Now I know why the resurrection story is essential to the Christian faith.  Without it, our faith is false.  That’s why it is so important to me to teach my children all about the Easter story.  I’ve made some simple cards that I use to teach young children about the resurrection story.  These cards break the story up into six small parts that make it easy to remember.

Don’t miss the giveaway at the bottom of this post!

Games to Play with Resurrection Story Cards

These games are so simple, but young children thrive on simplicity.  Add a few Easter treats or other rewards and they’ll be begging to play over and over.  

You could play these games in lieu of an Easter Egg hunt.  Before playing, make sure you read the resurrection story from a Bible and tell the children to listen carefully so they can play a game afterward.  

I shared this free printable with my subscribers before this post, so make sure you’re on our mailing list to get updated on all our freebies! Sign up below to download the cards for free!

All Mixed Up

If you want to play this game with lots of children, print off a set of cards for each or enough for pairs.  To play, simply mix all the cards up and have the children put the story in order from left to right.  If you’re playing with a big group, whoever can sort them first, wins!  

You could mix this game up by blindfolding one child or yourself!  You would mix the cards up and put them in front of the blindfolded person.  The person with the blindfold is the only one who can touch the cards.  Their partner would tell them what is on the card and help them put the cards in order by giving them verbal directions.

Hide and Seek

Another easy one; just hid the cards and have the children find them and put them in order.  If you are playing in a big group, simply print the cards off on different colored paper.  Give each child or team a color to find.  First team to put their cards in order, wins!

Can You Read My Mind?

Go over each of the cards with the children and talk about each event.  Then write down in a secret place which card you are thinking about.  The children have to read your mind by asking yes or no questions about which resurrection card they think you wrote down.

Whatever activity you play with them, may the hope of Risen Lord be with you!

Happy Easter!

Praying hands clip art from http://www.clipartbest.com/clipart-nTEnp5zTA

The post Free Easter Resurrection Story Cards! first appeared on True Aim.

Experiments like this Colour Mixing with clear plastic eggs, 3 Real Egg Experiments or Egg Drop Challenge are fun for learning about simple science.

Have a Name Egg Hunt or a ABC Egg Hunt for a different kid of egg hunt.
This Word Work activity and Hatching Letters activity use plastic eggs during literacy learning time.
Learn about Opposite Textures, Counting and Letter Matching using a large Easter Egg shape.

Babies and Toddlers can join in the fun too with this Egg Scoop activity, Posting Eggs and Montessori Inspired Sound Shakers.

Twist and turn plastic eggs and learn about Emotions or Math Facts!

Have some learning fun this Easter!

Find even more fun Easter Egg Activities here!

The post 15 Eggcellent Easter Learning Activities first appeared on True Aim.

How amazing is it to know that no matter what you are going through, God has already taken care of it. He has demonstrated His love by dying for us even when we hated Him, and revealed His power to conquer all evil by rising from the dead. That’s how you can be sure He will take care of any trial you are facing.

You can be confident that your faith will bring you great joy and the truth of that faith is all in one word:

Welcome to Mom’s Library

This post is filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

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Easter Fun for the Kids…

How to Dye Easter Eggs with Kool-aid

Easter Party Ideas

Easter Story for Young Children

Easter Egg Letter Puzzles

35 Free Easter Printables

Marbled Easter Eggs

More Easter Activities for Kids

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The post What Does Easter Mean? Mom’s Library #131 first appeared on True Aim.

E is for empty tomb.  Where did the body go?  People began preaching about the resurrection in the same city where people had seen him die.  No one would have believed them if the body was still in the tomb.  Even more, Jesus’s enemies would have done anything to produce the body, but they couldn’t.  There are many theories that attack the empty tomb, but all of them can be refuted.

A is for appearances.  Many people saw Jesus after his resurrection.  They were either lying or all hallucinated.  Both of these suggestions are highly unlikely.

S is for skeptics converted.  Paul, Constantine, and Dr. Simon Greenleaf are just a few famous converts to Christianity.

