Ideas from loads of people including songs to sing!!
Other Activities
Easter String Cross
You will need Large piece of wood with 12 nails hammered half way in to create the shape of the cross, long pieces of white string, long pieces of red string. Encourage the young people to pick a colour:
Red = Things we are sorry for White = Praise God John 3:16, thank you They must wind the string around the nails whilst saying (either out loud or in their head) a prayer that represents the colour they have picked. They will eventually build up a string cross art. This can be displayed and added to throughout Easter and beyond.
New Life in Jesus Prayer Garland
You will need plastic eggs, paper, pens and string.
Young people must write their prayers on a piece of paper of things they would like to give to God, questions they have, worries etc. Place all of those things in His hands. Then they will put the piece of paper inside a plastic egg, seal and string onto the garland. Once finished they could decorate a tree with the garland, preferably outside.
Prayer Bands
You will need pack of plain event/festival wrist bands, permanent markers. Encourage the young people to think of others or situations to pray for over the coming week. For grace, peace, love, comfort, healing, persecution etc. Write a list of names and places onto the wrist bands, or alternatively draw the list. The young people must wear the wrist band all week as a reminder to pray regularly for what they have put on there.
1. Bible Art
You will need Photocopies of the Bible page with the verse in, pencil crayons.
This is a great activity to encourage the young people to truly think about the Bible verse, reflect on its meaning and importance in their life. Encourage them to draw a picture over the top of the Bible verse (examples can be found here https:// uk.pinterest.com/pin/370632244317968449/) The image must reflect their feelings and what they deem to be an important message to take away, key words or phrase.
2. Response Tree
You will need Several twigs, different coloured string, colour code, reflective music. Provide each young person with a stick and keep reading and re-reading the verse, slowly, with the music playing. Encourage them to twist an appropriate colour string around the twig to reflect how that part of the verse made them feel (see suggested colour code below), the colour should hopefully change along the stick for different parts of the verse. You may discuss their responses afterwards. Once finished bring all the twigs together and display to create a colourful indoor tree.
Sugested Colour Code: Blue = Sad Green = Challenging Orange = I have questions Yellow = Happy/Celebrate Purple = Disbelief Red = Other
3. Swedish Method of Bible Study
Use the questions from each of the sections to explore your chosen verse, with specific focus on the last one ‘What are you going to do as a result of this passage?’ Variations of the SMBS can be found here: http://theresource.org. uk/product/bible-study-aid/
Take Home
Song Suggestion
1. Rescuer- Rend Collective
YouTube Link : https://youtu.be/sAg7rn7fH3Q Guitar Chords : http://worshiptogether.com/songs/rescuer-good-news-rendcollective/
2. Explore New Life
You will need old newspaper, compost, seeds, water, instructions.
Using old newspaper follow the instructions given here http://thethingswellmake. com/quick-diy-origami-newspaper-pots/ to make a plant pot. They are incredibly easy to make, so the young people can make several. Encourage them to fill their pot with compost and place a seed in there, at this time of year, courgettes, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers and celery are good to plant (indoors where it’s warm to start with). They must take their newly potted plants home and take care of them, starting a photo diary of their growth and post on their social media of choice (or stick the pictures in an actual diary) using #exploringnewlife. With each picture they must reflect on what this stage of growth, nurture and development teaches them about God’s love for us, care for us, and our general relationship with God.
2. Chocolate Flat Lollipops
You will need Chocolate, cling film, lollipop sticks, toppings, time (wise to do these part way through the session, or created on something that can be transported whilst keeping the lollipop flat). Full instructions can be found here http://www. renbehan.com/2013/03/homemade-mothers-day-chocolates-that-dads-can-helpwith.html, but you can try making them into egg shape rather than circles. Assign a different topping to promises the young people would like to make over the coming days and weeks e.g. Marshmallows = Take comfort in God, place your worries and concerns in His hands, Chocolate Chips = Praise Him more for the sweet things in our lives. Have some fun making and decorating these delicious treats.
3. Remember Stickers
You will need Little colour dot stickers. Put stickers on things they pass daily, a light switch, their phone, remote control etc. When they see the stickers they will remember the goodness of God.
