Faces Of Easter Group
Group Activities

HAPPY FACE STICKER PAGE: Teacher can supply the children with a sheet of construction paper with alot of different happy face stickers to put on sheet. Children can write in bright marker — JESUS IS ALIVE... or... HE IS RISEN! Younger children can trace dots for those words that teacher has done before class, if needed.

GRAVE STONE drawing for class poster (that children can work on together)... or an individual drawing with the tomb and 3 crosses with HE LIVES on the tomb!!!!

CROSS BOOKMARK — Construction paper cross that can be decorated with stickers of happy faces, and other appropriate stickers and markers with HE IS RISEN and John 3:16.

EASTER BASKET: Children can have the following items to fill an Easter basket.  Discuss the meaning behind each item as they fill the basket:
Easter grass — representing the manger of hay
Gold candy coins — representing the betrayal of Jesus by Judas
Chocolate Rooster — representing Peter's denial of Jesus
Empty plastic egg — representing the empty tomb
Marshmellow Chicks and eggs — representing new life and new birth
Chocolate Easter eggs (covered with gold foil) — representing shiny streets of gold in heaven where Jesus is!

EASTER EGG HUNT:
Teacher can have 12 eggs hidden in a designated place. Each egg should be numbered - 1 to 12! Anything that represents something in the Easter story would be appropriate in each egg. Here are some ideas:

Egg 1 - gray flannel or other gray material (to represent donkey borrowed by disciples) with Bible verse Matthew 21:2-5)
Egg 2 - A piece of cracker to represent the bread of the Last Supper - Matthew 26:17-29
Egg 3 - Terry cloth to represent the towel jesus wore as He washed the disciples' feet
Egg 4 - A small watch to represent Jesus telling the disciples to WATCH and pray - Mark 13:37
Egg 5 - Piece of rope to represent Jesus' arrest - John 18:12
Egg 6 - Piece of a rose bush to represent crown of thorns Jesus wore - Matthew 27:29
Egg 7 - 3 small nails to represent Jesus being nailed to the cross - John 19:16-22
Egg 8 - Black cloth or a black crayon to represent the darkness that fell at noon over the earth.  Luke 23:44-45
Egg 9 - Cotton ball to represent the "gall" offered to Jesus -- vinegar - John 19:28-30
Egg 10 - A stone to represent the stone that was rolled away from the tomb.- Luke 24:2
Egg 11 - Gauze or linen to represent Jesus' grave clothes - Matthew 27:57-61
Egg 12 - Empty egg to represent the empty tomb - Matthew 28:5-8

Option 2: The teacher could have plastic eggs with small items inside but each child would be handed an EMPTY egg with discussion about the empty tomb and how the people felt!

Song:  "I'm Happy All the Time" arr. by Charles Kirkpatrick