Share Easter Joy with Children

Children’s Ministry Edition

April 2012 Lynnhaven United Methodist

Share Easter Joy With Children

Children are drawn to Easter, with the holiday’s emphasis on candy and bunnies. What a privilege to help them realize it’s about so much more! For Christians, Easter is a day of victory. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, we have forgiveness, hope, and eternal life.

Looking for new ideas to celebrate Holy Week and Easter with your kids? POWERSOURCE Sometimes the most meaningful activities are the easiest. For example:  On Palm Sunday, when Jesus was cheered before his death, cut out ASK GOD: paper shapes of your palms and wave them around to praise Jesus.  On Maundy Thursday, when Jesus shared the Last Supper with his 1. To bless your Easter disciples, wash one another’s feet as an act of service.  On Good Friday, walk around all day with a pebble in your shoe. Then talk preparations and about that burden and what Jesus’ suffering means to you. celebrations.  On Easter, collect foil from candy eggs and create shiny streets of gold as reminders of heaven, where Jesus prepares a place for us. 2. To keep your family members focused on Jesus’ resurrection and DID YOU KNOW? what it means for them.  Easter is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year. It’s a “moveable feast,” meaning the date changes. 3. To forgive your sins— Since the year 325, Easter has been on the first Sunday after the full and thank him for “never moon following the northern hemisphere’s vernal (spring) equinox. again” remembering  Originally, eggs symbolized new life, purity, and fertility. Later, they them (Hebrews 8:12). were linked to Easter because Jesus was temporarily dormant in the tomb (shell) and emerged to give us new life. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. … Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 57)

Easter offers a joyful opportunity to praise and thank God for his grace and salvation.

TEACHABLE Talk about the real meaning of Easter by discussing MOMENTS these questions: 1. What happened on the first Easter, and why do we celebrate the 1. A Heavy Price—Give holiday? children some wrapped 2. Why do you think Jesus died on the cross? Why were his friends so chocolate coins and talk about surprised to see him again afterward? Judas betraying Jesus (see Matthew 26:14-16, 47-49). 3. How can we share the good news of the Easter message with other Discuss ways we let Jesus people? down—as well as how he paid the price for all our sins on the cross. FAMILY EXPERIENCE 2. Eggs-citing Sounds—Let Use these simple activities to convey Easter’s message. children make a “joyful noise” by putting Easter treats to • Easter Peek-a-Boo—Teach babies and toddlers about Jesus’ musical use. Fill plastic eggs resurrection by making a small figure out of LEGO toys. Place the figure with different candies. Then in a cup and say that people put Jesus in a dark cave. Tilt the cup parade around, shaking the sideways so children can see inside it. Then tell children to cover their “instruments” and praising eyes with their hands as you remove the figure from the cup. Say, “Peek- Jesus. For fun, try to guess a-boo!” and have children open their eyes to see the empty cup. Show what’s inside one another’s the figure and say, “Jesus is alive!” Play several times to help little ones eggs, based on the sounds. know that Jesus is alive this Easter.

3. Easter Cross Garden—Use • Hard-Boiled Hearts—After boiling wooden paint-stirring sticks some eggs, have family members and a hot-glue gun to help decorate the shells with washable children make crosses. With markers. As everyone works, ask: permanent marker, write on “How does the outside of the egg each cross what it means to feel?” When the decorating is finished, kids that Jesus is alive. Then read aloud Psalm 95:6-9. Say: “God display the crosses in a flower wants our hearts to be soft toward him. garden on Easter morning. But our hearts can be hard. What are some things that might make people’s hearts hard and closed toward God?”

Have family members crack their eggs and peel away the shells. Ask them to feel the inside of the egg and describe what it feels like. Say: “When our hearts are hard, God can crack away the hard outer shell to reveal something soft on the inside. What helps make your heart soft toward God?” Close in prayer, asking God to make your hearts soft like the inside of eggs, not hard like the shells. Then wash and eat your eggs for a snack. MEDIA MADNESS

MOVIES MUSIC Title: Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Artist: Sidewalk Prophets Genre: Animation Album: Live Like That Rating: PG (for brief mild Artist Info: This Christian band CULTURE & language) from Nashville gained fans with songs such as “The Words I Would TRENDS Cast: Voices of Taylor Swift, Zac Say” and “You Love Me Anyway” Efron, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms • In Paul Tough’s upcoming book from their debut album, These The Success Equation, he says Synopsis: This environmental Simple Truths. failure is essential. “What kids tale gets a modern adaptation, as Summary: The new album is filled need more than anything,” he 12-year-old Ted searches for an with what’s been described as writes, “is a little hardship: some extinct tree to impress his crush. musical devotions. The title track is challenge, some deprivation that Our Take: The film should appeal about people who impact our faith they can overcome, even if just to to viewers of all ages. Families by how they live. prove to themselves that they can use the story of the treeless can.” (New York Times) Our Take: Older children and town of Thneedville to discuss preteens will enjoy singing along to • Kids with autism and other ways to care for God’s earth. these positive, uplifting lyrics. disabilities now can enjoy movies tailored to their needs. At Sensory Friendly Films, lights are brought GAMES, SITES & APPS up, sound is turned down, and movement and noise are okay. (autism-society.org/sensoryfilms) Title Content Rating & Platform

Rhythm This title’s 50 quirky games will have E; Wii QUICK STATS Heaven Fever players bobbing their heads and tapping their feet. Players earn medals • About one-third of children ages by completing rhythm-related 6 months to 23 months have a TV challenges. WeTopia In this city-building game, played on the Because kids must be in their bedroom, despite doctors’ Facebook social network, kids can 13 to have a Facebook guidelines that toddlers have no donate virtual currency to real-world account, parents will screen time. (Wall Street Journal) charities. have to share theirs. • Seventeen percent Feel Electric! This app, which features the cast of the Free; best for children of scientists who say PBS show Electric Company, helps ages 5 and up. children learn to express their emotions they’re atheists or with words in healthy ways. agnostics attend church so their kids can This page is designed to help educate parents and isn’t meant to make their own faith endorse any movie, music, or product. Our prayer is that you’ll make decisions and be “free informed decisions about what your children watch, listen to, and wear. thinkers.” (abcnews.go.com) SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

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