*from Sparkhouse Digital
It is the start of Lent, a time when we focus on getting ready for Easter. Create a special egg carton with twelve eggs that your family can open together throughout the seasons of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. There’s one egg for each Sunday in Lent; one egg each for Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil (Easter Saturday), and Easter Day. And there’s one last egg to launch you into the season of Easter.
Each egg has a unique item that corresponds with an activity listed below. These family activities will focus on prayer. Set up a prayer area in your home where you can gather each week of Lent. Place a cloth on a table with enough room for twelve separate items. You might want to include a cross and a picture of your family.
Treasure hunts are so much fun for kids! Hide each egg and send your kids on a hunt for it. When they find the egg, gather in your prayer area to do the activity and pray together. For more exploration, try the More Fun ideas. The most important thing for all of this is to do what you can and keep it as simple as possible.
SUPPLIES:
• Egg cartons
• Plastic eggs (12)
• Tape
• Permanent marker
• Dirt
• Seeds
• Ribbon (rainbow-colored)
• Stickers (star-shaped)
• Beads (10)
• Battery-operated tea light
• Fish-shaped crackers
• Confetti
• Hearts (plastic, paper, stickers, etc.)
• Nail (1)
• Rock (1)
• Chenille craft stems (gold,1)
• Activity Egg Instructions
EGG #1: ASH WEDNESDAY - GOD HELPS US GROW!
(Object: Dirt and Seeds)
Lent means spring—and is a time for growth. Carefully open this week’s egg. You’ll find dirt and seeds! Find a place near light to open and prop up your egg halves. Add a little water each day. See if anything grows! Read the story of Jesus teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer from your favorite story Bible or from Matthew 6:5-15. Then whisper the Lord’s Prayer together. After Easter, gently remove the growing plant and dirt from the egg and plant it in the ground or in a pot outside. MORE FUN: Connect with your family virtually or in person and end your time together by praying the Lord’s Prayer.
EGG #2: GOD IS WITH US ALL THE TIME!
(Object: Rainbow-colored ribbon)
God is with us all the time, even when things are terrible and life is hard. This week you’ll find rainbow-colored ribbon in your egg. Read the story of Noah from your
favorite story Bible or from Genesis 6–9. Place the ribbon in your prayer area and pray for all animals. If you have pets, place pictures of them in your prayer area or
adorn it with your favorite stuffed animals. MORE FUN: Draw rainbows on sidewalks, driveways, or windows and connect with friends and pets (or stuffed animals) outside. Stand near a rainbow and bless each one.
EGG #3: GOD'S FAMILY IS REALLY BIG.
(Object: Star stickers)
God made a promise to Abraham that he and Sarah would have a HUGE family—as many people as there are stars in the sky! This week place the star stickers
from the egg in your prayer area. Read the stories of Abraham and Sarah from your favorite story Bible or in Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; 17:1-7, 15-16; 18:1-15; 21:1-7. Name
everyone in your extended family (if you can!) and share something you love about each of them. Then see how many people you can name from your church family. Offer a prayer of thanks for them all. MORE FUN: Take a picture of your family and send it to the relatives and friends, telling them how much you
love them.
EGG #4: GOD SHOWS US HOW TO LIVE.
(Object: 10 beads)
This week there are ten beads in your egg. Sometimes it is hard to know how to do the right thing. Read the story of The Ten Commandments from your favorite
story Bible or from Exodus 20:1-17. Pray this prayer together, while you place the beads in your prayer area, one at a time.
Dear God,
Help us to follow your commandments so we can live together in peace. Remind us to love, honor, and respect you. (3 beads)
Help us take time to rest, love and respect people who care for us, and always be kind. (3 beads)
Be with us in all our relationships and help us when we want something that isn’t ours. (2 beads)
Remind us to always tell the truth and help us to be happy with what we have. (2 beads)
Amen.
MORE FUN: Think of ten words or phrases that describe how your family wants to be with each other. Make word art and hang it up around your home. Examples: Kind, Honest, Loving, Trust, Forgive, Give Second Chances, etc.
EGG #5: JESUS CAME TO SAVE US.
(Object: Battery-operated tea light)
This week, your egg brings you light! One of the most important and famous verses in the entire Bible is John 3:16. Light the candle and place it in your prayer area, then read John 3:16 from a Bible and work together to memorize it. Pray that all the world will know the light and love of Jesus. MORE FUN: To spread this important news, deliver a package of light to a friend or neighbor. Include a candle
and a copy of John 3:16.
