Written By: Ashley Elliott
We often see Easter approaching while we still have our snowmen decor out, candy canes stuck lingering somewhere, and mismatched mittens floating around. Stores do not waste time stocking up on those marshmallow chicks, chocolate eggs, and bunny ears – it seems like those have been out on the shelves for MONTHS now. We portion-controlled our way through Halloween candy, pumpkin pie season, Christmas cookies, heart-shaped candy, and now for the grand finale; we have a basket full of candy and plastic eggs filled with jellybeans coming. Sugar, sugar, sugar!
What are you doing to focus this upcoming holiday back to Jesus and away from the sugar rush? A few years ago, I saw this cute idea for a “Resurrection Garden” and thought it was a clever DIY craft, holiday display, and teaching prop all wrapped into one. The purpose of the miniature garden is to tell the story of Jesus.
Here are the items to gather for your “Resurrection Garden”:
– a medium-sized pan (foil cake pans would work!)
– some potting soil or just some dirt from outback
– a mini terracotta pot or mini plastic Dixie cup
– some small rocks
– one large rock (large enough to cover the opening of your pot/cup)
– some garden moss
– 3 twigs + 3 shorter twigs, (enough to make 3 crosses)
– twine or yarn to tie the twigs together
– one plastic egg
– a sharpie for writing on your egg
– some treats for inside your egg
Alternative: Instead of a mini pot or small cup and large rock, I have seen some creative people use a large potato! You would need to slice one end of the potato off to make your “rock” and hollow out a little part of your potato to make the “tomb” from the larger remaining part of the potato.
You can build the garden with your children as many days before Easter as you like. The garden will serve as a gentle guide as you tell one of the most, if not THE most, important stories you will share with them…who Jesus is and what he has done. NBD.
1. First, you will have your kids fill the pan with a thin layer of soil. Then lay the little cup or pot sideways near the center to create your “tomb”. Fill in more dirt around it and then nicely place your little rocks and moss around the pan.
2. Next, make three simple crosses using the sticks they found and your yarn/twine. Hold the smaller stick to the larger one in a cross formation, and wrap the yarn around several times, to secure the twigs together before tying it off. *You can choose to make just one cross.*
3. Place the cross(es) onto the garden and use it as a visual as you read through your Easter devotions during the week leading to Resurrection Sunday. If your children have heard the story of Easter or if they are perhaps at a more mature age to talk about death, in the days leading up to Good Friday, you can read the chapters in scripture about the cross and Jesus’s crucifixion. Tell the story of Jesus and the Ressurection in a way that you feel is appropriate for the age of your children. Choose devotionals that suit your audience. There are so many wonderfully adapted children’s stories about the good works and healing that Jesus did while walking this Earth that we aren’t short on reading material here.
Fancy alternative: instead of moss, plant some wheatgrass in your garden. Or buy some little succulents to really ramp up your garden a notch. But no flowers yet, though….
4. On Good Friday, you will remove the cross of Jesus from your garden and place your large rock over the opening of your “tomb.” Have one of your kids write Jesus on the “large stone” and leave the garden untouched for “three days” until Easter Sunday. (I put three days on quotations because you’ll be messing with it Saturday night or Sunday before the kids are up!) The overall message of Easter is such a positive story, but don’t be afraid to talk about how sad people were. Share stories of Jesus’s life in the flesh – one I like is the simple story of Jacob, and Jesus bringing sight to his blind dad. Then read or review the chapters on the cross and the tomb to set the stage. Explain in whatever detail is fitting that Jesus was crucified and that his body was laid to rest in the tomb that you are closing up, but don’t leave the poor kids hanging with nightmares until Easter morning! Let your kids know that although you’re closing the tomb, you already know the ending and that #spoileralert GOOD NEWS IS COMING! Jesus died on the cross for your sins and my sins AND….. He rose from the grave.
5. As I mentioned, you will keep your tomb sealed up until Easter morning. At some point, prior to your kids rising in the morning, you will take away the “large stone” and place a plastic egg in its place with the words “HE IS RISEN” written on the egg. Put a few treats inside the egg for the kids to share and/or a note about being loved.
Fancy Alternative: Stick some artificial or real flower tops in your garden for some extra “wow” Easter morning.
6. When the kids wake up Easter morning, coffee or not, be positive and excited!! This isn’t a story about death; after all, Jesus rose from the grave and is alive!!! Just as your children have found your garden Easter morning with excitement, share that when Jesus’ friends and family arrived and found that His body was missing, they too rejoiced. He is risen! Although Jesus could not stay on Earth as He did before, He did stop to say goodbye to a few people, which let them know that He was safe and happy again with our heavenly Father. Sometimes we don’t recognize Jesus’s constant presence, but He is most definitely in our lives as He lives in and through us. He is risen indeed!
The garden is fun and lighthearted, but this here is the important part – He lives. Christ died for us while we were but sinners, taking on our sin and the punishment we deserve…if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are given new life in Him and hope everlasting. The celebration of Easter Sunday is to remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us in order to save us from the sins we commit so we can go to heaven. Death isn’t an easy topic to have a chat with your kids about, but remember that Jesus couldn’t be kept in a grave. He came back from the dead. Although He is not physically among us, He is still present if we open our hearts and give our life to Him.
Use resources to help find scripture and stories to fit the age of your kids. From the Big Picture Story Bible to the Jesus Storybook Bible to the “Read and Share Bible” DVDs, lots of stories have simple language geared toward children; you are not navigating uncharted waters. I would love to see the “Resurrection Gardens” you make this year, so please share them on our Instagram or Facebook page.
I wish our wonderful Women’s Soaring community a very blessed Easter holiday with much love, reflection, and hope.
Written By: Ashley Elliott
