New Life in Jesus!

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There are so many great reads for Easter.  Why not spend the week enjoying them, asking questions, re-reading, and seeing where the Spirit takes you?

Today, Tomorrow, & Next Time
The Berenstain Bears and the Real Easter Eggs by Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Easter Story by Patricia A. Pingry
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
From Egg to Chicken by Anita Ganeri
Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller
Benjamin's Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs by Melody Carlson

When I taught school, it was mostly the secular meaning of Easter that was emphasized.  At the time, resources and time for me to find great books about the real meaning of Easter were scarce.  It's one of those things we talked about, but just didn't have much opportunity to read about.  As a result, while the books listed above appear to be good and true, I have not read them myself so I can not vouch for them 100%.  According to their descriptions and reviews, however, I believe them to be a good starting place to teach and explore the real meaning of Easter with the children in your care.

The same holds true for the books about eggs.  Eggs are an engaging topic for young children to learn about.  Exploring them now allows Easter's message of New Life to remain stage center, while giving you freedom to participate in the simple joys of egg dyeing and egg hunts -from an educational and fun rather than purely commercial perspective- as well.

{I have traditionally done the egg dyeing and hunting before Easter, but in my writing here decided I much prefer it to occur on and after Easter.  In my opinion, this allows for us to fully examine pre-Easter events (triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the last supper, the crucifixion, the anticipation on Saturday) and make them my focus during the week before Easter.  We feel their full weight and give them deep thought.  Likewise, reserving the delight of egg dyeing and hunting for after Easter -to me- extends the joy, hope, and wonderful fullness of Easter throughout the week after Easter and beyond.  It helps me to remember Easter joy is not over on Easter Sunday, but rather is intended to be my new way of living.}