Resurrection Eggs

My kids love hunting for eggs at Easter.  They play with those plastic eggs for months afterwards and I find them in random locations throughout my house for the next  364 days.

This year I decided to do something different.  "Resurrection Eggs" are a great teaching tool for young children and I know many of you have been using a similar set for years.  You can google it and find hundreds of different sets to buy for big bucks, many of which contain 12 eggs and more details of the Easter story.  I am doing a scaled down, home-grown variety that I hope will be elementary enough to convey the important message to my two blondes (the consideration here has nothing to do with the hair color/intellectual ability debate...just the fact that my blondes are under 4!)   I think the simplified version will also give the Kindergartener opportunity to share in the teaching.

 I hope the kids aren't disappointed when they open their eggs to find some random items that are not of the sugary variety, but I'm really excited about the opportunity to have this discussion/devotional and learning time together before all the sugar-filled Easter goodness continues (forget candy...I'm talking about icing and sprinkles covered Paska!)  So yes...they won't be deprived.  After our Egg Hunt I'll send them to find some hidden baskets brimming with treats of a different kind.  I just want to start things off with a different focus.  Once they open their found eggs, here's what they'll find/what we'll talk about:

      1) Bread Crumb: Jesus ate a special dinner with His friends (read Luke 22:14-15)

      2) A small cross (I've made one from a Palm leaf, but you can use paper or small pieces of wood): The next day, Jesus died on the cross (read John 19:17-18)

      3) Strip of cloth: His body was wrapped in cloth and placed in a tomb (read John 19:40)

      4) Rock: A very large, heavy stone was placed in front of the tomb (read Matthew 27: 59-60)

      5) Empty Egg: Jesus' friends came to the tomb and saw the stone had been moved.  The tomb was      empty! (read Luke 24:1-3)

      6) Candy:  Jesus is ALIVE!  And THAT is the sweetest surprise of Easter! (read Matthew 28:5-6)

**I like to read these scriptures from the NLT or NIrV Bible...simpler language for my blondes younger ones.

Have a rich and blessed Easter weekend, full of fresh revelation of Christ's sacrifice for YOU!