Song Amazing Grace - Phil Wickham/Bethel Music
YouTube Link : https://youtu.be/rjXjkbODrro Guitar Chords : https://bethelmusic.com/chords-and-lyrics/for-the-sake-of-theworld-this-is-amazing-grace/
Song What a Beautiful Name - Hillsong
YouTube Link : https://youtu.be/nQWFzMvCfLE Guitar Chords : http://worshiptogether.com/songs/what-a-beautiful-name-hillsongworship/
Song The Wonderul Cross - Chris Tomlin
YouTube Link : https://youtu.be/qC1IllbwX4w Guitar Chords : http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/the-wonderful-cross/
In Philippians 4:13 it says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” When it comes to worries, we’re told to cast them all onto God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). This station invites people to connect (or reconnect) with God as they cast their worries onto Him whilst leaf printing on to rocks. Encourage the children to choose a rock, paint a leaf and print it onto their rock. As they place the leaf on the rock ask them to think of something they worry about, then as they remove the leaf ask them to give that anxiety onto God. God is our rock and His strength brings us strength. You could use the rocks to create an Easter Garden, or place at the foot of your cross in church.
Scripture Weaving
This prayer station encourages children to reconnect with the Bible; learning to seek advice and discover more of God through reading scripture, reflecting on how we can weave God’s word into our lives. You could either do a large weave for the children to add their thoughts to or individual ones for them to take home. Provide copies of different Bible verses from the Easter story (see Matthew 26-27, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-23 and John 18-19), several different colours of ribbon, yarn, biro or fabric pen and a frame for weaving. The frame could either be made from a V shaped twig, or use a piece of cardboard with slots cut in to the edge wrap the yarn around. If you aren’t preparing the frames in advance, the children will need to wrap the thread horizontally around their frame. Then write a bible verse on a piece of ribbon. On other ribbons they can write or draw how they could weave God’s word into their lives, for example, pray more, serve others, etc. Once they have finished, invite the children to weave the ribbons vertically through the yarn in frame.
Use sticks and twine to create a window shape. This frame will be used to create something like a wreath, with items attached to it. Provide the children with different items that can be attached to the frame such as flowers, ribbon, tassles, pom poms, leaves etc. Assign a meaning to each item e.g. leaves could be praying for new beginnings, red flowers could be for places or people that need healing, ribbon could be for uniting/ peace. Invite each person look through their window to the world and think about what they’d like to pray for, then take the corresponding item and attach it to their frame. Once finished, hang the windows up for everyone to see.
Giant Peg Cross
Make a giant cross out of wood or cardboard and attach pegs to it. The cross is our central focus, and our opportunity to reflect on God’s love and grace. Using leaves cut into the shape of love hearts, or alternatively using paper hearts or similar, encourage the children to think about how God’s love makes them feel and paint/write on the hearts. What does it mean to them? Once finished invite the children to peg their leaf to the cross. By the end of the session the cross will be covered in love.
Play Dough Prayers
Using play dough and natural items such as twigs, leaves, flowers, seeds, etc. invite the children to mould and build items whilst they are praying, and see what they create. Is it an animal? A landscape? An object? Invite the children to pray into their creations by asking God to interpret them.
Herb painting
Provide paint and bundles of different herbs, we recommend the following: Rosemary = reminds us of our baptism vows, which can be linked to promises Horseradish, lettuce and parsley = all used at the Passover meal, which can be linked to the Last Supper.
Invite the children to paint a picture of thanks to God using the Biblical herbs as brushes.
Under 5s
You will need:
Blankets or cushions (optional) Large foil wrapped hollow chocolate egg Fillable plastic eggs Washi / electrical tape Rice / lentils / beads (for shakers)
Sticky back plastic Coloured tissue paper squares Small hollow chocolate eggs A bowl Shredded paper
Sing: ‘Hosanna Rock’ Yancy and Friends www.youtube.com/watch?v=5582z642wFY
Story Time
Reveal a large (hollow) foil wrapped Easter egg.
I’ve brought this chocolate egg with me today to help us to understand the Easter story.
