Easter Books & Activities
March 11, 2008
What activities do you do with your children? Here are some ideas. Please comment with your own!
Books:
1. Read the “Easter story” straight from your Bible — Matthew 27 on Good Friday and Matthew 28 on Easter morning
2. Read The Tale of Three Trees retold by Angela Elwell Hunt — this is a beautiful American folktalke for grade school children about three trees whose wishes come true in surprising ways. It’s a perfect culmination of Jesus’ birth, ministry, and death & resurrection. I read it to my public school class every year at Easter as an “American folktale!”
3. Read younger children The Story of Easter by Patricia A. Pingry — a board book with few words and bright illustrations.
4. Read Peter Cottontail’s Easter Book by Lulu Delacre — Peter Cottontail leads readers through pages, accompanied by the nursery song “Itisket, Itasket,” and his own commentary. Interspersed are sections on crafts and customs, both religious and secular. Most appropriate for grade school children and mature preschoolers.
5. Read Easter by Gail Gibbons — an explanation of the religious aspect of Easter geared for preschool through early grade school children. Jesus’ life and death are treated briefly but with enough detail to provide a basic introduction to the subject. The crucifixion is shown from afar to soften its cruelty, and afterward the risen Jesus happily astonishes his followers. Next the symbols of candles and spring flowers lead logically into a discussion of the other aspects of the holiday, including Easter egg decoration, hunts, and baskets; Eostre, the spring goddess who gave the day its name; and the special Easter foods and clothes.
Activities
1. Color Easter Eggs — to add a little spice for primary grade school kids, buy two or three different kits and do an experiment to see which brand yielded the brightest colors and make a note of it for next year’s purchase. With my 4th graders one year we made a list of the most important criteria such as, quality of supplies, clarity of directions, lowest price, brightness, and add-ons, and then we rated each brand on a scale of 1-4. Whichever brand yielded the highest score was the winner. The kids asked their moms buy that brand before Easter. Click here for more ideas.
2. Easter Egg hunt — my parents woke up early every year to hide the REAL eggs we colored the day before. They were always on one floor of the house and there was a little added pressure to find all of the eggs because if we didn’t, we would smell them in a few days. Of course you can do the traditional way too — fill and hide plastic eggs and be sure to invite lots of kids! That’s what we did last year when our son was only 4 months old (see photo).
3. Easter basket hunt — we also had to find our Easter basket. When we were younger, it was in easy to find places like beside the couch or on top of the TV. As we got older it would appear in the dryer or on a hanger in the coat closet. Then in college (oh yes, we still did this in college) we would have to get hints because they were so hard to find we’d look forever! Be sure to label the basket with your kids’ names and tell them if they find their siblings’ basket to walk away quietly.
4. Make something crafty with your kids. For some great ideas go to Kaboose or Family Fun.
5. Buy, or better yet make, something special for their Easter basket. Check out these Easter lambs and bunnies at Etsy!
Christian Parenting Books
February 9, 2008
“How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14.
Pastor and teacher John MacArthur states that as Christian parents, we are the first and most important preachers that God has given to our children. He goes on to say that we have a better opportunity than anyone to help frame what they know about Christ and that every moment of their lives is a teaching opportunity (Deut. 6:6-7). Here are some books to help us bring up our children in the nuture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
What The Bible Says About Parenting: Biblical Principle For Raising Godly Children by John MacArthur
* More than ever, Christians need to know what the Bible actually teaches about parenting, and put it into practice. In What the Bible Says About Parenting, pastor/teacher John MacArthur presents time-proven principles of Biblical parenting, clearly and carefully, to help parents make sense of their duties before God and to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. This is an absolute must-have book. I am going through it for the second time now, highlighting and soaking in every word, especially those on effectively sharing the law and gospel with your children. My husband and I love MacArthur’s work and this book is no exception.
Teach Them Diligently: How To Use The Scriptures In Child Training by Louis Paul Priolo
* Priolo gives detailed explanations along with categorized scriptures of how to convict, rebuke, teach, and train your children with God’s Word. A must-have for any parent who desires to bring up children to be spiritually equipped to handle life.
Parenting With Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments by Kara Durbin
* Author Kara Durbin’s passion is for parents to capture those teachable moments and use Scripture to shape their children’s behavior. She offers Parenting With Scripture, a unique topical guide to prepare parents with scriptural teaching and helpful activities on 100 specific behaviors.
My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God’s Word in Little Hearts by Susan Hunt
* With this colorful book, Susan Hunt provides a fun way to help young readers learn about God’s truth. Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding Bible verse and is accompanied by a story to illustrate the scriptural passage.
