Egg-stra Special Easter Countdown

Since I haven't been creating very many egg-ceptional preschool activities lately, I had to ask myself what on earth I have been creating.  The answer is, I've been absorbed in making a countdown activity for Easter. I've seen a few variations out there on the web and I've wanted to make one for my own family. Therefore, I've been spending all my time finding the ideas I like the best and compiling, morphing and adding to them to make a grand total of 12 days of Christ-centered, meaningful, and fun activities to do every day from now 'til Easter.

Today was our first day, so I can't speak for the rest of the activities planned yet, but I was really happy with how it went so far. This is what we've got planned to do.

Materials:

• 6 large plastic eggs (I wanted to use all large eggs to fit more stuff, but 12 large eggs won't fit in a carton)

• 6 regular-sized plastic eggs (to off-set the large ones)

• an egg carton

• the stuff to go inside the eggs

It's the stuff to go inside the eggs that makes this difficult. Difficult because a). it has to fit, and b). it has to relate to your activity and message.

Day 1: lifesaver candies Review the Easter story. I used 14 of the pictures found in the LDS Gospel Art Kit depicting the last week of Jesus' life, starting with His triumphal entry and ending with the resurrected Lord. Talk about how the word "lifesaver" applies to the story.

I got the next idea straight from this website: shauna-lynn.blogspot, and tweaked it just a little.
Day 2: mini playdough Discuss the name of Jesus. Read the story of the angel coming to Mary in Luke 1.  Talk about what the name of Jesus - Immanuel, “God with us” - means.  Review the many names of the Savior. Play appropriate selections from Handel's "Messiah." Talk about the meaning of our own names. Have meanings of our names on slips of paper in bag. Take turns pulling out a meaning and guessing who's name it defines. Use the playdoh to spell out the name(s) of Jesus.

Day 3: bells Sing an Easter song. Choose an Easter related song from the LDS Children's Songbook to learn. I chose "Hosanna" because it seems the easiest. I made plastic eggs into shakers with bells inside for the kids to accompany us as we learn and sing the song. Have the kids come up with hand/body actions to help learn the words. 


Also directly from shauna-lynn.blogspot.
Day 4: 2 Swedish Fish & 5 crackers Learn the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. Try to break the bread and fish. How many times can we do it? Read the story in Matthew 14, Luke 9, or John 6. Talk about how everyone go enough to be full and not just tiny pieces. 


This idea came from a book I have titled: A Christ-Centered Easter, Day-by-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week by Janet and Joe Hales.
Day 5: leaves Celebrate Palm Sunday with a play. Janet and Joe Hales call it the "Triumphal Entry Play" and suggest a cast including narrator, disciple(s) sent in search, Christ, donkey, donkey's owner, disciples shouting "Hosanna." Events unfold as follows:

1. Disciples are sent in search of donkey (Mark 11:1-3).
2. Disciples find donkey and owners (Mark 11:4).
3. Owners question disciple' intentions (Mark 11:5-6).
4. Clothing is draped on donkey; Jesus sits upon it and rides into Jerusalem (Mark 11:7).
5. Many disciples cut down palm branches and shout "Hosanna" while waving the branches and spreading them and clothing in the path of the donkey (Mark 11:8-10).

Don't forget props and costumes.


From shauna-lynn.blogspot.
Day 6: toy boats Experiment to accompany the story of Jesus calming the storm. Read the story in Matthew 8, Mark 4, or Luke 8 and discuss. Make a storm in a bottle with a toy boat for each child. Recipe found here: Recipe for Storm in a Bottle. Have the kids try to calm their storms instantly (obviously, it can't be done). Discuss.
*note: we just did this one last night and it was a pretty big flop, in my opinion. the "storm in a bottle" idea is pretty lame and not very dramatic. which, consequently, makes it difficult to discuss. we even tried a couple of different recipes. next year we'll be making storms in the bathtub instead.


Adapted from shauna-lynn.blogspot.
Day 7: fun bandaids What does it mean to be healed? Read the story of Jesus healing the blind man in John 9. Blindfold the kids and lead them in a few activities with it on. Discuss what it would be like to be blind and then be healed by Jesus. Let the kids tell of a story when they got hurt and place bandaids on their bodies. Talk about how Jesus could heal these hurts too. Lead kids into discussion of other kinds of hurts, emotional, spiritual, etc. and discuss how Jesus heals these wounds as well. 


From shauna-lynn.blogspot. (p.s. I love this one that she came up with so I'm pretty much just copying it word for word.)
Day 8: time coupons rolled up (1 per kid for me, and 1 per kid for my husband) Read the story of how Jesus loved the children in Mark 10. Talk about adults in our lives that obviously love children. How do you know and what do they do to show it? How do we think Jesus showed it? How would you like me to show you that I love you and value spending time with you? Fill out the coupons together and let the kids keep them to redeem as they wish.


Day 9: clue to find Smarties and Nerds Learn the parable of the 10 virgins. Before opening the egg for today, have the kids help trim and fill an oil lamp and explain how it works (we happen to have one from Jerusalem that my mother gave us), turn off all the lights in the house and proceed to the activity using only the light from the lamp (and maybe a few other candles). Open egg and follow clue to the candy. Read the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25 and discuss with reference to who was a Smartie, and who was a Nerd. Eat candies as we talk about what happens in the story and what it means to us. 




Day 10: piece of pita, Hershey kiss, piece of silver money, piece of soap, sour candy, pretzel Use symbols to learn about Jesus' last day as a free man. Read selections from the events of this day in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 or John 13-18. Talk about the main things that are happening: Judas conspiring to betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver, the last supper, Jesus washing the apostles feet, Jesus was sad and asked his friends to watch/tarry with him, Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and the betrayal. After we learn the story, have the kids try to sequence it correctly using the symbols as helps. It should look like this: money (30 pieces of silver), pita (last supper), soap (washing feet), sour candy (sadness of Jesus), pretzel (prayer-like two folded arms), kiss (Judas' betrayal). 


This one is, again, from the book by the Hales, A Christ-Centered Easter.
Day 11: pecans Review the story of Jesus' crucifixion while making cookies before bed. I found this recipe and activity in the book, but I have also seen it on the web, so I'll just post a link: Easter Story Cookies. It looks like a great activity!


Day 12: empty Today is Easter--celebrate the resurrection of our Savior! Eat the cookies from yesterday's activity-discuss how they are hollow. Both the empty egg and the hollow cookies are wonderful symbols of the empty tomb. Go on to celebrate with our usual Easter activities. 


That's what I've got. Hopefully each day will be a positive experience and serve to focus our family on our Savior and His Atonement.