Easter Crafts for children aged 3-11

[mimififi]

Hi there

I have 4 children aged between 3 and 11 and a baby (who is just a hanger-oner really, hehehehe) and was wondering if you could recommend your favourite Easter crafts to me.

I home educate my kids and we are breaking from our school books come monday for a fortnight of craft and exploration about Easter. Obviously, I have done Easter crafts every year since before i could remember and so I am after some new stuff which will make Easter seem new and fresh.

So, what are your favourite Easter activities????

Many thanks,
mimififi
X
P.S We are a christian family and so crucifixtion/ressurection/ascension type activities are welcome too. :-)

[Jules001]

try this link, you may already have it, but I find it a good resource http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/easter.htm

[JenniferG]

when we were young every year my mum put up an easter tree, which was literally just a nice looking branch or cutting from the woods that we would pick out, pushed into a china vase of sand. we then would decorate our easter try by painting blown eggs and putting them on, and making little easter baskets out of the individual bits in egg boxes them put mini eggs in them. we made all sorts really then every year when the box of 'bits' came out you'd remember the year before! loved it!

[morg_monster]

i'm sure you've done these before (hasn't everyone) but just in case - chocolate easter nests? Melt chocolate, mix in crushed shredded wheat, make into nest shape in cake case, add mini-eggs on top, cool. Nice and messy for all.

[mimififi]

cool ideas every one. i like the Easter tree, I think I shall definately do that.

Oooooh, I do like an annual festival, don't you?

[Bohne]

I will have my niece round this easter and as has been a tradition for the last few years, we will be colouring easter eggs.

I don't think it's very common in England, but a very easy way of doing this without commercial dyes, would be to decorate them with hot wax (and something like a toothpick), and then boil them in tea or onion skins.

I was also thinking of making some Easter cards.
For that purpose I looked for some very simple Easter shapes on the net (google picture search), and printed them out.
I was thinking of cutting the shapes out of coloured card and glueing it on blank cards.

That should keep us busy for a few hours.

[Bohne]

I forgot: If there is any time left, we'll be baking Hot Cross Buns.

[mimififi]

oooh, Bohne, I like the sound of that tell me more about colouring easter eggs: a step by step if you have time would be lovely!!!! what kind of eggs? hard boiled or just the shells??? I'm eager to understand how to do this.

cheers.
mimi

[JenniferG]

here is some info i found on a website about the Christian Easter Tree tradition...

http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/easter/easter-tree.htm

[Bohne]

Hi there again

In Germany, there are lots of ready made Easter egg paints to buy, so I usually try a new one every year.
The 'natural' stuff I have been doing so far works as follows:
Collect Onion Skins for a while (or use tea, beetroot juice, etc.)
Take the uncooked (white) egg.
Use either crayons to draw on the egg, drip drops with a candle, or get more artistic by drawing with the wax, best is a very narrow tube, my dad made me a metal one, but you could try the hollow lolly or cotton bud tingy. Or simply a tooth pick.
When done with the drawing, boil the egg in the onion skin for 5-8 minutes.
The wax will keep the covered areas white, the rest will turn brown.
I did some really lovely eggs like that.
And once boiled the eggs keep for ages.

[Bohne]

Forgot to say: Eventually you'll have to eat them, though...

:o)