T is for transformed apostles.  From publicly denying Jesus to boldly preaching to thousands in Jerusalem, the disciples were changed forever.  They preformed miracles in the name of Jesus and continued to preach about the resurrection until all but one were brutally killed for it.

E is for the existence of the church.  No one can explain the existence of the millions of Christians without the resurrection.  Christianity was a totally new and radical idea not influenced by anything other than the resurrection of Jesus.

R is for the rite of baptism.  Before the resurrection this act was not used as a means of salvation or the forgiveness of sins.  This is a totally new concept that did not begin until Jesus commanded it in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Peter also gave the condition, “Peter said to them, “Repent, each of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:38.

These facts are important because a belief in the resurrection is essential to the Christian faith.  “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain” 1 Corinthians 15:13-14.

If you still have questions about the resurrection, here are some helpful links for more research:

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

9 Ways to know the Gospel of Christ is true.

Historical Evidence for the resurrection.

Jesus wasn’t just a good person.  He really did rise from the dead!  He is the living God.  Happy Easter!

The post What Does E.A.S.T.E.R. Stand For? first appeared on True Aim.

Welcome to Mom’s Library!

Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

Be sure to subscribe so don’t miss the next Library!
Follow the Mom’s Library Pinterest Board to see all of our featured posts.
Make sure you check out last week’s Mom’s Library for 9 Easter Egg Crafts and Activities

This Week’s Giveaway!

Win tickets to this years Family Discipleship & Homeschooling Conference.  Live Stream Ken Ham to your living room!  5 Winners!

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This Week’s Featured Posts…

Palm Sunday Crafts and Activities

This is a big part of the Easter story.  Get free printables and lots of ideas here!

Resurrection Stone

This free printable shows the resurrection taking place around the stone that covered the tomb.  This would be great for a lap book!

The Lord is My Shepherd Themed Activities

Combine learning with these Easter themed activities.  Just looking at this puzzle brings me peace.

Resurrection Craft

Roll away the stone, see the glory of God!  This craft is simple and kids love rolling the stone away!

Easter Story Trivia Game

Check out this free printable Jeopardy-style trivia game for some Christ-centered family fun!

Easter Activities for the Family

Great ideas for celebrating Easter together!

Resurrection Garden with a Great Twist!

I love the way this garden is done, with an activity for 4 days that goes with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

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The post Easter Story Activities for Kids and Mom’s Library #90 first appeared on True Aim.

This post contains and awesome giveaway below!  For more information read my full disclosure.

Welcome to Mom’s Library!

Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

Be sure to subscribe so don’t miss the next Library!
Follow the Mom’s Library Pinterest Board to see all of our featured posts.
Make sure you check out last week’s Mom’s Library

This Week’s Featured Posts…

String Easter Eggs

This is a classic craft, but the possibilities are endless!

Egg Drop Experiment

I love this classic experiment. Kids get to test all different things!

Foil Painted Easter Egg Cards

Use these to say Happy Easter to a friend or neighbor!

Easter Egg Spelling Craft

Let your children decorate eggs with letters to see how many words they can make.

Number Recognition Easter Egg Game

What’s under the #14 egg?  Try these number recognition games and put those plastic eggs to good use.

Tie-Dye Easter Egg Craft

One of my favorite ways to tie-dye; perfect for little hands!

ABC Easter Egg Bunny Hop Activity

Burn off some energy with eggs and the alphabet.

Easter Egg Sponge Painting

Frame-worthy kid art with sponge painting!

Easter Egg Hunt and Count Sensory Bin

This yummy counting game combines a sensory bin with treasure hunt!

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The post 9 Easter Egg Crafts and Activities and Mom’s Library #89 first appeared on True Aim.

Easter is a big deal in my family.  We take the whole day to celebrate and reflect on all our blessings, new and old.  No, we don’t have a big fancy meal, but we do get together with friends and family and share an intimate pot-luck.  Is there such a thing?  Haha!   

It’s a lot of fun, but sometimes bringing a dish to the Easter get together is tricky.  You see, I’m in church all morning.  Easter dinner is around 3 or 4, but the kids can’t wait that long for something to nibble on.  So I fix up what sort of resembles a lunch and then have little time to prep for the pot-luck.  That’s why I love making this Macaroni Casserole ahead of time and Kraft’s new Fresh Take makes it even easier!

