Lent & Easter

Holy Week Activities Egg Activities A Light in the Darkness Reading Easter Sunday Activities Resources

Activities for Families for Holy Week

Palm Sunday ~ Praise / Palm Branch

Scripture
Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem… Many in the crowd spread their coats on the road ahead of Jesus, and others cut leafy branches in the fields and spread them along the way. He was in the center of the procession, and the crowds all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Bless the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”

Suggested Readings: Psalm 118:26, Zachariah 9:9, Revelation 7:9-17

Activity
Decorate your table for lunch or dinner using real or artificial palm branches. Children might enjoy making the palm branches out of green construction paper. Let them march through the house waving branches and shouting “Hosannah!”

Monday ~ Prayer / Pretzel

Scripture
It was time for the annual Passover celebration, and Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; and he saw money changers behind their counters. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and oxen, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “The scriptures declare, ‘My temple will be called a place of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves” Our bodies are temples because Christ dwells within us. What behaviors and attitudes please God when we worship Him?

Suggested Readings: John 2:13-16, Matt. 21:13, I Corinthians 3:16, 6:18 & II Corinthians 6:16

Activity
Make soft pretzels. Pretzels are a traditional reminder of arms that are folded in prayer.

Some people fold their hands when they pray.
But a long time ago, Christians chose a different way.
Arms folded across the chest was common, they say,
and it inspired a tradition for Lent that would stay.
For hundreds of years, pretzels have reminded people to pray,
and that’s why we are going to make some today!
K.S.

There is a pretzel recipe at the end of this page.

Tuesday ~ Love for God / Letter

Scripture
Jesus went to teach at the temple every day during Holy Week. One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

Wednesday ~ Love for Others / Lilies

Scripture
The second commandment is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.

Maundy Thursday ~ Sacrifice & Service / Supper & Shoes

The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning command.

Scripture
“And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each others’ feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”

Good Friday ~ The Cross / Curtains & Crown

Good Friday is the day when Jesus’ death is commemorated. For Christians, good has come from His sacrifice. It is usually a very solemn day.

Scriptures
Suggested Readings: Matthew Chapter 27, Mark 14:27-15:47, Luke 22: 31-24:53

Activities
You might want to close all of your shades & curtains on Good Friday to darken your house between noon & 3:00. If you have a cross, drape it with black or purple cloth and/or a circle of thorny vines. Children can make a crown of thorns using play dough and toothpicks. There is also a pattern for making an origami cross at the end of this page.

Holy Saturday ~ Crypt / Candles & Cookies

Scriptures
Suggested Readings: Isaiah 9:2, I John 1:5, Luke 2:29b, Isaiah 60:3, II Corinthians 4:6, John 3:16-21, Ephesians 5:8-9, Psalm 18: 28, I Peter 2:9b, Matthew 5:14-15, Psalm 27:1a, Psalm 18: 28, Isaiah 2:5b, John 1:9

Activity
Holy Saturday candlelight vigils are a historic church tradition. Have a candlelight devotional time with your family or guests in the evening. A Light in the Darkness responsive reading is provided at the end of this newsletter. If you have an Advent wreath, you might use the Christ Candle from your wreath for your main candle.

Children would enjoy making Resurrection cookies. The recipe, which teaches the Easter story, is at the end of this newsletter.

One of our favorite resources for Easter is the Resurrection Eggs by Family Life Ministries with the accompanying ZonderKids story, Benjamin’s Box, written by Melody Carlson & illustrated by Jack. For the same price as the book and eggs, you can get an Easter Kit which also includes a small gold box to use with the book and a festive bag. (Order at: http://shop.celebrationsandtraditions.com/main.sc)

Benjamin’s Box: A young boy follows Jesus through Jerusalem, collecting mementos to share with others and to remind him of Jesus’ teachings. Designed to be used as “stand-alone” or with the Resurrection Eggs. (Each page of the book corresponds to one of the eggs.) Benjamin’s Box is illustrated and inscribed by Jack.

The Resurrection Eggs: Twelve colorful eggs with meaningful objects bring the story of the death and resurrection of Christ to life

Resurrection Sunday

One of our favorite Easter traditions is to wake up the household with joyful music such as the Hallelujah Chorus or “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” Open all your curtains and shades. Greet your family with the words, “He is risen!” and have them respond, “He is risen indeed!” Make a “Christ is Risen” banner or ribbon sticks for children to twirl in celebration, saying “Christ is risen!” If you covered a cross on Friday, remove the cloth & crown of thorns and drape it with flowers. Rejoice!

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs, Eggs!

Eggs for Conversation Starters
Put a plastic pull-apart egg on or near each guest’s dinner plate. Put small strips of paper with conversational questions in the eggs and let each person at the table read and answer his or her question. This is a great way to create a shared experience and to focus on the meaning of the holiday. A list of suggested questions is included at the end of this newsletter.

Eggs for Celebration
Put a plastic pull-apart egg on or near each person’s dinner plate with a treat and a small strip of paper with a scripture passage, quote, or poem inside the egg. Invite each guest to read his or her note aloud. (For children, put in a picture that they can share.) There are some suggested questions near the end of this page. E-mail us at [email protected] for a copy of scriptures, poems, and quotes that we’ve enjoyed using.

Eggs for Prayer
Place two baskets on a coffee table or buffet—one filled with pull-apart plastic eggs and one empty—along with pens and small pieces of paper. Invite your guests to write prayer requests on the papers and put them inside one of the plastic eggs, which should then be placed in the second basket. When your guests leave, invite them to take an egg and pray for the person/request until Ascension Day, forty days after Easter.

