By: Judy Hand
Well, are you about
ready for Easter? I am. I have all the fixings and can hardly wait. I've
decorated my house, bought Easter bunnies, eggs, and jelly beans. The
only thing I haven't done is put the rabbit in a tree and hang the eggs
from the limbs. You know, I just can't bring myself to do that. I live
on a farm and rabbits just don't climb trees and lay eggs around here.
Nevertheless, you go ahead and do your tree, if you please, but I've also
got some other really neat, fun things that you and the young ones can
do.
Hop right on over to my place~~~~~~~~
Before we get started, I thought you would find it interesting that rabbits
are not rodents; they are lagomorphs, and are more closely related to
horses than they are to rats or mice. A male rabbit is called a 'buck'
and a female rabbit is called a 'doe'.
Because a rabbit's eyes are on the side of its head, it can see behind
itself without turning its head.
Rabbits can be litter box trained like a cat.
The Tales of Peter Rabbit is the best selling children's book of all time.
You will need to prepare ahead for some of these fun things:
Paper Mache Easter Egg
You will need:
Large oval balloon
Newspaper
Paper mache paste
Masking tape
Paint
Cardboard
String or yarn
For this messy project, place some newspaper, and then wax paper, on the
area where you will be working. Tear several newspaper pages into strips
about 1 in. wide and 6-8 in. long. Mix the paper mache paste in a clean
glass bowl. Blow up the balloon and tie it closed. Dip the newspaper strips
into the glue and spread them onto the balloon. Completely cover the balloon,
leaving a small hole at the top to remove the balloon. Let this layer
dry. Add at least two more layers of paper mache to your balloon. Allow
each layer to dry completely before putting on the next layer. Once it
is dry, pop the balloon and remove it through the opening you left at
the top. If you can't get it out, don't worry about it. You won't be able
to see it anyway. Decorate the egg by painting it with pastel colors.
After the paint is dry, you may fill the egg with candy if you choose.
To hang it, poke 4 small holes evenly spaced around the larger hole in
the top. Thread a piece of string, yarn, or fishing line, through each
hold and tie them together at the top.
String Egg
(A friend gave me one of these and I've had it for years!)
You will need:
Balloon Liquid Starch or diluted glue
Yarn
Blow up the balloon. Cut about ten 12 in. pieces of yarn and dip one piece
at a time into the diluted glue, or liquid starch, wrapping each one around
the balloon. Criss-cross the strings all different ways to cover the balloon.
It will take about 24 hr. for drying; then, pop and remove the balloon.
Tie a piece of fishing line or yarn and hang, if you like. An option:
As you are wrapping with the yarn, leave an opening in one side of the
balloon so that you can add straw and eggs.
Easter Placemats
You will need:
Magazines
Construction paper
Glue
Contact paper
Cut a large basket shape of out brown construction paper. Glue it onto
a large piece of white paper (about 10"x14"). Cut Easter pictures (candy,
eggs, bunnies,) out of the magazines and glue them onto the top edge of
the basket, or cut out your own eggs, color them, and add them to the
basket. You might also use wrapping paper, wallpaper samples, or any colorful
paper for cutting the eggs. After it has dried, cover both sides with
clear contact paper.
Easter Bonnet
(How well I remember this as a kid)
You will need:
A paper plate
Paint, colors, or markers
Yarn
Silk flowers
Glue
Paint, or color, the plate your favorite color. Punch a hole in each side
about 3 in. from the end and run the yarn through the holes for tying
the bonnet on. Sides may be rolled up for more of a hat look. Glue silk
flowers, buttons, bows, or any other pretty ornament for a lovely Easter
bonnet.
Easter Tablecloth
You will need:
A plain white tablecloth Fabric paint or markers
Items to stamp shapes on the cloth.
Be creative. Cut out egg shapes from potatoes, dip in the paint, and stamp
onto the cloth. Use feathers, your fingers or hand, buttons, sponges,
forks and spoons - just look around the house - and use these for stamping
onto the cloth. Sign it "Easter Bunny" or let the kids autograph it.
Easter Basket
You will need:
2 different colors of colored construction paper
Scissors
Glue or stapler
On one piece of paper cut horizontal straight lines about one inch in
from side to side across the paper, about inch apart from each other.
Cover the paper from top to bottom with these slits. Cut strips with
the other piece. Weave the strips in and out of the slits in the first
paper. Glue the ends of the strips to the first paper to hold in place.
Fold up the sides to make a basket shape and staple or glue in place.
Add a handle and staple or glue. Fill with shredded paper to make a nest.
Easter Bunny Mask
You will need:
A paper plate
Pink construction paper
Pink and/or white pipe cleaners
Yarn
Cut eyes and a nose in the plate. Cut out bunny ears from pink paper and
glue to the plate. Use pipe cleaners to make whiskers, attach to the plate
by poking through and knotting at back, or glue on. Attach the yarn to
each side of the plate by running through two holes or by gluing or stapling
and tie to head
Paper Plate Bunny
You will need:
A large paper plate
A small paper plate
Glue
Pink construction paper
Cotton ball
Crayons or markers
Glue the small plate on top of the large one to form the head and body.
