Easter

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 25th March 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Graffiti Wall

This is the city wall of Jerusalem.  Write on this wall what the people of Jerusalem say about Jesus

Jesus the king, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey

What would you say about Jesus?

Goblet

Put glue on your goblet and decorate it with tissue paper

Jesus had a special meal with his disciples.  He took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to his followers, and they all drank from the cup.

The shared cup was part of the special meal and they used it to tell the Passover story

Domino Run

Stand each domino on its end in a line close enough that when you push one it hits the next causing the whole line to fall over

One thing led to another, and another, and another, in this last week of Jesus life. 

What can you remember of the things that happened?  Which surprised you most?

Prayer Tree

Write a prayer or the name of someone on a cross and hang it on one of the branches of the prayer tree. Or write on a heart and stick it on

Jesus prayed before he was arrested because he was very worried about what was going to happen

God loves us to talk to him and tell him what we are concerned about.

Nailed Cross

This cross has the nails already in it.  Add some wool to the cross, wrapping it around the nails to hold it. 

The red wool represents Jesus blood

To die on a cross was painful.  It was a hard thing for Jesus to do.

Can you remember something that hurt?  Maybe you fell over or were hurt some other way.

Handprints

Put your handprints on the cross

Jesus loves us so much that he died  so that we can live for ever with God

As you put your hand on the cross say thankyou to Jesus for dying because he loves you

Funky Foam Celtic Cross

Wrap the foam cross in silver.  Then press in a swirly pattern.  Paint it black then wipe the paint off with a kitchen towel

Jesus dying on the cross turns bad into good.  It is the best worst thing ever.  Decorating it shows how good it is

What do you think is good about Jesus dying?

Easter Sunrise

Add drops of colour to the paper circle and watch them spread out as you add the water.

The women went to Jesus tomb when the sun was rising

How early will you get up on Easter Sunday morning?

Bottle Angel

Put some glitter in the bottle.  Three-quarters fill the bottle with water and screw the top on tight.

Wrap silver curling ribbon around the bottle

Create wings with a paper plate and doily and stick them to the back of the bottle

Make a halo with a silver pipe cleaner and put around the bottle neck

Shake the bottle and watch the glitter move and settle

When the women came to find Jesus body, they found instead an angel, who said  ‘Don’t be afraid.  I know you are looking for Jesus but he is not here – he has been raised’

Angels often tell people not to be afraid.  Why do you think that is?

Banners

Choose one of the pictures and trace through it onto a sheet.  Then colour it in and add plastic strips to make it into a banner.

After three days Jesus came back to life and never died again.  He is alive now but in a different way from us as we can’t see him.

Even though we can’t see him he sees us and knows all about us.  What do you think about that?

Egg rolling

Decorate a hard boiled egg and then see how far you can roll it

The stone that was put in front of Jesus tomb was rolled away.  It would have been very heavy so the people who found it were surprised

We don’t know how it was rolled away, except that God must have done it when no-one was looking

Easter Garden

Choose a plant and take it out of the pot and put it in a tray, then add some more soil

Scatter gravel on one side and moss on the other

Take three crosses and stand them up in the part with moss

Take a piece of eggbox and card circle and put them on the gravel side.  They represent the tomb and the stone rolled away.

Jesus was buried in a garden.  The cave belonged to someone wealthy who asked if he could  do this.  People had to be brave to admit to knowing Jesus.

Can you think of some things you have to be brave to do?

Empty Tomb Treat

Spread chocolate paste on a cracker.  Take a piece from a doughnut for the empty tomb and put a biscuit to one side to look like the stone rolled away.  Sprinkle grass around the tomb.

Joseph of Arimathea donated his burial place to Jesus.  Doing this was risky for Joseph.

Are you a brave person?  Would you have been as brave as Joseph?

Easter Story display

Use pipe cleaners to make a tree in the Garden of Gethsemane

Make a house in Jerusalem from one of the boxes

Colour in one of the people and wrap it round a tube to make a character from the Easter story

We know what happened to Jesus because it was written down by people who remembered it.

Why not try reading the story for yourself.  You can find it in a Children’s Bible

Salt Painting

Make a picture with the glue.  Then sprinkle salt over the glue and shake away any excess.

Dip a brush in wet paint and touch the salt.  Watch the salt soak up the paint.  You don’t need to move the brush just touch lightly.

The salty tears of Jesus friends and family on Good Friday are changed to joy and wonder on Sunday as the tomb is empty and Jesus lives

How will you celebrate Easter on Sunday?

Cross suncatcher

Lay materials in the laminating pouch.  Draw a  cross on the pouch with permanent marker and then place the bible verse within the cross.

Put it through the laminator

Cut out the cross, punch a hole and hang it up with some ribbon.  Hang it near a window.

Jesus friends were amazed and excited when they realised he was alive

What is the most amazing thing you can think of?

Butterflies

Place the template on some paper.  Draw round it and cut out the shape.  Starting at the narrow end, concertina fold the shape, creasing each fold well and keeping them narrow.  Fold the completed shape in half and tie with some thread.  Open the wings and pinch each side to create the butterfly shape.

The template is changed into a beautiful butterfly

As Jesus came back to life, he changed the lives of people on earth

Did you think that shape could become a butterfly?

Clay Cross

Roll out a small piece of clay  and cut out a cross shape.  Press beads firmly into the clay.  Put it onto a paper plate to take home with you and let it dry

Jesus cross was very painful, but he turned death into life

Put this cross somewhere where you will see it over the weekend to remind you what Easter is about

Heart of Nails

Put a heart template on the wood, and hammer some nails around the edge of it.  Take off the template and weave thread around the nails to make a border.

Jesus never did anything wrong, but he loves us so much that he was hurt by the nails of the cross because of the things we do wrong

Have you ever been hurt?  How much did it hurt?

Cross Bookmark

Colour in the bookmark.  Thread a ribbon through the hole and tie it.

Jesus died on the cross  because he loves us so much

Keep your bookmark to remind you of Jesus love for you

Prayer Cross

Take a piece of paper and write on it or draw a picture of anything you would like us to pray for you.

The prayers in here will be passed on to a team of people who pray every month for Messy Church

Roll your paper up and put it in one of the tubes in the cross