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Easter Week
Easter in our world today a lot of times means eggs, bunnies, and chicks. These things are fun and entertaining, but this year we are seeking to have our kids remember the true meaning of Easter. Here is a look at our week of Easter Celebration.
Sunday: Palm Sunday, Jesus is treated like a King as people wave palm branches and lay their coats down so he didn’t have to walk on the dirty road. They also shouted Hosanna (Save us). Today we will be making our own palm branches and talking about how Jesus is the true King!
Monday: Jesus cleans the temple. This is the day Jesus found people making the house of the Lord a place to make money. Jesus was upset that they weren’t respecting His Father’s house. He took out the things that didn’t belong, and cleaned house! Today we will paint Easter Eggs and get really messy…then show each other how we need Jesus to clean us up, just like he saw dirty things happening and clean house.
Tuesday: Mary pouring perfume of Jesus feet, what a great display of love and adoration Mary showed for Him. Today my kids and I will make reed diffusers to spread the wonderful smell around our house, see more at http://impressyourkids.org/mary-anoints-jesus-feet-easter-for-kids/ I saw this idea and loved it! (We ended up making Easter cookies instead due to family life, this worked better for us, we talked about the wonderful smell of the cookies baking)
Wednesday: Money Hunt: Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Today my kids and I will hunt for 30 coins hidden over our house. Once we find them we will count them and give them to our church!
Thursday: The Last Supper: We are actually going to our church tonight to celebrate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, with our fellow believers. We will also participate in communion together.
Friday:Good Friday: Today is the day we will talk about Jesus dying for us on the cross. He did it out of His deep, unconditional, love for us. He chose to die for us. Another idea I saw on impress your kids is to draw a red dot on their hands (representing the nails) and also writing their names above the dot to show he loves Ayla, Isaiah, Michelle, and Trevor. He died for us.
We will also make our own crown of thorns (saw this idea on Pinterest). Use a paper lunch sack and fold it down so it looks like a circle/nest. Glue all over the top, add sticks to it and you are done.
Saturday: We are going to make resurrection rolls (Easy). Take a large marshmallow (Jesus’ body) dip in melted butter (oil)and roll in cinnamon and sugar(spices). Roll a crescent roll (tomb) around it and bake. When they are done the marshmallow (Jesus) is gone! It is quite yummy too!
Sunday: He is Risen! We will be at church, celebrating our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I am so thankful for His love and death for me a sinner, who is undeserving, but ever so thankful. We will also get to spend time with family.
Have a meaningful Easter!
April Fools!
Now that my kids are older, I thought this year I try some April Fools pranks on them…looking forward to seeing how they respond. Here are some ideas to make this day fun and exciting for them!
* While they are sleeping draw a mustache on them, make sure it is washable marker!!! I might be chicken and do it on their feet or arm since we have church that morning… we’ll see.
* Rearrange their drawers. Move them around and watch them be confused.
* Open a jar of canned fruit and put the fruit into another container and refrigerate. Rinse the can and fill it up with candy. Watch as your kids are delighted to open up the can filled with candy!!!! (BE CAREFUL of sharp edges on the cans.)
* I am not doing this one since sleep is far to important to me still but it would be fun to move the clocks ahead and have them awaken in the middle of the night…maybe when they are teenagers?
* I am trying to find a whoopee cushions to put on my sons chair..he would LOVE it!
* I will freeze pennies and right before church, slip them into their shoes!
* Another fun idea might be to turn the volume up really loud on your TV so they kids get surprised…not sure my son would enjoy that:)
* I was thinking for our family we might do a dinner that is a mystery. I did this in youth group awhile back and it was loads of fun. Decide the menu and separate each item you’d need for the dinner. Spaghetti: Needed: sauce, cheese, noodles, fork, cup, milk, brownie, green beans, butter, bread, knife, etc. Type each item up and make enough copies for each person. Cut each item apart and have each person draw 3 items at a time. After drawing the 3 items that is what you get for your first course. Maybe we’ll get dessert first with an empty cup and a knife…who knows!
What fun ideas do you have planned for your family?
Lent
As we begin this season of focus on Christ and His life, death and resurrection, my husband and I were considering what to do with our kids to make it meaningful for them as well. Our family has decided to add in praise and worship each night with our kids along with our Bible reading and prayer. Instead of taking something out, we thought we’d add something in. The kids are really excited about this and it is a great way to prepare them for the praise of Easter! What does your family do during the season of Lent?
Valentine’s Ideas
This year I am putting together a Valentines hunt for my kids each day. I hide one heart and give them a clue as to where in the house to find it. On the heart is what we are doing to countdown to Valentine’s Day for that day. It might be make teacher Valentines, or taste test chocolate, but it is fun activities for us to do together.
