I thought I'd take a moment to share a few fun and meaningful ways to share the Easter story with your children. A tradition in our home is reading Benjamin's Box. I purchased the book but made my own Resurrection Eggs. My own children as well as my Sunday School class look forward to this reading every year.
Following are two sites that explain what to include to make your own eggs to use when telling the Easter story. You don’t need the book for these as the eggs correspond with various Bible verses.
http://www.catholicmom.com/resurrection_eggs.htm
http://www.rainbowcastle.org/resurrectioneggs.html
Below are instructions for Easter or Resurrection cookies. These are always a great hit, also.
EASTER STORY COOKIES (Resurrection Cookies)
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible
Begin on the evening before Easter. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place pecans in a zipper baggie and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Let the children smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp into a 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. Explain that eggs represent life, and that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into the children's hands. Let them taste it and then brush the rest into the mixing bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27
Point out that so far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup 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 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 adn John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop mixture by teaspoonsful onto wax paper on a cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and turn the oven OFF. Give the children a piece of tape to seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed by the Romans. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
Tell the children it's time to go to bed. Talk about how they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Explain that 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! Explain that on the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.
~Source for these cookies is unknown
Happy Easter and remember, HE IS RISEN!!
Dena Wood is a homeschooling mom of five and co-owner of Trigger Memory Systems, home of Times Tales and other non-traditional educational products.. Check out our websites, including our Creative Homeschooling site for more creative learning ideas.
