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

Jesus Visits the Temple and Mother's Day

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 5th March 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Paint a Portrait

Paint a portrait of someone with you.  Sit them in a chair and make sure they sit still while you paint.

Jesus went to Jerusalem with a big group of family and friends

What do you like about the portrait you have painted?

Growing Chart

Measure yourself against the ruler and mark your height off.  Put your name next to it

In today’s story Jesus is growing up

How many people are taller than you?  How many are shorter?

Baby Photos

Take a look at these baby photos.  Can you tell who any of them are of – they are people here today

In today’s story Jesus is growing up

I wonder what Jesus would have looked like.  What do you think?

Jerusalem

Use a piece of black card as the background.  Cut out different coloured paper to be the buildings and make a picture of Jerusalem

Jerusalem was the capital of Israel.  Jesus visited it ever year with his family.  They walked there.

Have you visited any capital cities?

Lego temple

Have a look at the pictures of how the temple in Jerusalem may have looked

Then try to build a temple like it out of lego

Each year Jesus used to go to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate a special festival called Passover

What is the most special building you have visited?

Old scroll

Stick the sheet with today’s story on it onto the parchment sheet.  Then add a seal and a ribbon and roll it up.

The Jewish teachers had the writings they taught from on scrolls.  Jesus listened to them teaching.

What do you enjoy learning about most?

Questions

What questions do you have that you would like to ask about God?

Write them on a piece of paper and stick them to the ?

Jesus enjoyed asking the Jewish teachers questions

How could you find out the answers to your questions?

Open mouthed face

Ice a biscuit.  Make an ‘ohh’ mouth with red laces.  Add smarties for eyes and another sweet for the nose.

All who heard Jesus speak were amazed at his intelligent answers.  He was only 12.

Are you good at discussing things?  What do you like to talk about most?

Teddy Hunt

In today’s story Jesus parents couldn’t find him and they looked everywhere for him.

Look around the hall and see how many teddies you can see.  Write down where you see them here and stick the list to the noticeboard by the hatch.  People who find them all will get some sweets

Marble maze

Take a box and a lid.

Make a hole in the corner of the box, big enough for a marble to go through

Make holes in the top also big enough for a marble to go through

Stick straws across the lid which the marble will roll alongside

Then can you get a marble from one side to the other without going down any of the holes

Jesus parents could not find him.  They looked everywhere

Have you ever lost something?  How did you find it?

Face painting

Have your face painted to make you look like an old person

Jesus  sat with the Jewish teachers for three days before his parents found him.  He was only 12, but they would have been much older than him.

What do you like about looking old?

Worry Prayer

Jesus’ mum and dad were very worried about him when they couldn’t find him

Is anything worrying you or someone you know?

Write or draw on the bubblewrap and tell God about it

Then pop one of the bubbles to show that you have let go of your worries to God

Jesus’ mum and dad were very pleased when they found him in the temple

Treasure on wooden hearts

Decorate a heart with paint and sequins.  Hang it on a thread.

Jesus mother Mary remembered everything that happened.  She treasured these things in her heart.

What sorts of memories do mothers treasure?

Mother's Day card

Make a card that you can give to someone who cares for you tomorrow

Jesus’ mum and dad cared for him

Who will you give your card to?

Mother's Day Plant

Put the plant in the pot and put soil around it.  Wrap it in cellophane and tie a bow

Jesus went home to Nazareth with his mum and dad?  They cared for him and he was obedient to them.

You can give this plant to someone who cares for you

Photo frames

Decorate a frame with tissue paper

Put in the photo you have had taken

Jesus was a good son.  He grew in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.

Are you growing in body and in wisdom?  What helps you to grow in wisdom?

Mother's Day Bags

Choose one of the pictures.  Hold it in the bag so that you can trace the picture onto the bag.  Then colour it in. 

They are fabric paints so it is best to iron them in when you get home.

Jesus mum and dad didn’t understand why he had stayed in the temple.  He told them it was his Father’s house.

Have you ever been misunderstood?

Love Is........  

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 13th February 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Cake in a bag

Weigh out the ingredients you need into a bag

Take the instructions so that you know how to cook them when you get home and add the missing ingredient

I may know everything, have great faith to move mountains but without love I am nothing 

               

What happens when love is missing?

Lollystick plaque

Take a sheet of paper that shows what the Bible says about love

Stick lolly sticks on the back

Add a cord to hang it up

Love never fails

What do you find easy about love?  What do you find difficult?

Flower of hearts

The hearts will be the petals of the flower

Write on each one something that love is

Then stick them to a stalk to make a flower

Love is the most important thing God asks us to do

What do you find surprising about love?

Circus tricks

We challenge you to

-              get the stick around the wire without touching it

-              juggle two beanbags

juggle three beanbags

throw the diablo

Hula with the hula hoop

Love never gives up on people

How long did you keep trying?  Love doesn’t give up easily

Prayer heart

Write on a heart the names of people you care about

Stick your heart to the big heart and thank God for those people

Love is patient and kind

How many people can you think of that you care about?

Valentine Card

Take a card and decorate it with hearts

Love is kind

Who will you give your card to?

Volcano

Make a volcano out of clay

Put a little cup in it and then mix some vinegar bicarbonate of soda and watch it erupt

Love does not get upset or angry with others

Do you get upset with other people?  What sort of things upset you?

Spectacles

Choose one of the shapes of spectacles.  Decorate it with felt tip pens and stick things onto it.

Stick on some cellophane with double sided tape, where the lenses should go

Love helps us to see things clearly

When we love someone how do we see them differently?

Heart Biscuits

Decorate the biscuit with heart shaped icing and a red sweet

Love is always hopeful and trusting

How can you show love to other people?

Gift box

Decorate the gift box, and put a chocolate in it

Love is not selfish, it thinks about other people not just itself

Who will you give your gift to?

Mirror

Take a card flower.  Stick on a hazy mirror and decorate it with jewels.

Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror.  Later we will see him face to face.

How well can you see yourself in the mirror?

Heart decoration

Take 2 strips of each length of card and a piece of ribbon.  Thread a bead on the folded ribbon and tape it to a long piece of card.  Put the pieces of card in order short, medium, long, ribbon, long, medium, short and staple them together.  Then bend them over to meet on the other side and staple them again.

God loves us very much.  He wants us to love him with all that we are.  He wants us to love the people we meet too.

You could give your heart to someone and tell them that you love them

Colouring pictures

Colour in one of these pictures

Love is happy with the truth

Prayer box

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

Clanging cymbals

Attach the bells to some ribbon and then attach a ribbon to each cymbal

Then decorate them

If I don’t love I am like a noisy bell or a crashing cymbal

What loud noises don’t you like?

Modroc heart

Stick modroc around a cardboard heart.  It will go hard when it dries

Add a cord so you can hang it up

Love is patient and kind

Where could you hang your heart to remind you of what you have done today?

Marble painting

Let the marbles roll around on your paper to make a pretty pattern

If some people are kind and loving, others will learn to be kind and loving and it spreads around everywhere

What have you learnt from other people about how to be kind and loving?