Last year we followed this plan the week of Easter to try to make it more Christ-centered, and I loved how it changed the kids' focus and the feeling in our home that week. It's geared towards kids 5 and under, really, so I tried to add in some elements of fun (making some things, looking for eggs with the symbols). I decided to share it here in case anyone else besides me just barely realized that Easter is coming soon. . . .
Easter Week Plans
[Note: the event each day doesn’t correspond exactly with what happened that day for Jesus—some of the events I’ve combined or split for emphasis when teaching young kids.]
Preparation for Week in General
* Make Map of Jerusalem for the wall by the kitchen table to mark each day where Jesus went the last week of his life. Or, download one from the church’s web site (in the Old Testament manual, pg 24).
*Also make faces attached to Popsicle sticks for them to use when we tell parts of the story: happy, sad, surprised, angry, scared.
Monday
Triumphal Entry, GAK (Gospel Art Kit) 223
- Hide plastic egg w/little donkey figurine in it and hide picture of the Triumphal Entry. Have the kids each look for one.
- Read Mark 11:7-9. Tell them the story. Have them hold up faces for how they would feel. Summarize that after coming into
- Make big palm leaves out of paper and wave them and shout “Hosanna!” OR break a donkey piñata if the party store/dollar store has one for a good price.
Passover/Last Supper
- Hide plastic egg w/sacrament cup in it. Hide picture of Jesus washing apostles feet and picture of Last Supper.
- Read John 13: 4-5, 14-15 (Jesus washing feet). Have them hold up faces for how they would feel. Read Matthew 26:26-28 (sacrament).
- Dress up in sheets, like New Testament days. Sit around ottoman on the floor and eat bread, raisins, grape juice.
- Paste pictures of Jesus cut out of the Friend into a book to look at during the sacrament.
Gethsemane
- Hide plastic egg w/ a white cloth in it that I’ve colored w/red marker on or dyed w/red food coloring. Hide picture of Jesus praying in Gethsemene.
- Read Luke 22:41-46. Rephrase. Have them hold up faces for how they would feel.
Betrayal/Trial
- Hide eggs w/3 dimes in one and a thorn in another. Hide picture of the betrayal of Jesus.
- Read Matthew 26: 47-50; Matthew 37: 28-29; Luke 22: 63-67, 70
- Talk about friendship and loyalty: How is Jesus loyal to us, how can we be loyal to him? How can we be loyal and true friends to each other? Play friendship matching game: http://www.mormonshare.com/node/975
Friday
Cruxification/Burial
- Hide eggs w/nail, white cloth, bay leaf seasoning, and stone. Hide pictures of the Crucifixion and Jesus’s tomb.
- Read Luke 23: 33-36. Use flannel board figures to help tell the story. Have them hold up faces for how they would feel. http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Liahona/1978.htm/the%20friend%20april%201978.htm/flannel%20board%20color%20page%20he%20is%20risen.htm?fn=document-frameset.htm$f=templates$3.0
- Make edible tombs. What I need for this: paper plates, choc frosting, cupcake (or Hostess snowball or rice crispy treats to shape into empty tombs), vanilla wafers (for the rock), little He Has Risen signs stuck in a gumball. They can eat it after they tell us the story using the flannel board figures.
Saturday
Night of Darkness
- Hide egg w/mini-flashlight and black piece of construction paper.
- Turn out all the lights in the basement and tell about what happened in 3 Nephi chapters 8-10. Have them hold up faces for how they would feel. Shine a flashlight on picture of Jesus appearing to the Nephites at the temple. Have them hold up faces for how they would feel.
Resurrection Day
- Hide empty egg and pictures of Resurrected Jesus.
- Read Matthew 28:26. Have them hold up faces for how they would feel.
- Make Easter Story booklet http://www.sugardoodle.net/Easter%20Ideas/easterstory.pdf and He Lives Pop-up Craft after church
- Make resurrection rolls. http://www.sugardoodle.net/Easter%20Ideas/Resurrection%20Rolls.shtml What I need for this: crescent rolls, large marshmallows, butter, cinnamon, sugar, cupcake/muffin wrappers
6 comments:
Thank you for sharing! I might actually do some of these (since my 3 year old might actually get it). :)
Awesome! Thank you for sharing this. You are such a great mom to plan things like this!
Love your ideas! I think I might be able to do some of these too!!!
wow.......those are some seriously great easter plans. i am going to have to remember this in a few years when our little tike is old enough to get it. you are amazing, as always!
Thanks! This is going to be great. What a wonderful idea!
Hey, I acutally followed your outline for the week and A loved it! It was also great for me as well. Thanks for all your creativeness as we all benefit.
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