REST Day 4: How to Tell the Kids
This REST has given me a lot of pause for how to talk with my children about Easter.
My children are small, almost two and four, but I'm well aware I don't need to take their tininess for granted. They absorb plenty! My daughter especially is noticing the trappings of holidays-- she's already asked me when Christmas is coming again and excitedly recalled the candy she got at the Easter egg hunt last year, so yes, I think she's ready for a little more. I'm just trying to figure out what " a little more" means for our family.
Our church is nondenominational, so while Lent is recognized by many members, our congregation as a whole doesn't do a ton of lead-up to Easter (on which day of course, we hold a large celebration). So when it comes to talking about Lent with my kiddos (and to be honest, my husband, who was not raised with it), I need a little more help. Thanks to the internet I found gobs of ideas, and even came up with a few of my own. Hopefully they'll give you great starting to talking with you kids--and any other family members--about Lent and Easter.
BOOKS
There are no better conversation starters than a good book, and there are several good lists out there. This is a nice, condensed list for kids at Heather Haupt.
Obviously I'm over here working with toddlers, so that's where my list is at. Right now we're reading the stories of Jesus in The Jesus Storybook Bible. It is really a lovely and gentle, even conversational, telling of who Jesus is. The kids, even my not-quite-2 year old son, love the pictures.
For myself, my plan this year is to read some spiritual works I've had on my list, but haven't had the time (no doubt taken up in part by social media) to read yet. So far I have Carlos Whittaker's Kill the Spider, Wynter and Jonathan Pitt's Emptied, and Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ on my table. (My husband and I have planned to read the last two together to talk about).
I'll also probably reread Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God (a GREAT introduction to the Christian calendar year), and I hope to finish Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet series.
CRAFTS
In the era of Pinterest boards, the craft suggestions for any holiday are nothing short of overwhelming. And if you're trying to rope the interest of yourself and multiple ages in your household while manning a glue gun and sequins and any numbers of oddly folded paper plates, it's anxiety-inducing.
I prefer to try and keep things as low-key and attractive as possible, meaning whatever the kids and I do it'll probably be something we actually use or eat or legitimately admire. I love paper crafts, but I hate the guilt that comes with trying to value and admire (and later throw away) a crumpled paper whatever-it-is. So here's what I came across and I'm adding to our list:
***A lot of these came from Feels Like Home (she's awesome!), and I'm just listing favorites. DO check out her list over there because it's wonderful for multiple ages.
Resurrection Eggs: I feel like this is a little hokey, but given how much my kids ADORE handling tiny toys, I can see us having a wonderful time with this.
Garden Tomb: Gardening and Scriptural stories come together in beautiful little scene. Perfect for my mud-loving, stick-swinging kids.
Resurrection Rolls: Gotta be careful with this one as my son is gluten-intolerant and already feels a little left out of some of the goodies my daughter and I make, but I think this will make the list. Anything we can bake it is a plus in my book.
Resurrection Cookies: Gluten-free. BONUS.
Planting Lillies: I love the talking points with the kids about how something dead and ugly can become so beautiful (it also has a possible book tie-in). This is the heart of the springtime/Resurrection connection, when dead things come to life, so yesyesyesyes, can't wait to do this one.
Butterflies: I actually haven't come across a specific Easter connection with a butterfly craft THAT I LIKED (there are a bunch, but not one that captured my attention), but think about it: how perfect is that? We've been reading Fancy Nancy's Bonjour, Butterfly! story and my daughter is curious about butterflies. I'm thinking about finding a way to learn about caterpillars and the cocoons before becoming new. I see us reading a book about butterflies, making cocoons, and then all the paint and glitter being used for the final product.
Obviously there are many great crafts out there, and some that address the story of Easter in different ways. These are just a few of my favs I found and I think will work well with my toddlers' attention spans and interests.
OTHER CONNECTIONS
My last suggestion isn't a book, but it's something we're talking about in our house and the kids are very interested: I'll be getting baptized this year at Easter, and I'm learning how to explain it to my kids.
And you know what? My daughter is riveted.