EGG #6: SERVE AND FOLLOW JESUS.
(Object: Fish-shaped crackers)
The fish was a symbol of the early Christians, who followed Jesus and learned how to serve others alongside him. Read a story about someone who wanted to learn from Jesus from a story Bible, or read John 12:20-26. Place the fish crackers from your egg in your prayer area, and say a prayer that you and your family will know what to do to serve your friends and neighbors in ways that will help them.
MORE FUN: Bring nonperishable food to your local food shelf. Include canned fish or fish crackers as a story connection. You are serving and following Jesus by loving your neighbors.
EGG #7: PALM SUNDAY - JESUS CELEBRATED PASSOVER.
(Object: Confetti)
This week your egg will start a party! Jesus and his disciples went to Jerusalem to celebrate the holy time of Passover. As Jesus arrived in the city, large crowds
of people cheered for him and shouted, “Hosanna!” Toss confetti from your egg in your prayer area and shout “Hosanna!” as loudly as you can. Read about Palm
Sunday from a story Bible or from Mark 11:1-11. Say a prayer of thanks for everything in your life that brings you joy, and say a prayer of thanks for Jesus.
MORE FUN: Go outside and parade through your neighborhood. If you want to wave palms but don’t have any, color your hands green with washable paint or
markers and wave them around. Shout “Hosanna!"
EGG #8: MAUNDY THURSDAY - JESUS TELLS US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
(Object: Heart)
Place the heart from today’s egg in the prayer area and talk about what it means to love someone. Read the story of the Last Supper from a story Bible or from John 13:1-20. During their last supper together, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and gave them a new commandment— to LOVE one another. Jesus told them that people would know they were his disciples because of their love for others. Offer prayers for the people you love, and ask God for help loving everyone, even when it is hard. MORE FUN: Cut out paper hearts and put them on your front door to show people that your house is filled with love for all people.
EGG #9: GOOD FRIDAY - JESUS LOVES US.
(Object: Nail)
Jesus showed people a new way to live. The Roman government did not like Jesus’ ideas about loving all people, so they decided to nail Jesus to a cross, where
he died. Place the nail from today’s egg in your prayer area. Read about the day Jesus died from a story Bible or from John 19:16-42. Pray for all people who are sad, oppressed, and living in terrible circumstances. MORE FUN: Have a Cross Craft day in your neighborhood. Make crosses out of paper to tape on your windows, draw crosses on sidewalks, and anywhere you can find space, place a cross.
EGG #10: EASTER VIGIL/SATURDAY - WE REMEMBER JESUS.
(Object: Rock)
After Jesus died, one of his friends took his body off the cross and laid him in a tomb, then rolled a big rock in front of it to keep the body safe. Place the rock from
today’s egg on your prayer area. Read Matthew 27:57-60 from a Bible. Pray for people all over the world who have had loved ones die this past year. End the prayer by singing “Jesus Loves Me” and saying “Amen.” MORE FUN: Send a card to someone who has had a loved one die this year. Make sure to write “Jesus loves you” somewhere on the card.
EGG #11: EASTER DAY - JESUS SURPRISES US.
(Object: Empty)
There’s a surprise in this week’s egg—it’s empty! One of the coolest things about being a Christian is that death is not the end. When the women went to find Jesus’
body in the tomb, it was empty! Jesus rose from the dead so all of us can live with him forever. Place both sides of the empty egg in your prayer area. Read about
Jesus’ resurrection from a story Bible or Mark 16:1-8. Pray with energy and joy today by having a dance-party prayer. Shout, “Alleluia!” Sing “Jesus Loves Me” at the top of your voice. Dance around. End by shouting, “Amen!” MORE FUN: Connect with your family and wish them a happy Easter! Remind them that Jesus loves them. Jesus loves us all!
EGG #12: DAY AFTER EASTER - WE CAN TELL EVERYONE ABOUT JESUS!
(Object: Gold chenille craft stem)
The Easter season is fifty days long, and we can use every day to learn more about Jesus and how much he loves us. Bend the gold chenille craft stem from
today’s egg into a cross shape, and place it in your prayer area. Read a few of the stories about Jesus that happened after he rose from the dead. Start with The
Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and finish with The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). Offer a prayer of thanks that we can share stories about Jesus and his
love with everyone! MORE FUN: Paint rocks with hearts and crosses and the
words “Happy Easter,” and place them near your neighbors’ front doors. Spread Easter joy all over the place!