Jesus did good things wherever he went. He made poorly people better, fed people who were hungry and taught lots of people how to live like
God wanted them to. But some people didn’t like Jesus and wanted him gone forever. These people arrested Jesus, nailed him to a wooden cross and watched him die (unwrap the chocolate egg). Jesus’ body was put in a cave and a heavy stone was rolled across the entrance. The cave was a bit like this egg – with the big stone rolled against the entrance, it must have been very dark inside.
When Jesus died it was not the end of the story- he rose to new life and was no longer inside the cave. Something amazing had happened! (Break the egg into pieces and observe how it is empty inside). On Sunday morning, some of Jesus’ friends went to the cave and found that the heavy stone had been rolled away from the entrance. They were very upset when they saw the cave was empty and wondered where Jesus’ body had gone. Then they saw two angels sitting inside the cave. The angels said, “Jesus is not here anymore – he’s no longer dead. He is alive!” Jesus’ friends were surprised but so happy – what a wonderful day!
When Jesus rose to new life it was amazing, and we can be part of this amazing story too! God loves us so much and wants good things for us.
Share the chocolate.
Activity
At Easter, we eat chocolate eggs. The eggs are a symbol of new life and the hollow shell reminds us of the empty tomb when Jesus rose from the dead. That’s definitely something to celebrate!
We’re going to make some colourful egg shakers which we can use when we sing to praise God and celebrate Jesus being alive.
Open up a plastic egg and spoon in whatever you have provided to make the sound inside. Different fillings make different sounds. You may want to provide egg cups, or egg boxes to sit the plastic eggs inside whilst they are being filled. Help the children to close their egg, and then seal it with tape. Try to stretch the tape out as you go so that the edges stay nice and smooth.
Sing: ‘One, Two, Three’ Yancy and Friends www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIf9jv4pVTM
Prayers
On a window, attach a large cross shape cut out of sticky back plastic (sticky side facing out). It is helpful to define the edge of the cross with coloured tape to make the shape more prominent. Provide bowls of different coloured tissue paper squares; enough for a least one square of each colour for each person.
Each colour of tissue paper represents something different in our lives that we can talk to God about: Blue = Things that make us sad Green = The world we live in Yellow = Things that make us happy Red / Pink = People we love (Add extra colours / categories if you wish)
Seed bombs
Turn your scrap paper into mulch by shredding it into small pieces, then adding a bit of water to soften and combine it all. Begin by either ripping up the paper, putting it in a blender (like we did) or through a paper shredder. Then add the water to the paper a tiny bit at time. If you accidentally add too much simply squeeze out the excess.
Add wildflower seeds to the paper mulch and then combine it all together with your hands.
Break off lumps of the seed and mulch mix and use your hands to mould it into an egg shaped seed bomb. Leave the seed bombs on a wire rack to dry. The seed bombs don’t need to be fully dry before you scatter them.
You can store the seed bombs in egg boxes to transport them to the location you’d like to scatter them. Simply throw or place in the general area of where you’d like the flowers to grow.
Multi sensory activities
You will need:
125g plain flour 250ml water 4 tbsp salt 2 tsp cream of tartar A couple of drops of red food colouring A couple of drops of rose water Real flower petals
Method:
1) Put all the ingredients in a pan and mix together.
2) Place on the hob over a medium heat and keep stiring until a ball in formed. It will look like the corner picture.
3) Take the dough out of the pan and leave it to cool on some parchement paper.
4) Once cool enough to touch knead the dough into a small ball.
5) Take the petals and fold them into the dough.
How to use it:
Encourage the children to use the play dough to create things you would find in a garden.
Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. How do you think he would have been feeling?
Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done (Mark 14:36). What kind of things do you pray about? Mould some of these things using the play dough.
The empty tomb - Mark 16:5-8
You will need:
Cupcakes Icing A spoon Sweets for the centre
Method:
1) Use the spoon to take the top off a cupcake. Once you’ve taken it off, make a small hollow in middle of the cake.
2) Fill the middle of the cupcake with sweets and pop the top back on.
3) Cover the top of the cupcake with icing, making sure you conceal that it has been tampered with!
How to use it:
Encourage the children to hollow out and fill the cupcakes with sweets themselves, before icing the top.Do they think people will be surpirsed by the sweet centre? Discuss what surprises us. Why might Mary and the other women have been surprised to find the tomb empty? What would your reaction be to the news that Jesus had risen?
Enjoy!
