a collection of suggested and adapted activities, assembled by Pastor Emmy Kegler. PDF download here.
Family Meals
~~ SILENT SUNDAY MORNING ~~
Leader Prep: Provide How to Celebrate instructions below.
How to Celebrate:
1. Read the following on Saturday night before bed:
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday – the day when Jesus’ followers discovered he was not dead, but had risen! But before they knew that, his followers were quiet and sad. So tomorrow morning, everyone has to get up, get dressed, and eat breakfast totally silently. You can ONLY talk once we’ve gone outside and found a flower growing somewhere. We remember that just like the seeds that grow when planted, Jesus did not stay in the grave – he is risen!
~~ DINNER WITH JESUS ~~
Leader Prep: Print and send “How to Celebrate” and Luke 24:13-35 translation to families.
How to Celebrate:
1. Don’t worry – just because it’s a fancy dinner doesn’t mean it has to be a fancy meal. In the story we’ll be reading, all we know is there was bread – so even a pizza dinner would work! Do whatever is enjoyable for your family.
2. Clear off your dining room table – first we decorate! Do you have fancy plates, napkins, or silverware? How about silk flowers or pretty candles? How can we prepare the table for a big party?
3. Now get dressed. You can wear your fanciest clothes OR your silliest – just make sure you’re dressed up somehow!
4. Prepare or order dinner.
5. After saying grace, start by reading the Emmaus story. You can find it in Luke 24:13-35.
6. As you eat dinner together, discuss: where do you see God right now?
Coloring Activities
~~ NEIGHBORHOOD EASTER EGG HUNT ~~
Leader Prep: Print and mail Easter Egg coloring sheets (for example, any from here: http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/arts-culture/easter-eggs), one for each member of the family, along with the How to Celebrate instructions:
How to Celebrate:
1. Color in your egg however you want!
2. On Saturday night, tape the egg to a window facing the street or sidewalk, colors out.
3. On Easter Sunday, go for a neighborhood walk. How many eggs can you “find” first?
~~ EASTER EGGING ~~
Leader Prep: Print and mail Easter Egg coloring sheets (see above) on cardstock, along with popsicle sticks or skewers – one egg and one stick for each family member. Include these instructions:
How to Celebrate:
1. Color your egg however you want. Know that we will be cutting the eggs out, so don’t color beyond the egg!
2. Cut your egg out carefully. Tape it to the stick with the color side out.
3. On the back of your egg, write a happy message! You might say: “We’re all in this together”, “You are not alone”, or “Hope”, or something you think of yourself!
4. Go out into the neighborhood and “hide” your egg on a stick somewhere in a neighbor’s yard where they will see it!
~~ JESUS ON THE LOOSE! ~~
Leader Prep: Print Jesus cutouts onto cardstock paper, one per child. Mail them along with the How To Celebrate instructions.
Holy Moly Flat Jesus, from Sparkhouse Press: https://ms.wearesparkhouse.org/downloads/SHC/FlatJesus_HolyMoly.pdf?redirected=true
How to Celebrate:
1. Color in flat Jesus. Carefully cut around the lines.
2. Read aloud: After he rose from the grave, Jesus couldn’t be tied down – he was everywhere! We’re going to remember that Jesus can be with us anywhere by hiding our “flat Jesus” all around the house. When you find one, find everyone in the house and tell them, “Jesus is risen!” Then you get to hide him next!
Staying Connected
~~ RAINBOW BINGO ~~
Leader Prep: Print grid with instructions and mail to families!
~~ CHALK IT UP ~~
Leader Prep: Gather church member addresses. Count number of families with kids and youth. Group church member addresses by location. Divide list among number of families with kids, and print or email a list of names and addresses to each family, along with How to Celebrate instructions:
How to Celebrate:
During this time we can feel pretty isolated… so let’s make sure we all know we’re still thinking of each other! Grab your sidewalk chalk and hop in the car. Stop at each house and chalk the sidewalk with a happy message!
~~ AN EASTER BOUQUET ~~
Leader Prep: Cut squares of white or cream-colored paper (regular weight), or buy white origami paper. Print How to Celebrate instructions, one for each household. Mail paper (one for each person in the family) and one set of instruction sheets.
Lily: https://www.origami-fun.com/support-files/origami-lily-print.pdf
8 petal flower: https://www.origami-fun.com/support-files/origami-8petal-flower-print.pdf
How to Celebrate:
1. Color your square on one side. You can color it however you want – markers, crayons, colored pencils, even watercolors! Patterns are better than pictures.
2. Let the paper dry fully.
3. Follow the instructions to make a lily or an 8 petal flower.
4. When your family is done, take a photo of your Easter “bouquet” and post it in the church Facebook group or email it to your pastor for everyone to see in a future post or email!
~~ THE EMPTY TOMB ~~
Leader Prep: Record yourself reading from a kids’ story Bible and post the video to your church’s Facebook page with How To Celebrate instructions below.
How to Celebrate: What a story! Let’s see it in action. Grab your Lego, your building blocks, or even just paper and markers and show us what the empty tomb looked like. Who was there? What did they see? When you’re done, have an adult take a picture and post in the comments so we can see all the empty tombs around our church homes!
~~ GOOD NEWS BY MAIL ~~
Leader Prep: Print blank postcards onto cardstock paper and cut. Label each with a homebound or living alone member’s name and address, and stick on a postcard stamp (35 cents). Put instructions and postcards (1 per child in house) into a mailer and address to families in the congregation with kids in the house, along with How to Celebrate instructions.
Blank postcards (front is totally blank): https://drive.google.com/open?id=1D1E5vTozH-gBLE7BVqijpVEKOPZ5lNRb
How to Celebrate:
1. What kinds of things make people happy? Bright colors, sunshine, puppies, rainbows? Think about what you like to look at. Draw it on the front (blank side) of the postcard.
2. What words make you happy to hear? It might be “God loves you” or “Keep going.” Think of what words make you happy. Write them on the back side of the postcard (or have a grownup help).
3. Put the postcard in the mail. It will be mailed to someone who needs it!
Congregations that are actively affirming of LGBTQ+ people are given permission to reprint and use this content when credit is given to Rev. Emmy Kegler and a link provided to emmykegler.com. Congregations without an actively affirming policy are invited to ask for permission.