For Instructions in Righteousness: A Topical Reference Guide for Biblical Child-Training by Pam Forster
* This book will help you use the Bible every time you discipline your children! It includes hundreds of verses on over 50 areas of sin. But it is more than just a topical Bible. Each chapter includes listings such as “What the Bible says will, or should, happen to a person who sins in this way;” “Ideas for discipline that parallel these Biblical consequences;” and “How God blesses the person who resists temptations to this sort of sin.” This book is based on the premise that if we train our children to submit to the authority of God’s standards, those standards will not change when the children grow up and leave the authority of our homes and we don’t want to discipline in anger; we want to show grief over the child’s sin, and we want to lead him to true repentance. This book is has wealth of material for parents’ personal Bible study, family worship, character training, unit studies, and Bible study projects for older children.
Thanks to Karen for sharing this last book with me, along with all of her other tried and true mothering tips. What a mentor! I should also mention that when we were discussing the book, my friend Julie shared that it was by the same company (Doorposts) that made the “If-Then chart” that she keeps on her fridge (see an example line below). It sounds like another great Biblical parenting tool. Thanks, ladies! If you have a book or tool for Christian parenting that you have found helpful, please, please share it. That’s what this site it all about — learning from each other so that we may nurture and admonish our children in the ways of the Lord!
Bible Verses for Kids
January 31, 2008
What a privilege it is to teach our children the Word of God! I have a lovely book titled My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God’s Word in Little Hearts by Susan Hunt that I would recommend to every parent of preschoolers. Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding Bible verse and is accompanied by a story to illustrate the scriptural passage, mostly about behaving God’s way. I recently read that some parents use the book as a family devotional for their grade school children. All in all, its more than just a list of verses.
If you are not interested in purchasing the book, but would like a list of ABC Bible Verses, be sure to check out the following pdfs:
I would suggest no matter which route you chose — book or pdf — that you set up a family chart to keep track of how everyone is doing. It should be a source of encouragement and accountability rather than a competition. Across the X-axis put each person’s name, including Mommy and Daddy. Down the Y-axis write each letter of the alphabet. When little Johnny has mastered the A verse, put a check or a sticker in the corresponding box. Then, before getting credit for B, he has to say A from memory again. The goal is for each person to be able to say the entire alphabet with it’s matching verse when this family project is over. This could be a fun pre-dinner exercise or done over dessert.
Finally, there is one last resource. I found the Presbyterian Church’s Parent Handbook for Scripture Memory online and have provided the pdf here for you. It includes information on how to get started, ways in which to help you child memorize scripture, and then age-appropriate verses from age 3 through the 5th grade.
Please, if you have tips for what has worked with your children, please share them here. May God bless you in your diligence.
books for baby
December 30, 2007
“There are so many books out there! How do I wade through the choices?” I was asked that all the time as an elementary school reading specialist… For babies, first check out your local library. Look for books that have big brightly colored illustrations with few words on a page. As babies get older and more interactive, they love lift-the-flap books. Books that rhyme are also wonderful so that little ones memorize them and quickly learn how books work. Don’t feel that your toddler isn’t really reading because he has the book memorized. He is learning so much from just holding the book in his hands, attaching text to illustrations, and turning the pages, so encourage repeated readings. Next, buy books at yard sales, consignment shops, and stores like TJ Maxx. Finally, if you’re fortunate enough to add books to your baby registry or have a wish list, apply the same principles as mentioned above. Below are just a few of my favorites.
Baby
- I Love Colors by Margaret Miller
- God Made You Nose to Toes by Leslie Parrott
- Peas and Thank You by Mike Nawrocki
- The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
- I’m Thankful for Each Day by P.K. Hallinan
- Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss
- Brown Bear Brown Bear by Eric Carle
- Peek-a-Moo by Marie Torres Cimarusti & Stephanie Petersen
- Where is Baby’s Belly Button? By Karen Katz
- Bath Books by DK Publishing
- The Eentsy-Weentsy Spider: Fingerplays and Action Rhymes by Joanna Cole*
Toddler
- Just in Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado
- Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
- Mrs. Wishy-Washy by Joy Cowley
- Where’s God When I’m Scared? By Cindy Kenney
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
- Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw
- Alphabet Art: With A-Z Animal Art & Fingerplays by Judy Press*
- Science Play: Beginning Discoveries for 2 to 6 year olds by Jill Frankel Hauser*
- Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs by Alan Katz*
- My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God’s Word in Little Hearts by Susan Hunt*
* these are activity books that help develop language, not read alouds
Wonderful Children’s Books!!
December 30, 2007
Do you know about author and illustrator P.K. Hallinan? I LOVE his books!! Hallinan is an ordained minister whose stories not only teach life-long values, but Christian truths. I first stumbled upon his work at TJ Maxx where I picked up I’m Thankful Each Day for $2 less than the list price. The book teaches children to be thankful for the everyday, little things from the beautiful sunset to the ability to run and play. My son is too young to fully understand it at this point, but he loves the rhyme and illustrations. In addition to I’m Thankful Each Day, be sure to look for the rest of Hallinan’s books that start off “Let’s Be…” Check out your local TJ Maxx, visit your library, or purchase them at Amazon!
