Easter
Activities & Crafts
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Egg
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What
Is Easter?
It
is widely believed that Easter comes from Bede ("The Venerable"),
a late-seventh-century historian and scholar from England. He
says Easter's name came from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, who
was associated with spring and fertility and was celebrated around
the vernal equinox. Similarly as Christmas was moved to coincide
with and replace the pagan celebration of winter, Easter was likely
moved to coincide and replace the pagan celebration of spring.
The
Easter Bunny also comes from these pagan rites of spring as well,
but more from pagan Germany than pagan Britain. Eighteenth-century
German settlers brought "Oschter Haws" to America, where
Pennsylvania Dutch settlers prepared nests for him in the garden
or barn. On Easter Eve, the rabbit laid his colored eggs in the
nests. In Germany, old Oschter lays red eggs on Maundy Thursday.
Maundy
or Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus, getting
its name from the Latin translation of Jesus' saying that evening,
"A new commandment I give to you" Mandatum novum do
vobis. It is marked by foot washing and the blessing of the oils.
But in various parts of the world, it has other traditions as
well. The German word "to mourn" (grun) is very similar
to the word for green (grÜn). So in Austria, Hungary, and
much of Germany, Thursday is GrÜndonnerstag: a day to eat
spinach and green salad. This is not the only reason for eating
greens: Passover is celebrated with karpas (a green vegetable,
usually parsley) and bitter herbs. In old England, men used to
shave their beards on Maundy Thursday, as this was a time to cleanse
the body as well as the soul to prepare for Easter.
Friday,
of course, is Good Friday. (The Orthodox calls it Great Friday,
but they're not celebrating Holy week until next week.) Christians
commemorate Jesus' death and call it "Good". Some believe
it was changed from God Friday to Good Friday and others say it
is simply because the act of Jesus dying that day was the only
thing that could save God’s children. It used to be that
Good Friday was observed even more than Easter, but for a while
Protestants ignored it. On one Good Friday, a nineteenth-century
missionary to Bermuda had difficulty explaining the ascension
of Jesus, so he launched a kite with an image of Jesus on it and
cut the string. Kite-flying is now a Bermuda Good Friday tradition.
Bermuda
is also where Easter lilies came from. They were brought to America
from the island in the late 1800s and are now associated with
Easter because it grows from a bulb that is "buried"
and "reborn."
Easter
Bunny Mask
Age:
3 and Up
Mess: Medium
Material: White paper plate, white or pink construction
paper, scissors, tape, crayons or markers, string, and a hole-punch
(sharp pencil works well).
Instructions: On the construction paper cut out
two bunny ears. On the paper plate draw a face of a bunny with
teeth and whiskers and a little nose. Cut the eyes out with the
scissors. Punch a hole on either side of the bunny face and tie
the string or yarn through it. Tape over the knot to secure it
and not rip the mask. Tape the ears to the top of the plate and
you have a bunny mask.
Bunny
Ears Head Band
Age:
3 and Up
Mess: Medium
Material: Pink and Gray paper, scissors, tape
or glue.
Instructions: Measure your child's head, and
cut a piece of construction paper long enough to create a headband.
Glue or tape the paper together so the headband fits snugly on
your child's head but is loose enough to take off easily. Cut
two paper ears (if you have the supplies use gray paper for the
outer ear and then pink paper for the "inner" ear).
Let your child help you glue the pink ear to the gray ear. It's
okay if it's a little off, it's art! Then, either staple, glue
or tape the ears to the headband.
Fuzzy
Bunny
Age:
3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Paper, glue and cotton balls
Instructions: On a piece of paper have a drawing
of a bunny rabbit. You’re your child glue the cotton balls
to their cutout.
Easter
Egg Match Up
Age:
4 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Plastic colored eggs that break apart
and an empty egg carton.
Instructions: Mismatch the plastic eggs so the
top and bottom colors do not match. Have your child match together
the correct color of eggs.
Easter
Egg Scavenger Hunt
Age:
4 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Paper, pencil and Easter eggs
Instructions: This is a great activity for children
who get treats on Easter morning. Cut 5 to 7 Easter egg shapes
out of paper and on each shape put a clue as to where the next
clue is. With each glue include an Easter egg. Have the final
clue lead them to their special treats.
Paper
Easter Egg Collage
Age:
4 and Up
Mess: Medium
Material: Different colors of paper, scissors
and glue
Instructions: On a white piece of paper have
your child draw a large Easter Egg. The younger ones will need
you to do this for them. Then cut the colored paper into small
pieces of various shapes and sizes. Have your child glue to colored
pieces onto their drawn Easter Egg. Once it dries have them cut
the egg shape out.
Magical
Egg
Age:
4 and Up
Mess: Medium
Material: Balloon, colored paper, scissors and
glue
Instructions: Inflate a small balloon for your
child. Have your child glue colored paper to the outside of the
balloon. They need at least two complete layers with no gaps on
the balloon. Allow it to dry by hanging the balloons up by the
tied knot. When dry, cut a slit in the balloon and remove the
balloon, leaving a beautiful color paper egg.
Egg
Roll
Age:
4 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Plastic colored eggs or colored hard
boiled eggs and masking tape.
Instructions: If you have more than one child,
it can be a race, or for one child you can time them. Place masking
tape on the floor for the start and finish lines. Place one plastic
egg on the starting line for each child. (You can use colored
hard boiled eggs as well) Explain that the object of the game
is to roll the egg to the finish line with YOUR NOSE. If they
get too good, add a few obstacles, such as a chair to go around,
or tape a line for them to try to follow, be creative. Kids absolutely
love this one!
Easter
Bunny Puppets
Age:
5 and Up
Mess: Medium
Material: Paper lunch bag, markers, pink paper,
glue or tape and pipe cleaners
Instructions: On the paper lunch bag have your
child draw eyes and a nose and some bunny teeth. Then have him
or her cut the pink paper into ear shapes and glue or tape onto
the bottom of the bag. Use the pipe cleaners for whiskers.
Easter
Egg Coloring
Age:
4 and Up
Mess: High
Material: Hard Boiled Eggs, Different Colored
Food Colorings and bowls.
Instructions: Hard Boil a carton of eggs. Fill
four to six bowls with water and food coloring. Once the eggs
are cool have your child dip different parts of the eggs in different
colors.
Easter
Bunny, Easter Bunny, Goose
Age:
3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: None
Instructions: Played like "Duck, Duck, Goose"
except the children will hop around the circle, and say "Bunny"
instead of "Goose."
Easter
Eggs
Age:
3 and Up
Mess: Low
Material: Colored paper, scissors crayons, paint
or markers and any other material you might have lying around.
Instructions: Have your child cut out oval shapes
from various colors of paper. Then have them decorate these with
paint, markers, glitter, stickers, or any other materials that
you wish to provide.