"You'll go down in the water, and SPLASH! You'll come up?!" she gasped.
"Yes baby," I say. "I'll go down in the water, like death, and say, 'I'm dying to the things I want to do and be apart from God, and then SPLASH! I'll come up, and it's like a picture of new life. I'll say, 'I want to live how God wants me to live.' And that's like new life."
"Oh," she says thoughtfully. "Splash!"
For kids who love pools and bath time, this might be the greatest Gospel story EVER.
I'll blog more about my decision later (I've been a Christian for many years, but baptism never made sense to me until this year), but it's funny that what I thought would be so hard to explain to the kids has actually been a rather sweet and easy conversation. They love the idea of the splash--they do it everyday in the tub-- and so connecting it to Jesus being raised from the dead doesn't seem like such a far reach.
All that to say, Lenten and Easter connections are probably laying around your house in plain sight, just waiting to be picked up and used. Listen to what your family members are interested in, what they're already loving and talking about and playing with, and see what connections you might be able to make.
JOURNAL PROMPT
Okay, let's remember that Lent, Easter, or any holiday ISN'T about crafts or anything we really DO; it's about connecting with God and others (crafts, activities, etc. are just supposed to help).
Look at the lists I have-- are they weird or overwhelming to you? Does "doing more" seem well, UN-doable for you? If so, take any guilt or anxiety off the table, and just think about what kinds of conversations you want to have with your kids about the holiday. Maybe it involves a craft, a meal, or an activity not even listed here. Or it might be just talking together on walks around the neighborhood or over ice cream. Dream up a few ideas of how to have meaningful conversations with your kids/family members this season. Journal them or share them here. Actually, please share them-- we could all could use some fresh ideas!
My children are small, almost two and four, but I'm well aware I don't need to take their tininess for granted. They absorb plenty! My daughter especially is noticing the trappings of holidays-- she's already asked me when Christmas is coming again and excitedly recalled the candy she got at the Easter egg hunt last year, so yes, I think she's ready for a little more. I'm just trying to figure out what " a little more" means for our family.
Our church is nondenominational, so while Lent is recognized by many members, our congregation as a whole doesn't do a ton of lead-up to Easter (on which day of course, we hold a large celebration). So when it comes to talking about Lent with my kiddos (and to be honest, my husband, who was not raised with it), I need a little more help. Thanks to the internet I found gobs of ideas, and even came up with a few of my own. Hopefully they'll give you great starting to talking with you kids--and any other family members--about Lent and Easter.
BOOKS
There are no better conversation starters than a good book, and there are several good lists out there. This is a nice, condensed list for kids at Heather Haupt.
Obviously I'm over here working with toddlers, so that's where my list is at. Right now we're reading the stories of Jesus in The Jesus Storybook Bible. It is really a lovely and gentle, even conversational, telling of who Jesus is. The kids, even my not-quite-2 year old son, love the pictures.
For myself, my plan this year is to read some spiritual works I've had on my list, but haven't had the time (no doubt taken up in part by social media) to read yet. So far I have Carlos Whittaker's Kill the Spider, Wynter and Jonathan Pitt's Emptied, and Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ on my table. (My husband and I have planned to read the last two together to talk about).
I'll also probably reread Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God (a GREAT introduction to the Christian calendar year), and I hope to finish Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet series.
CRAFTS
In the era of Pinterest boards, the craft suggestions for any holiday are nothing short of overwhelming. And if you're trying to rope the interest of yourself and multiple ages in your household while manning a glue gun and sequins and any numbers of oddly folded paper plates, it's anxiety-inducing.
I prefer to try and keep things as low-key and attractive as possible, meaning whatever the kids and I do it'll probably be something we actually use or eat or legitimately admire. I love paper crafts, but I hate the guilt that comes with trying to value and admire (and later throw away) a crumpled paper whatever-it-is. So here's what I came across and I'm adding to our list:
***A lot of these came from Feels Like Home (she's awesome!), and I'm just listing favorites. DO check out her list over there because it's wonderful for multiple ages.
