Let your kids help you make an appetizer, salad or side dish to bring with you.

 

DESSERT:

Chocolate Egg Cake:

This was my eldest son’s idea one Easter. Bake a rectangular chocolate cake (in a 9 x 13 pan) using your favourite recipe or from your favourite cookbook (or search online).  Cut the cooked cake into an oval shape and lay on a serving plate or tray to decorate.  Ice the cake (let your child choose the colour of icing) and then let your child decorate it like an Easter egg using candies.

Easter Cut-out Cookies:

If you have any cute Easter cookie cutters use them to make some yummy treats.  We tried Nigella Lawson’s butter cookie recipe( http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/cut-out-cookies-recipe/index.html) to make our little bunnies.

 

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

WEBSITE:

To learn more about Easter check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter or try here  http://www.holidays.net/easter/story.htm

 

FOR FUN:

GAMES:

EASTER EGG HUNT:

Have a traditional Easter Egg Hunt using real eggs, or chocolate eggs or plastic eggs full of goodies.  To prevent melt downs that inevitably come from competitions assign a limit per child or put initials or names on the plastic eggs so that they can only be picked up by the owner.

 

THE AMAZING EASTER RACE:

My mom made up this activity for her three grandsons for Easter 2011.  She decorated a set of envelopes (seven in total per boy) for each child and had them go to different stations in the house at different times.  Each boy received one envelop to started with (with the thatched design on the front) which gave them a riddle to guess where they had to go.  When they got there they were to open another envelop (this one with the yellow and black “Road Block” symbol on it—my boys love the Amazing Race) with an activity to do (like a word search).  Once they finished the road block they could open the next riddle envelop to see where to head to n ext.  The boys are very competitive so we made sure they knew that this was not a timed race and each boy would receive a prize (an Easter basket full of goodies from Grandma and Grandpa) only if they completed each task and brought them all to Grandpa.

NOTE: If you want to do this you can use the word searches, word scrambles and mazes I made above.  Be sure to pick the level of difficulty appropriate for your children’s ages.  My littlest was nearly 5 when he completed the Amazing Easter Race and he required an adult partner to read the instructions and riddles to him (he teamed up with Auntie!).  It was a fun activity to do before Easter Dinner!

 

JOKES:

Q:  How does the Easter Bunny leave your house?

A:  Through the Eggs-it! (Exit)

 

KNOCK KNOCK

Who’s there?

Esther

Esther who?

Esther Bunny!

 

Q: What Easter treat do skunks like?

A: Smelly beans.

 

 

KNOCK KNOCK

Who’s there?

Candy

Candy who?

Candy Easter Bunny carry all those treats in his basket?

 

Q: Why shouldn’t you tell a joke to an Easter Egg?

A: Because it will crack up!

 

 

 

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES:

AUDIO VISUAL:

Search through your child’s DVD/ video collection (or visit your local library before hand or the Video Store) to find your child’s favourite shows about the sun.

 

Try these Easter Shows:

· The Berenstain Bears: Springtime Surprise

· The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town

· Easter with Max & Ruby

· It’s the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown

· Wubbzy’s Egg-cellent Easter

· Hop

 

For something religious try these cartoons:

· The Greatest Adventure—Stories from the Bible: The Easter Story

· Veggie Tales: An Easter Carol

 

 

FIELD TRIP:

Many communities or parks offer large community Easter egg hunts on the Easter weekend.  See what is available in your community.

Many communities hold Easter parades complete with Easter bonnets.  See if you can find one near your community.

 

Happy Easter!

Photo: C Wright

Easter Colouring Page

Journaling

Sticker Collage

2D Paper Easter Egg

Yogurt Basket with an egg dyed using the elastic band variation

Handprint Paper Lilies

Craft Stick Cross Centerpiece

Paper Roll Bunnies

Easter Egg Cake

Bunny Cookies

The Amazing Easter Race