I also got each my kids a mailbox (From the Dollar spot at Target! LOVE!) and fill it with something fun. It might be a bag of popcorn or a new pack of gum. It gives them something fun to look forward to.
What do you do to anticipate Valentine’s Day?
Eggs to Remember Martin Luther King
I love how our kids do not see people as different. Living where we do, they been exposed to people of different races, ages, and socioeconomic status so to them they don’t see much of a difference. As my daughter says, “God made everyone!” Today I showed my kids a brown and a white egg and asked what was different about them. The colors are different. What about the same, both eggs, same shape, you can scramble both, both are tasty, etc. I asked if they thought they’d be different on the inside. They weren’t sure so we cracked them open and saw how they look exactly the same. We talked about how God created all people, there is not one who is better if they have blonde hair, brown skin, or live in a certain part of the world.
Foil Drawings
Oh how my kids love to draw! So much fun for them to create. We have checked out drawing books from the library, and drawn on many different types of surfaces. Today we decided to draw on foil using sharpies (an idea I used from pinterest). I tore squares for my kids and let them free draw. The only advice I have would be to put newspaper underneath so that none ends up on your table since the foil can be a little thin! It might also be fun to create a theme like make Christmas pictures, family members, animals, etc.
Creating a Meaningful New Years
I love it that New Years is a time to reset. Reset my goals and priorities. It gives me a time each year to self reflect and get a “do-over”. This year we are focusing on things we desire for our family and life as we follow Christ. Here are some questions we will be asking each other.
How did we see God work in our kids in 2011?
How did we see God work in us as a couple?
As a family?
What would you like to see God do this next year?
What are some ways you desire to grow as a follower of Christ?
What are some big prayers we desire God to answer this year?
How can we serve others (school, neighborhood, friends, family, church, etc)
We also chose a family motto/verse that we will seek to follow this next year. Our motto is going to be “What needs to be done?” This is broad but it is a way for our family to be others focused and be a servant like Christ commands us to be. This could be something as simple as what needs to be done in our house, picking up toys, putting shoes away, etc. It could also be when we are out and about looking for ways to serve and impact others. Not being so caught up in our own lives that we disregard what God can do in others through us. I am excited to see how this gets developed.
I will be making a painting and placing it up in our house to remind us of our family focus.
What are some meaningful ways you enjoy New Years?
New Years with Kids
This year we will be celebrating New Years with several of our good friends! We wanted to make it fun for the kids as well as enjoyable for the adults. The kids countdown will be at 7:00, but still just as enjoyable. Here is a look at some of our ideas of what we will be up to!
Milk toasts with sprinkles on the cup! (We ended up using sparkling cider, they loved it).
Answer questions about yourself…we do this interview with our kids each year to see how their likes change. We include favorite color, food, book, friend, etc.
Homemade noise makers (We used store bought ones due to time….)
1. Beans in a cottage cheese container
2. Drum with oatmeal container or empty box.
3. Kazoo with empty toilet paper roll. Secure a piece of wax paper on one end with a rubber band and poke a small hole near the open end.
We have also done confetti (have the kids hole punch or tear paper to get it ready and have them throw it at the countdown.
Balloon release is fun. Blow up several balloons and place them on a sheet. When it is countdown time have the people hold it up over the kids head and then drop at “midnight.”
Another idea is a family time capsule, bury it in the yard and find it again the next year…or in 5 years!
Have fun creating those memories!
Christmas Songs Countdown Day 28- Born in Bethlehem
Third Day helped me discover this song. I cannot believe our countdown has come to an end! Thanks for sharing in this with me, my family has truly been blessed, I hope yours has as well!
Baby Jesus, born in a stable, humble Savior’s birth.
You left your throne in Heaven above, to live here on the Earth.
Baby Jesus, lying in a manger, crying for the world.
The Angels told the Shepherds of the Good News for us all.
Halleluiah, the King is here, given for all men.
For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.
Come now Sinners and you Saints, all peasants and all Kings.
And bow before the Earth’s Redeemer, let all voices sing.
Halleluiah, the King is here, given for all men.
For today the Holy Son of God, is born in Bethlehem.
Why does Jesus matter? That is something we’ve talked about a lot this Christmas. The whole reason we celebrate is Jesus but why is that special? He came to save us. Sinners and Saints, Peasants and Kings. Praise God for sending Him to save us!
Our family fun activity for today is a tasting party at our church before the service. We will be bringing goodies to taste and tasting many ourselves! Yum!
Always Growing 