Cut out bunny ears from the pink paper and glue to the head. Draw eyes
and nose on the face with crayons or markers and glue a cotton ball on
the back for a tail. Egg Fun You will need: A raw egg A sharp nail or
large needle Glue Paint or markers Crafty odd & ends Wash the egg. Carefully
place a small hole in each end of the egg. Hold it over a bowl and blow
into one of the holes. The inside should slowly come out the other hole.
Once the eggshell is empty, rinsed and dried, it is time to have some
real fun. Add eyes, tiny cotton balls, scrap material, pipe cleaners,
construction paper, yarn, etc. to make whatever creature you please.
~~**~~COLORING EGGS~~**~~
Onion Dyed Eggs
Slip the loose outside skins from onions. Place the skins in an enamel
pan with enough cold water to cover 5 or 6 eggs. Bring to boil and boil
about 15 minutes or until eggs are done. Then remove eggs from water at
intervals so there will be varying shades of color, ranging from yellow,
orange, tan, to dark brown earthy tones. Do not discard water or skins
because you can repeat the boiling process in same dye over and over for
as many eggs as you may desire. (A 3 lb. bag will be enough to dye as
many eggs as you wish). Be sure to add more water as needed to keep eggs
covered. If you want to get really creative, you can draw patterns on
the eggs with a white crayon before boiling.
Crepe Paper Colored Eggs
Wet the eggs and place pieces of crepe paper, or tissue paper on them.
Set aside to dry. When dry, the paper will fall off and leave the eggs
colored.
Food Colored Marble Eggs
In a mug or egg-decorating cup combine 1 tablespoon of food coloring with
1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1/2 cup
water or more if needed. Completely submerge in the water. Repeat the
steps above to make other colors. Gently lower an egg into a cup. Remove
the egg immediately and pat dry with a paper towel.
A Little Something Else
Save the shells from your Easter eggs and use them to make a mosaic! Break
them into small pieces so that they are fairly flat. Use a cotton swab
or an old paintbrush and spread glue onto posterboard. Stick the eggshell
pieces onto the glue. Do small sections at a time. Let dry and Wala! -
a beautiful picture.
~~**GAMES TO PLAY**~~
Tag the Bunny
Play this just like you always play tag except everybody has to hop! If
you don't hop, you're automatically IT.
Egg Spoon Race
Mark off a racetrack with start and finish lines. Give each racer an egg
on a spoon and start the race. The racer who crosses the finish line first,
with egg in spoon, is the winner.
Easter Egg Roll
Mark off a starting and finishing point (not too far for the little ones).
Place an egg in front of each player and have them get down on hands and
knees and roll the egg across the floor using only their noses. The first
to cross the finish line, using only his nose, is the winner.
Night Time Egg Hunt
Each kid needs his own flashlight to hunt for the Easter eggs in the dark,
inside or outside. Pass the Easter Egg Line up in teams. Everyone must
place his hands behind his back. Place an egg under the chin (real for
older kids, plastic for younger ones) of the first one in line. He must
pass it to the next one and on down the line. The first team to get the
egg all the way to the last person in line is the winner.
A Final Note. Don't you just hate it when some children can't
find an egg before the other children have found them all? Here's a nice
solution to that problem: Have colored eggs for each child. Write a number
on each egg to let them know how many of that color egg are hidden for
them to find. Each child will have a certain color to find, and they are
not to collect one that is not their color. They should bring each egg
to a drop off point as it is found. The first child to find all their
eggs wins a prize.
~~**A little about the Easter Holiday**~~
This holiday is a Christian celebration of Christ's resurrection from
the dead, but it also has some pagan origins. The word Easter is derived
from Eostre an ancient Anglo-Saxon Goddess. She symbolized the rebirth
of the day at dawn and the rebirth of life in the spring. The arrival
of spring was celebrated all over the world long before the religious
meaning became associated with Easter. Now Easter celebrates the rebirth
of Christ. The colored eggs, chicks, and such signify rebirth. Easter
comes in the spring, which is a time of renewal of the earth from the
long, cold winter.
The Easter Bunny, a cute little rabbit that hides eggs, symbolizes fertility.
In a German book, 1682, a tale is told of a bunny laying eggs and hiding
them in the garden.
This Easter, I wish for you to find the BIG prize! Peace, love, and happiness
that God has so richly promised us through his death, burial, and glorious
resurrection.
Happy Easter
About the author: Judy Hand is retired school teacher and retired co-publisher
of a shopper/newspaper. She loves being at home with her cowboy husband
on their TN Walking Horse farm. They have 3 children, 4 grandchildren,
40+ horses, 4 dogs, and more cats than one can count. She loves her family,
loves to ride her horse, and loves southern gospel music.
