Ideas for Celebrating Easter (For Children but Really for Anyone!)

I tell my children, “Easter is just as important as Christmas.”  And while I mean that, it’s hard to make quite the fanfare about Easter that we do about Christmas when the culture around us isn’t throwing Easter parties, listening to Easter music, taking a two week Easter break from school, or having Easter parades.  But if we have anything to throw a party about, it’s this—the resurrected Christ defeated my sin and my death, out of the riches of his mercy and grace gave me the ultimate gift, took on himself the punishment that was mine, made a way for me to live forever with God, gave my life purpose, and enabled the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that His very presence and power continue on in the world through you and me!  Easter should be the party to end all parties—meaning you won’t find a better reason to throw a party than Easter (this side of heaven at least).

As I preach this to myself, I’m thinking that what I’m about to share with you is rather anti-climactic in light of the glory of the resurrection of Christ, but I’ll share nonetheless.

Here are a few ways I try to make Easter memorable for my children.   Children LOVE traditions and remember them even when you forget them (one of the many things I love about my tribe).  (FYI – these are not my original ideas, and if I knew whom to credit, I would.)

1. Resurrection Rolls – On Easter morning get the children to help roll marshmallows into canned crescent rolls (1 marshmallow to 1 roll) and talk with them about Jesus being wrapped in burial clothes and placed in a borrowed tomb (See Mark 15:42-47). Then when you take them out of the oven, the marshmallow is “gone”!  Talk with them about the significance of the empty tomb!  (I’ve been doing this for two years, and this year, my five-year-old said, “Mama don’t forget to buy those rolls that we put Jesus in…you know the ones!”)
2. Plant an Easter garden. We did this last year and our garden is still alive (which is quite MIRACULOUS considering that I killed an asparagus fern that had previously survived the Pascagoula floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina).  Use a pot turned sideways with moss on top (or a big rock with a hole drilled in it) as the tomb, and use play-dough to “seal” the tomb.  Use small succulent plants to make the garden.  I got this idea from my friend Ann.  Check it out here.  (Ok, she doesn’t know we’re friends, but we are.  You’ll notice in my sidebar of recommended books that hers is one of my favs.)  My children had fun planting and watering the garden.  (P.S.  Ann's looks way better than mine! ha!)
   
3. The night before Easter make Resurrection cookies. (See recipe below.)
4. Sing Easter hymns and songs. We go to a contemporary church, so my children don’t hear the hymns as often as I did growing up, so I make it a point to sing and play them at home and on CD in the car.  I really like this one:  Kids Hymnal.  When “And Can it Be” comes on, my girls say, “Mama, this is your song.”   (See lyrics below.)  My children are hearing some great theology through the hymns, and one day I trust it will deepen their walk with Christ.
5. Make or buy resurrection eggs and read the corresponding Scripture with your children.  You can check out an example:  Easter Egg Set - 12 Resurrection Eggs With Religious Figurines Inside - Tells Full Story of Easter.
   (I made my own.  We usually do this on Saturday when we are waiting on the dyed Easter eggs to dry.)
   (This pic was taken last year.)
6. The obvious and easy one: Take your children to all the services that build up to Easter—Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, any Holy Week services your church has, and of course Easter Sunday—and sunrise services are just THE BEST.  Last Sunday my five-year-old asked me why our church didn’t have the palm branches (as we usually do) this year for Palm Sunday.  I didn’t even tell her it was Palm Sunday!  My point here is simply that tangible experiences help children (and adults) remember.  This Thursday I asked my girls what was significant about this day before Jesus died.   She said, “They [Jesus and his disciples] ate the Passover food together, and Jesus took the bread and said ‘this is my body’ . . .”  I don’t really drill this into her, but through a combination of teaching (church/homeschool program teachers/home) and experiences, she remembers.   I share all this not to brag on her, but to say that you never know when the seemingly small things make a big impression on their understanding.
7. Have an Easter party.  (I haven't done this yet . . . but one day!)Please leave a comment to share your Easter ideas!

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The Easter Story Cookies

You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Ziploc bag
wooden spoon
tape
a Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place pecans in Ziploc bag and let children beat them with wooden spoon to break into small pieces.  Read John 19:1-3.   After Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Let children smell the vinegar.  Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.  Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.  Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar.  Eggs represent life.  Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.  Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand.  Let them taste it.  Put a pinch of salt into mixing bowl.  Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.  Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing.

Add 1 cup of sugar.  Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us.  He wants us to know and belong to Him.  Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.  Explain that the color white represents the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.  Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts.  Drop by teaspoons on to waxed paper cookie sheet.  Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.  Read Matthew 27:57-60.  Put cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and turn the oven OFF.  Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.  Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.  Read Matthew 27:65-66.
Now go to bed!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.  Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.  Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning open the oven and give everyone a cookie.  Notice the cracked surface and take a bite.  The cookies are hollow!  On the first Easter, Jesus followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.  Read Matthew 28:1-9.

* Recipe given to me by my friend Vicky Waggoner (not sure who wrote it, but likely a wonderful Sunday School teacher or mom!)

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“And Can It Be”
by Charles Wesley

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love Divine!
’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.
’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness Divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.