top of page
Search
Writer's pictureTalia
Apr 10, 20197 min read

'O Grave, Where Is Thy Victory?

Updated: Apr 12, 2019


Week plan for APRIL 15–21

Easter


Like these plans? Find me on Pinterest!



Background image from Church of Jesus Christ Media Library




This week we will be slowly building this breathtaking Mini Resurrection garden with fast growing wheat grass. The text link has a full tutorial and a shopping list.


Photo courtesy of Melissa Holt


I have chosen a wall in my home to call the "Holy Week Wall," based on an idea I absolutely love from the Mercy River blog. Each day, in place of a coloring page, we will make something to hang on the wall.


Photo from the Mercy River blog

Or if you would rather, there is a great Easter countdown banner from the Amazing Mitzi that includes pictures and the descriptions of each day from ComeUntoChrist.org.



Sunday

Triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:6–11)


Scripture story

Activities

  • Learn the simplified ASL for the fourth verse of "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" (Into the city I'd follow the children's band, waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand. One [instead of "pone"] of His heralds, yes I would sing loudest hosannas, "Jesus Is King!")

  • Cut out palm leaves from green construction paper. Then act out the Triumphal Entry, including riding on the "donkey," laying out your coats on the ground and waving your palm leaves with shouts of "Hosanna! Jesus is King!"

  • Make a clothespin donkey (with a template found here) and/or a hosanna banner (other versions here and here.) Explain that the donkey was a sign that Jesus is a king, and that the people said "hosanna" because they were so happy that Jesus had come to the city, and they knew He was their true king.

Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Palm Sunday." Underneath, hang the palm leaves you made.

Mini Resurrection Garden

  • Soak wheat berries (from your food storage or a health food store) in water overnight so they will sprout quickly when you begin your Mini Resurrection garden tomorrow.


Monday

Cleansing the temple (Matthew 21:12–16)


Scripture story

Activities

  • Set up a small table with stuffed animals and play money. Role play Jesus coming in and turning over the table and driving out the money changers. (Idea from Mercy River -- and a great picture of it too.)

  • Walk around temple grounds to help your children feel the reverence and peace there. Ask them questions about why they think Jesus was upset when He saw what was being done at the temple. Talk about the meaning of the word "respect."

  • Look at interior pictures of temples and watch the Rome Italy temple tour. Point out to your children how clean the temple is. Are there noisy animals and dirty cages? Are there people exchanging money? Compare to the picture Jesus Cleansing the Temple by Carl Bloch.

Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Mad Monday." Underneath, hang drawings of favorite temples... or a frowny face like the picture.

Mini Resurrection Garden

  • Start your Mini Resurrection Garden by setting up the large pot base, small pot, soil, and pre-soaked wheat berries. Don't set up any rocks or crosses yet.


Tuesday

Teaching in Jerusalem (Matthew 21–23, Mark 12)


Scripture story

Activities

  • Download BYU's free Jerusalem virtual tour app and explore it together to get a better sense of the city where Jesus spent His last week of mortality.

  • Build a Jerusalem model with blocks, legos, or rocks.

  • Read Amos Goes to Jerusalem, coming up with actions or role-playing it. Or it would also be fun to act it out with little people in your block model of the city.

Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Teaching Tuesday." Underneath, hang a drawing of the story of the widow's mites.

Mini Resurrection Garden



Wednesday

Continued Teaching in Jerusalem (Matthew 24–25)


Activities

  • Watch the 45 minute National Geographic movie, Jerusalem. I watched this in 3D at an IMAX theater and was floored. It tours the Holy City through the eyes of three major religions. To keep your children's attention fixed on the movie, have them put a sticker on a paper picture of Christ every time they see Jesus Christ on the screen. If desired, you can promise them a skittle for every sticker they place.

  • Watch Follow Him—An Easter Message about Jesus Christ.

  • Read short Easter testimonies from the First Presidency.

Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Spy Wednesday" (traditionally called that because of Judas' agreement to betray Jesus.) Cut thirty pieces of "silver coins" from aluminum foil and hang underneath.

Mini Resurrection Garden

  • Spray water on the wheat.


Thursday

The Passover and Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26)


Scripture story

Activities

  • Have a kid-friendly Passover Seder meal. Tear out or print the March 2019 New Era article for display and discussion at the table. Make a hula hoop Seder plate--or use a normal plate with six cupcake liners-- with pita bread or Matzos crackers from Walmart (for unleavened bread), boiled egg, horseradish/dandelions (for bitter herbs), parsley (for karpas), stuffed animal lamb (for lamb shank bone), and apple raisin salad with cinnamon and honey (for charoset.) Supplement the traditional food with a Mediterranean-style finger food feast. Eat by candlelight, standing up, wearing shoes, and with head covered. Also have a rolled up camping pad tied about your hips and a staff/walking stick in hand. Tell your children to try to find pictures in the New Era article that are in common with your own Passover meal (or point them out for younger children.) Talk about the symbolism in simple terms. If you want to go all out for your Passover meal, here is a great family friendly script, written for Christians.