Eggs for Teaching
Use The Resurrection Eggs by Family Life Ministries, a set of twelve colorful eggs with meaningful objects that help children understand and remember the story of the death and resurrection of Christ along with Benjamin’s Box, a Zonderkidz book written by Melody Carlson & illustrated by Jack. In this story, a young boy follows Jesus through Jerusalem, collecting mementos to share with others and to remind him of Jesus’ teachings. Each page of the book corresponds to one of the Resurrection Eggs.

Other Activities

Make an Easter garden with an empty tomb. Check out wearethatfamily.com/2012/03/diy-mini-resurrection-garden/ for illustrated examples and directions.

Take a walk to look for budding trees and plants and other signs of new life; talk about what new life in Christ means.

For next year… Save the trunk from a Christmas tree to use to make a cross. This demonstrates the connection of Christmas with Easter. Jesus was born in the stable in Bethlehem so that he could be one of us and die for us. To make the cross, cut two pieces out of the trunk and notch both of the pieces so they will fit together in the traditional cross shape. Drill holes for candles. Decorate the cross with ivy and/or flowers using hot glue or a staple gun using curved staples. As at Advent, the candles can be purple (to represent repentance) and pink (to represent hope) or white. Whatever color the candles are, the candlelight always represents the light that Jesus brought into the world. Use it during Lent, Holy week, or just on Easter Day.

RESOURCES

Recipes, Reading, Questions, Links, & Pattern

Soft Pretzels

1 package yeast
1 1/2 cups of hot water
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 cups of flour

• Heat oven to 465 degrees.

• Boil 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix dry ingredients. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups of hot water to dry ingredients and stir. Add only enough to make a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface, kneed the dough for 5 minutes. Cover and let rise 10 minutes.

• Grease 2 cookie sheets. Take about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a “snake.” Shape it into a pretzel and place on the cookie sheet. Let rise one more time for about 5 to 10 minutes.

• Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a large pan. Carefully lower each pretzel into the boiling water. Allow to boil for about 45 seconds. Lift the pretzel out and place on the cookie sheet again. After each pretzel has been boiled, sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Resurrection Cookies

Read the whole recipe before beginning.
Try to do it together with the children on the Saturday night before Easter Sunday.
Ingredients:
1 Cup WHOLE pecans
3 Egg whites
1 Cup sugar
1 tsp. Vinegar
Pinch of salt

You will need:
Wooden spoon
Zipper baggie
Bowl
Wax Paper
Tape
Bible
Cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3

Let children smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon 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 and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sins. Read Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar, a little at a time. 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 11 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. 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 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts.

Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:65-66

Put cookie sheet in oven. Close door and turn 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

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.

Go to bed!

On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie! Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Resurrection Day, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9

A Light in the Darkness Reading

Place a candle in the center of the table and provide a candle for each family member or guest.
Parent(s) or host(s) read the regular text. Children or guests read or recite the text in italics.
(Very young children can just say, “Jesus is the true light.”)

Light the center candle.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light~ a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
This is the message he has given us to announce to you. God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
I have seen the Savior you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
All nations will come to your light. Mighty kings will come to see your radiance.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness, has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ”
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. The light from heaven came in to the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.

Light each person’s candle using the flame from the center candle.

For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it. For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
Lord, you have brought life to my life; my God, you light up my darkness.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.You can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
You are the light of the world~ like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. DonÕt hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good works shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
Lord, you have brought life to my life; my God, you light up my darkness.
Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.
Let us walk in the light of the Lord.
_______________________________ ________________________________

Scripture References: (New Living Translation) Isaiah 9:2, I John 1:5, Luke 2:29b, Isaiah 60:3, II Corinthians 4:6, John 3:16-21, Ephesians 5:8-9, Psalm 18: 28, I Peter 2:9b, Matthew 5:14-15, Psalm 27:1a, Psalm 18: 28, Isaiah 2:5b
“Jesus is the true light~ He gives light to everyone.” From John 1:9 ~ The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world. .

Questions for Use in Easter Eggs

(You may want to label the eggs with your guests’ names and choose questions that are appropriate for each individual, depending on their age, faith, etc.)

What was the best news you’ve ever received?

What was the biggest surprise you’ve ever pulled off?

If you could plan your church’s Easter service, what would it be like?

Where would you like to have an Easter egg hunt?

What would be in your fantasy Easter basket?
What is your favorite Easter memory?

What most says “It’s Spring!” to you?

What is your earliest memory of celebrating Easter?

If you were reporting on the scene after Jesus’ resurrection, who would you most want to interview?

What is your favorite Easter tradition?

What is the most difficult thing you’ve ever given up for Lent?

Would you describe yourself as a Doubting Thomas? Why or why not?

Describe the best Easter/Spring vacation you remember.

Please share YOUR favorites on our Celebrations & Traditions Facebook page at facebook.com/Celebrations-Traditions.

Links

Easter Information & Activities for Kids, Parents, & Teachers:
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Holidays/Easter/
Easter Resources, Info, & Activities (Christian-based):
http://www.peggiesplace.com/easter
Easter Crafts, Poems, Songs & Fingerplays:
http://childfun.com/
Fun Interactive Easter Puzzles for Kids — Scramblers:
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/easter-fun/scramblers/
Easter Coloring Pages – Interactive coloring book pages:
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/easter/
Activities, Stories, Songs, and Other Resources (Christian-based):
http://www.childrenschapel.org/biblestories/eresource.html
Just For Fun Easter Crafts, Activities, & Recipes:
http://holidays.kaboose.com/easter/