Easter Count Down

Things can get really crazy around the Holidays and the true meaning can get lost. My husband and I have really tried to help our children understand the true meaning behind Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas the most. Since Easter is right around the corner this year, I would like to share with you what we do in our home.

First, we do a 12 day count down to Easter. This is how it works: We have this basket. Each morning the kids get to choose an egg out and open it, except for the purple one. That one is for Easter morning.

Inside the eggs are things that remind us of the Savior and some scriptures. Here is a list of the things that we use. I'm sure there are many more things you can use.

Toothpicks in the shape of a cross and John 19:17

A small band aid (Healing) and Matt 8:7-8,13,16

Mud and John 9

Apiece of bread and Mark 6:30-44

A cotton ball (sheep) and John 10:27

A picture of a heart and Moroni 7:48

A small nail and 3 Nephi 11:14

Small white cloth and John 11:1-6,11,14,17-44

Picture of Jesus and Matt 28:6

A piece of paper with this written on it: Name 5 blessing you have because of the Savior.

A piece of paper with this written on it: Go outside and see how many things you can see that are miracles like the Savior's Resurrection (ie Tulips, buried in fall and in the spring turn into flowers/bloom again, a little egg inside a nest becomes a baby bird)

Leave one empty (my purple one), after it is opened read the story of the Empty Easter Egg and the Empty tomb, "What was in Jeremy's Egg?" By Ida Mae Kemple.

When they open the Purple one on Easter Sunday we read the story and then give a lesson on the Resurrection. It really is a wonderful way to start Easter Sunday.

Second, we have the Easter Bunny come Friday night. The kids wake up and find their baskets, play with their toys, do our Easter Egg hunt, roll our colored Easter eggs down the hill, and do all of the traditional things on Saturday. That way they are not missing out on the fun worldly things. Don't get me wrong I love all of that stuff, I do tons of it, just as long as they know the real reason behind the holiday. And this way we get all of that out of the way so on Sunday we talk more about Jesus.

If you come up with other things to go into the eggs please share them with me. And may you have a wonderful holiday celebrating our Savior's Miracle.