  • After the Passover Seder meal, break apart some pita bread and give everyone a piece. Pull out a fancy cup filled with grape juice to pass around, everyone taking a sip. Talk about when Jesus instituted the sacrament at the Last Supper. We take the sacrament each Sunday to remember Jesus.

  • Watch the "Gethsemane" music video. Then hold up a mirror for each of your children and have them say "Jesus loves [their name] and He can save [their name]."

Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Passover Thursday." Underneath, hang drawings of a cup of wine and unleavened bread.

Mini Resurrection Garden

  • Spray water on the wheat.



Friday

Trial, Crucifixion, and burial (Matthew 27:1–61)


Scripture story

Activities

  • Make a crown of thorns table centerpiece using toothpicks and a twig wreath (found at the Dollar Tree.) If desired, let your children remove one toothpick for each act of kindness they do, with a family goal of removing all the toothpicks by Easter Sunday. An alternative would be to replace the toothpicks with flowers.

  • Watch the music video "Because" by Shawna Edwards. Then fill in the blank: “Thank you, Jesus, for _________________.” Write your child’s ideas on sticky notes and fill up a window or a mirror. Help them draw pictures. (Idea from The Friend)

  • Read this short Easter rebus together.

Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Good Friday." Underneath, form a cross out of your names (give each child a strip of paper to decorate their own name) as a reminder of the reason the Savior hung on the cross.

Mini Resurrection Garden



Saturday

Christ’s body lies in the tomb (Matthew 27:62–66) while His spirit ministers in the spirit world (D&C 138)


Scripture story

Activities

  • Look at photos and tell stories of deceased ancestors and loved ones. Explain that they are in the Spirit World right now, which is where Jesus went after He died and before He was resurrected.

  • Use a glove to teach your children that we all have a body (represented by the glove) and a spirit (represented by a hand). When we die, our spirits continue to live, but our bodies do not. When we are resurrected, our spirits and bodies come together again. (Idea from the Primary manual)

Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Spirit World Saturday." Hang a picture of a deceased ancestor.

Mini Resurrection Garden

  • Find an appropriately sized rock to cover the tomb. Spray water on the wheat.


Sunday (Easter)

The appearance of the resurrected Christ (Matthew 28:1–10)


Scripture story

Activities

  • Visit the grave sites of loved ones, or the closest cemetery, and share your testimony of the Resurrection with your children.

  • Go on a nature walk to spot a butterfly, tulip or other spring flower, bird's nest, feather or flying bird, and the sun. Discuss in simple terms how each of these is a symbol for the Resurrection. Caterpillars go to sleep in a cocoon and wake two weeks later as a butterfly. Tulips die every summer but come back year after year in the spring. Baby birds hatch from eggs in the spring, leaving behind an empty shell. Many birds leave for the winter and come back in the spring. The sun sets every night and that side of the earth becomes dark, but every morning the sun rises and fills the world with light. Read Alma 30:44 "All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it." (Idea from Angie Killian)

  • Have an Easter egg hunt with Resurrection Eggs (other versions here and here.) Each egg will contain a scripture from the Easter story and a small item that corresponds to it. The items I am using are: a crouton, three dimes, knotted twine, small piece of soap, a thorn, a nail, a pair of dice, a white napkin, a stone, and clove spice. For an additional fun element, wrap the scripture slip of paper around toothpicks to make mini scrolls, as shown here. Finish off the Easter egg hunt by opening the eggs and reviewing the week with the items and this timeline map (on page 3-4) from The Friend magazine.

  • Enjoy some beautiful Easter music. I can listen to these songs over and over.

"Risen" – Shawna Edwards

"Forever" – Nathan Pacheco

"Savior, Redeemer of My Soul" – Dallyn Bayles, Jenny Oaks Baker

"I Know That My Redeemer Lives" – Michael R. Hicks

"Savior" – Roger and Melanie Hoffman

"God So Loved the World" – City of Enoch

"Beautiful Savior" – Steven Sharp Nelson

"This Is The Christ" – Calee Reed

"He Is Risen" – Paul Cardall

"What Love Is This" – Kari Jobe


Wall Hanging

  • Draw a simple sign that says, "Easter Sunday." Underneath hang the words "HE IS RISEN" or a picture of the resurrected Christ.

Mini Resurrection Garden

  • Move the large stone to the side of the opening and let your children discover the empty tomb.








797 views0 comments

Comentários

bottom of page