Easter Program 2009 for the Children
“An Empty Cross!”
March 22, 2008
10am – 12noon
The focus of this program is that our cross is empty because Jesus was raised from the dead and he is NOT STILL HANGING ON THAT CROSS! All activities are designed to impart this message to the children.
1. We will have these parts of the program:
a. program,
b. crafts,
c. egg hunt,
d. and refreshments.
BEFORE PROGRAM:
2. Set date for a Saturday around Easter. Arrange for help (will need it during craft and egg hunt time). Publish in bulletin. Make a double sided insert with the announcement and poems, etc. – be sure to give to Bro. Ken early to copy or copy yourself and give to him to insert. Announce and explain purpose of program during the Sunday service. “This is our annual Easter Celebration for the children. We will be focusing on ……. This year. We will have a program, crafts, egg hunt, and refreshments.”
3. Put a sign-up sheet in front and back of the church.
4. Don’t forget to arrange for refreshments. Keep them light – cupcakes/ cookies/cheese bunnies and juice bottles. Have enough for about 32 (again check sign-in sheet and have some for adults).
5. Make about 24 goodie bags before the program (more if the sign-in sheet indicates more will be present – everything can be recycled). There is plenty to fill them this year as I bought LOT’s after last year’s program – the stuff is in the hall closet {in zip lock bag (do not use fish hooks – for next year) and the water guns. The large guns are for the older kid Egg Hunt winners} and in the Office in the cabinet. Will need to ask for or buy candy for the bags and eggs right before filling them (there are scripture jellybeans in the hall closet for the bags). Use the white or brown bags in the Office. Staple an Easter cut-out to decorate the bag. Children from church that did not come to program will also want to get one the next day so we need extra and any extra goodie bag items can be recycled. Extra items can be saved for next year, used for the Christmas boxes or in the “Treasure Box” for Children’s Church (prizes given to children every first Sunday for being “good”). Give the extra candy to the Children’s Church teacher to pass out during Children’s Church.
6. Make sure there is cardstock for the front and back covers of the coloring book in office – ask Bro. Ken to buy some if there isn’t any.
7. Give out invites/reminders the Sunday before the program in Sunday School and ask children to bring a friend to the program. Give an extra invite to anyone who wants to invite someone – say something like this to the children “What do we ask you to do all the time? {invite a friend} We have asked you to invite someone to Sunday School and this would be a great time. Tell them we are having an Easter Celebration party and egg hunt. During the program they will hear about Jesus.”
8. Make up and copy coloring books. Books may have scripture, games, mazes, poems and coloring pages – make an attempt to make the content Christian and make a new one each year. Try to have 4 or 5 pages back and front. Use cardstock (stiff paper) for the front and back covers.
9. Get anything else ready for program.
a. Fill eggs – tape shut so they won’t break open during the hunt. Use the sign-up sheet to determine how many eggs to put in each category (the age category with the most kids gets the most eggs. I also like to give the older kids more eggs).
b. Stakes and ribbon to section off egg hunt areas.
c. Make cross necklaces (colorful crosses need to be mounted on embroidery thread.)
d. Find simple Christian Easter songs.
DAY OF PROGRAM: Get there early with your help
10. Gather supplies and put them in Fellowship Hall: scissors, tape, glue dots, crayons, craft materials, camera, etc.
11. Section off egg hunt areas with stakes and ribbon and hide eggs or have people hide the eggs during the program.
12. PROGRAM: Have children sit in a semi-circle on the floor in Fellowship Hall (gets their attention better) and discuss the program. The Easter story will be told with the eggs.
a. Pass around the eggs numbered and lettered. Use “Resurrection Eggs” and then label 12 more eggs “a to l” and place a verse and item in each of these eggs. Fit these eggs into the story of the “1 – 12” eggs {so that you may have 1, 2, 3, a, 4, b, c,…… however the verse fits best into the “Resurrection Eggs” story}.
b. Have the children show the item in the egg and then read the verse in the egg. Discuss each egg in a story format.
c. Collect the eggs in a basket and exchange the item for a cross necklace.
13. Show 2 crosses (Catholic) and ours – what is the difference? What does it means?
14. Read poems, etc. from coloring book (goes home with child – don’t color during program unless you run out of program before Sunday Service is up).
15. Ask what Easter means to them.
16. Ask kids what songs we can sing about Easter. Let them name them themselves. Sing 2 or 3.
http://songs4teachers.com/eastsongsREL.pdf
http://matneywoodard.home.att.net/songs.htm
17. Do crafts: There are several crafts for Easter in the zip lock bag in the hall – you can choose one or two.
18. Egg Hunt.
19. Have refreshments.
20. Give out prizes first then dismiss with prayer.
21. Give children goodie bags and coloring books on the way out of the Fellowship Hall.
AFTER 2009 PROGRAM:
1. Chose theme for next year’s program: fisher’s of men (fish hook necklaces).
2. Check supplies in hall closet. Order any items needed for goodie bags to go with theme from Oriental Trading and buy sale items at stores after Easter while on sale. Put in large labeled zip lock bag that is in hall closet.
3. Keep receipts and turn in to Brother Ken. This program is under Children’s Activities (write on receipt) – keep within the budget!
