Here are some ideas I found last year to help teach the real meaning of Easter. Enjoy! Easter Story Cookies To be made the evening before Easter 1cup whole pecans 1 tsp. vinegar 3 egg whites pinch of salt 1cup sugar zipper baggie wooden spoon tape Bible Preheat oven to 300 F. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 7:65-66 GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9 Resurrection Rolls Kind of like the Easter Story Cookies Crescent rolls melted butter large marshmallows cinnamon sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in. Give each child a marshmallow, this represents Jesus. Have them dip the marshmallow in melted butter, which represents the oils of embalming. Then dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represent the spices used to anoint the body. Then wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. The oven represents the tomb. When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, He is risen. (The marshmallow and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.) Resurrection Eggs Simply buy a bag of plastic eggs (you will need 12) and place the strip of paper and the accompanying item in the egg. Hide the eggs around the house and allow the children to find them all. Then have each child open their egg and discuss what the items in each egg represent. You may want to number the eggs so that you remember the correct order to open them. 1. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. And he went a little further and fell on his face, and prayed saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:36, 39) (a plastic sacrament cup) 2. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty and worthy of death. Then did they spit on his face and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands. (Matthew 26:66-67) (Piece of a reed) 3. When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; And when they bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. (Matthew 27:1-2) (Piece of rope) 4. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. (Matthew 27:3) (coins) 5. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in his right hand; and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him and took the reed and smote Him on the head. ( Matthew 27:28-30) (piece of red cloth) 6. And after they had mocked Him they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by named: him they compelled to bear His cross (Matthew 27:31-32) And he was crucified . . . nailed to the cross. (nail) 7. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there. (Matthew 27:35-36) (dice) 8. And straightaway one of them ran, and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. (Matthew 27:48) (piece of a sponge) 9. (Then Joseph, a rich man) went to Pilate, and begged for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed. (Matthew 27:58-60) (piece of white linen cloth) 10. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (Matthew 28:2) (stone) 11. His countenance was like the lightning, and his raiment white as snow: (Matthew 28:3) (sugar cube, or cotton, or something very white) 12. HE IS NOT HERE: FOR HE IS RISEN, AND HE SAID, Come see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:6) (Empty).