Celebrating Easter with Your Kids
This is a re post from last year, and is one of our Easter family traditions. I love how it makes the Easter story tangible and understandable for kids as little as two years old. Also, check out this easy idea to tell the story here. I'm planning on doing it with my kids this year as well. I know they will love it!
I thought I'd share one of the ways I celebrate Easter with my kids. One of my good friends sent me this recipe when Aspen was a baby, and I kept it in my recipe box waiting until he was old enough to understand and participate. Last year when he was 3 (almost 4) we did it for the first time. I still wasn't sure if he was old enough, but he has remembered and looked forward to making them again all year long. FYI: It's best to wait to do this until the day before Easter.
Easter Story Cookies
You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Mixing Bowl
Zipper Baggie
Wooden Spoon
Tape
Bible
Waxed Paper Lined Cookie Sheet
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces (Wait to put the nuts in the mix until the end).
Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
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 us 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 appealing. Add 1 cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of this story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8, John 3:16
Beat contents of bowl with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff white 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 Isaiah 1:18, John 3:1-3
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon full onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and then turn the oven OFF!
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66
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, 22
On Easter morning (or the next day) 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 empty!
Happy Easter!
Erika
6 comments:
I have done this with my kids also. They love it!
Joelle
Erika ~ Thanks so much for posting this. Can't wait to try it next year with my kids! What a GREAT tradition and such a great way to visually show the kids what Jesus went thru!
So Cool Erika! I can't wait to do this next year with Ava when she will understand this :-)
Christina
I have a 4 and 3 year old and am now looking forward to Easter. This is a great idea! Thanks for the post. I was wondering if you could post the recipe as a link (maybe a Word document) so it would be easier to print. Thanks so much.
Another fun thing to do is take a Rhode's roll (before it's cooked) and let it thaw. Roll it out a bit and put a marshmallow on it and pull the bread dough around the marshmallow. Pinch together the dough, put seam side down, allow to rise, and bake for about 15 minutes (I think). The marshmallows melt, add a bit of sweetness, and leave the roll empty, just like the tomb. To make it really thrifty (and healthy), I make whole wheat roll dough (cinnamon can be added this way).
THanks for reposting this! I remember this post from last year and I'm excited to do this with my girls this year. Thanks for sharing.
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