Special Lesson - EASTER

1) Welcome Activity:

• a basket full of empty plastic eggs makes an interesting conversation starter, especially if you choose the Hollow Egg craft

2) Sing: Gather the children into a circle to begin the lesson. Sing the opening song to welcome all the children and get to know their names. You may choose 2 or 3 others from the song collection as well. This will help the children to settle down and focus them on what you are going to do that day.

3) Prayer: Pray together with the children to begin the hour. Take the time to ask the children is there is anything or anyone that they want to pray for/about.

4) Theme: Today’s Story is about the special celebration of Easter. Easter is not about chocolate and treats and Easter bunnies. Easter is about Jesus our Savior rising from the dead to save us from all of our sins. This is a very special celebration because it means that we belong to God. He redeemed us.

5) Bible Story: Read "A Joyful Sunday" pages 435-442 (R.442-449) from the Read and Learn Bible (Scholastic).

6) Today's Text: " He is not here; He has risen, just as he said." Matthew 28:6a

7) Craft:

• The Empty Tomb: Before the lesson, cut out a stone tomb shape for each child out of black/grey construction paper, and a smaller rock shape for each child. Have each child color an angel with yellow/silver or gold. Cut out the angel and glue him in the center of the tomb. Place the rock over the angel and attach at the top with a brad, so that the stone can be “rolled away”. When the craft is assembled, tell the story to the children with the craft in hand. When the women approach the tomb, they find the stone rolled away and an angel tells them, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Matthew 28:6a.
  

Sample of Craft w/ rock in front, and rock "rolled away":

• Hollow Egg Easter basket...  This craft requires a bit of an older crowd (perfect for 4-5 year olds) as it requires higher level thinking to make connections.  Before you tell the story, show the children some hollow plastic eggs.  Let them touch them and shake them - what do they think is inside?  Then, let them open the eggs.  There is nothing inside - they are empty!  Put the eggs away and then read the story... emphasizing the tomb being empty.  Hand the eggs back to the children and ask - what does the egg have to do with the story?  Open the egg to illustrate that it too is empty just like the tomb on Easter morning!  Let them decorate a simple basket made with a brown paper lunch bag trimmed in half with a construction paper handle stapled (not taped) at the top.  Fill the baskets with fake grass if you like, and let each child pick out several empty eggs to put in the basket.  Our kids couldn't wait to show the eggs to their moms and dads - "guess what's in this egg, Mom?" one child asked excitedly as soon as his mom walked in the door.  "Nothing!  Just like Jesus tomb on Easter Morning," he announced without waiting for a reply.  :-)

• Hollow Egg coloring picture...  can be used as a companion craft to the Easter Basket above.  Glue on the text and allow the children to color/decorate the egg.

8) Closing prayer: say the Lord's prayer together with the children.

9) Going Home: After you pray, sing the closing together. Then, check to see if all the children have collected their crafts and coloring sheets before they go home. Say goodbye and tell them that you enjoyed learning about God together and were happy to have them today! You were, weren’t you?

10) Optional Coloring Page: