EASTER
Bunny Mask Making
Glue a paper bunny face to a dowel handle, then have kids glue on paper ears and cheeks, pom-poms, and chenille stems to personalize their masks. Be sure to snap lots of photos of their fun Easter creations.
Click here for materials and instructions
Egg Rolling
Take a hard-boiled egg for each person along with a hockey stick or bat. Each person stands at the starting line. The egg is placed on the ground and pushed along with a stick to the finish line. The hockey stick must stay below waist level, and the egg cannot crack or break. The first one to the finish line wins.
For other games click here
Easter Candy
Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America after Halloween. Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus’ resurrection. Another egg-shaped candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean’s origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight).
For more history on Easter and traditions, check out the History site at https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter-symbols
Easter Movies
Hop – A cartoon that will get the family in the mood for Easter is on Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV PLUS and Vudu.
Joseph – King of Dreams – This animated take on the Biblical tale of Joseph has it all: a parable for the ages, impressive voice acting (courtesy Ben Affleck, Mark Hamill, and Judith Light), and sing-along-worthy music.
Peter Rabbit – This classic can be watched for free on YouTube
The Dog Who Saved Easter – Easter is coming and the Bannisters go on a cruise, but cannot take family pet Zeus. The excitement begins. Rental on Amazon
PEEPS S’mores
INGREDIENTS
- Take apart all Peeps from packages and break graham crackers into 48 fourths.
- Place graham crackers pieces onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper.
- Place 3/4 pkg of chocolate chips into a bowl and melt according to instructions on the package.
- Dip the bottom of each Peep bunny into the melted chocolate and place on a piece of graham cracker. Continue to do this until all of the Peeps are used.
- Put the cookie sheets of Peeps into the refrigerator for 15 minutes so the chocolate can cool and harden.
- Melt the rest of the chocolate chips and pour the melted chocolate into a plastic zipper bag.
- Cut a tiny piece off the corner to make the chocolate drizzle.
Find this recipe and more by clicking here
PASSOVER
Origami Frog
Frogs of all kinds are fun to craft for kids during Passover, as they symbolize the second plague in Exodus. Here, Anna Kinsey has made a fun activity with origami frogs and … you guessed it: googly eyes!
Click here to see other Passover crafts
Create a Paper Plate Tambourine
Be like Miriam and the women dancing with their timbrels! Make your own paper plate tambourine to use as a musical instrument which singing at your seder! Don’t have bells? Use bottle caps!
Click here for instructions for tambourine and other Passover craft ideas for kids.
Passover Movies for Kids (can be seen on YouTube)
The Animated Haggadah – This Israeli-made claymation is a classic from my childhood. The story of Passover as well as an explanation of the seder are acted out by animated characters made of clay.
Out of Egypt – This movie is an in-depth retelling story of Passover.
Prince of Egypt – This cartoon version of the story of Exodus is my favorite: well-told and creatively done. The music is beautiful, powerful, and may even move adults to tears.
Jerusalem Jones and the Lost Afikoman – This is an episode of the Israeli equivalent of Sesame Street starring none other than a young Sarah Jessica Parker. It’s very accessible for younger kids.
Check out the review of these movies on https://www.kveller.com/article/passover-movies