Resurrection Eggs: I feel like this is a little hokey, but given how much my kids ADORE handling tiny toys, I can see us having a wonderful time with this.
Garden Tomb: Gardening and Scriptural stories come together in beautiful little scene. Perfect for my mud-loving, stick-swinging kids.
Resurrection Rolls: Gotta be careful with this one as my son is gluten-intolerant and already feels a little left out of some of the goodies my daughter and I make, but I think this will make the list. Anything we can bake it is a plus in my book.
Resurrection Cookies: Gluten-free. BONUS.
Planting Lillies: I love the talking points with the kids about how something dead and ugly can become so beautiful (it also has a possible book tie-in). This is the heart of the springtime/Resurrection connection, when dead things come to life, so yesyesyesyes, can't wait to do this one.
Butterflies: I actually haven't come across a specific Easter connection with a butterfly craft THAT I LIKED (there are a bunch, but not one that captured my attention), but think about it: how perfect is that? We've been reading Fancy Nancy's Bonjour, Butterfly! story and my daughter is curious about butterflies. I'm thinking about finding a way to learn about caterpillars and the cocoons before becoming new. I see us reading a book about butterflies, making cocoons, and then all the paint and glitter being used for the final product.
Obviously there are many great crafts out there, and some that address the story of Easter in different ways. These are just a few of my favs I found and I think will work well with my toddlers' attention spans and interests.
OTHER CONNECTIONS
My last suggestion isn't a book, but it's something we're talking about in our house and the kids are very interested: I'll be getting baptized this year at Easter, and I'm learning how to explain it to my kids.
And you know what? My daughter is riveted.
"You'll go down in the water, and SPLASH! You'll come up?!" she gasped.
"Yes baby," I say. "I'll go down in the water, like death, and say, 'I'm dying to the things I want to do and be apart from God, and then SPLASH! I'll come up, and it's like a picture of new life. I'll say, 'I want to live how God wants me to live.' And that's like new life."
"Oh," she says thoughtfully. "Splash!"
For kids who love pools and bath time, this might be the greatest Gospel story EVER.
I'll blog more about my decision later (I've been a Christian for many years, but baptism never made sense to me until this year), but it's funny that what I thought would be so hard to explain to the kids has actually been a rather sweet and easy conversation. They love the idea of the splash--they do it everyday in the tub-- and so connecting it to Jesus being raised from the dead doesn't seem like such a far reach.
All that to say, Lenten and Easter connections are probably laying around your house in plain sight, just waiting to be picked up and used. Listen to what your family members are interested in, what they're already loving and talking about and playing with, and see what connections you might be able to make.
JOURNAL PROMPT
Okay, let's remember that Lent, Easter, or any holiday ISN'T about crafts or anything we really DO; it's about connecting with God and others (crafts, activities, etc. are just supposed to help).
Look at the lists I have-- are they weird or overwhelming to you? Does "doing more" seem well, UN-doable for you? If so, take any guilt or anxiety off the table, and just think about what kinds of conversations you want to have with your kids about the holiday. Maybe it involves a craft, a meal, or an activity not even listed here. Or it might be just talking together on walks around the neighborhood or over ice cream. Dream up a few ideas of how to have meaningful conversations with your kids/family members this season. Journal them or share them here. Actually, please share them-- we could all could use some fresh ideas!
I am looking forward to you post on baptism. In my church baptism is for salvation and forgiveness of sins so our children get baptized and become Christians when they hear God's call to repentance and feel conviction in their hearts that they are sinners in need of a Savior.
ReplyDeleteSo many fun ideas here. Every year we do Resurrection cookies and eggs. We also read "Benjamin's Box" which is a sweet book for children about Jesus' death and resurrection. We have made the tomb too. You have listed some good book ideas for me that I am eager to explore. Thanks!
An idea: you can order caterpillars from Insect Lore and watch them grow and change. We have done that in the past and enjoy it tremendously especially when we release them!
Awesome! Yeah, ordering caterpillars sounds a little more time-friendly than hunting the yard! And Benjamin's Box sounds great as well. I'm so excited about Lent/Easter this year!
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