Easter Ideas

If you're looking for some fun things to do leading up to Easter in a few days, here are some links and ideas:

- Easter Coloring Pages

- Easter Crafts

- Have an Easter egg hunt in the yard/neighborhood/park/inside the house

- Cut sandwiches, rice krispie treats or brownies into Easter shapes

- Color Easter eggs

- Fill plastic eggs with candy or notes of appreciation and leave them on the lawn or porch of nearby friends and neighbors.

- Make Resurrection Cookies on Saturday night. These are basically meringue cookies that sit overnight. Here is the recipe I found here:

You need:
* 1 cup whole pecans
* Mixing bowl
* 3 egg whites
* Wooden spoon
* 1 cup sugar
* Bible
* 1 tsp. vinegar
* Zipper baggy
* 1 pinch of salt
* Wax paper
* Cookie sheet
* Tape

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in the baggy 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 child smell the vinegar.
Put 1 tsp. 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 the vinegar.
Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life for our life.
Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand let them taste it then brush the rest into the bowl.
Explain that 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 sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of this 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 mixer on high speed for 11-15 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 tsp.onto waxed paper-covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:65-66

Put cookies sheet in the oven.
Close door and turn oven OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the door.
Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66

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 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 Matt. 28:1-9

Anyone else have any fun Easter-y ideas?