Easter2013

Easter is a time of renewal, a time of rebirth, a time to get outdoors, a time to be with family. Below are some tried and true Easter traditions you may want to try.

Easter Basket Hunt

Instead of simply handing your children their Easter baskets why not turn finding their baskets into a treasure hunt. The night before Easter, after your children are fast asleep, write clues on the back of index cards and put them around your house and yard. Each clue should lead your child to the next with the final card leading to the basket's hiding place. Keep the clues simple for young children (in the fridge, by the TV, under your bed). For older children, you can challenge them with riddles (I am hidden in a place you would go to eat.) If you have pre-readers, you can use pictures. Draw simple sketches or print some images of the internet. This is great fun. Our children request this every year.Easter Bunny Cake

Bake a cake according to the directions on the package in 8 or 9 inch round pans. Oce cool, draw two curved lines on one of the cake rounds that resemble the lines of a basketball. Carfully cut along these lines, cutting the one round into three pieces. The center piece will be the bunnies bow tie. The two outer pieces will be the bunnies ears. Lay pieces on a cake board using the uncut cake round for the bunnies face. If you do not have a cake board large enough, use a cookie sheet or, cover some cardboard with aluminim foil. Once the pieces are arranged how you like them, ice the whole thing with white icing, then decorate using a jelly bean for the nose, gum drops for the eyes and shoe string licorice for the mouth. This is both fun to make and to eat. Empty Egg Hunt

At many large Easter Egg Hunts there is a "golden egg" that when found, entitles the owner to a prize. This is a religious twist on that tradition. Instead of hiding a golden egg, hide an empty egg with a small piece of cloth inside which represents the cloth Jesus was wrapped in. On the cloth write something like, "Jesus is Risen!" or "Jesus is Alive!" The child who finds the empty egg, representing Jesus' empty tomb, should shout out what is written on the cloth to collect his or her prize. It is great to see the excitement in the child's eyes when the empty egg is found.Baby Animals

Spring is the time for baby animals to be born. Find and visit a local farm, preferable one that has baby chicks and bunnies. Call ahead to see if you can take a formal tour. Ask if it is possible to see a chick as it hatches. It is something you will never forget. Take along a picnic lunch and make a day of it. If you don't live near a farm, visit a local zoo or even a pet shop.Spring Flowers

In addition to Spring being the time for baby animals to be born, it is the time when you start to see beautiful flowers start to emerge from their Winter slumber. Visit a local garden and take in all the glorious colors. If possible bring along a kite and some bubbles. Stay and play for a while. If you live in an area where the gardens haven't quite reached their peak, try visiting a flower nursery. Purchase some flowers and bring them home to pot and display indoors. Also be sure to plant some bulbs so you can enjoy them next year.

Reff:

Easter 2013 - Stars Buyers - CA - UK - ES