The best part about making this ahead of time; I can recruit my daughter to help.  We all know that cooking with our kids can extend the meal preparations a little.  But the lessons learned are well worth the time.  Since we cook together quite often, my daughter is very confident in the kitchen and loves to make breakfast all on her own.  We go through the whole process together; from Walmart to the table.

At the store Audrey kept asking, “What are we going to cook mom?”  I didn’t want to tell her there, lest she start jumping up and down, squealing like she sometimes does when I cook her favorite things.  And she loves my baked Macaroni!  Every time I try to cook the stuff from the box she protests, “What is this!?”  So she was delighted when I told her what she was helping me with.  I gave her the responsibility of the topping.

Although Audrey can’t help with every aspect of this recipe, I still try to explain as much as I can about what I’m doing.  Using words like boiling, tender, preheat etc.; I take the opportunity for a little vocabulary lesson.  Who needs books right?

As we cook, we share laughter, observations, and memories.  And when we finally get to taste the fruits of our labors, it’s even more delicious because of the special bond that was nurtured during its creation.  That’s what I want every Easter to look like.

If you want to make more time for Easter memories, make this casserole ahead of time.  Simply follow the recipe below except do not put the topping on.

Refrigerate a day ahead of time, and when you are ready to bake, simply open the Fresh Take mix, spread it on top and bake for 30 minutes; turning broiler on low for the last 5 minutes.

Our Cheddar Jack with Bacon Fresh Take topping really brought out the bacon flavor.  We loved it!  You know it’s good when your husband comes back for 3rd’s.

Baked Macaroni Casserole with Kraft Fresh Take

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

This baked macaroni is stuffed with all of your favorites and topped with an extra crispy crust thanks to Kraft Fresh Take. Serve it as the main course or as a side. Make it ahead so dinner time is quick and easy. It is so versatile!

Author: True Aim

Recipe type: Main, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2½ cups Macaroni
• ½ cup fresh green beans chopped (or your favorite veggie)
• 6 strips of Bacon cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Flour
• 2 cups Milk warmed
• ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ cup extra shredded cheese (Cheddar or Monterey Jack)
• Kraft Fresh Take Cheddar Jack with Bacon

Instructions

1. Prepare a 2 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cook the macaroni for about 8-9 minutes; al dente. Then add your fresh green beans and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 1 minute. If you don't use fresh veggies you don't need to do this part, just cook the pasta al dente.
3. Drain the macaroni and green beans and set aside. Return your pot to the heat and add the butter and flour. Whisk and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened.
5. Turn off the heat and add the extra cheese plus ½ cup of the Fresh Take cheese. Whisk until combined.
6. Remove from the heat and add the cooked bacon, macaroni and green beans.
7. Pour in your prepared baking dish and cover with the rest of the Fresh Take mix.
8. Bake at 375 degrees, uncovered for 15 minutes. Then turn on the broiler and cook for 5 more minutes.

3.2.1275

I’m so glad #CollectiveBias introduced me to Fresh Take.  It really adds a boost of flavor to the casserole as well as an extra crispy crust.  You can even save $1 on any Kraft Fresh Take when you buy fresh chicken!

After the Macaroni Casserole is finished, it won’t be the meal that you’ll remember from Easter dinner; it’ll be the memories you’ve made around it.

 And then again, maybe you will remember this one.

 What are you making for the Easter meal?  Do you have a secret to great baked macaroni?  I would love to hear about it!

The post Easter Recipe: Baked Macaroni Casserole with Kraft Fresh Take first appeared on True Aim.

In the midst of this event, it is littered with betrayal, torture, hatred, murder, suicide, and other elements that I don’t desire to dangle out in front of little ones. When considering how to present the Easter story to young children, you may wonder what to really focus on and what to leave for later, more mature ears and hearts. There are certainly aspects of Jesus’ death and resurrection that are incredibly important, but that does not always mean that young children are quite ready to hear about all the gore and heinous details.

Year after year, I have taught the Easter story to preschoolers, and through time, I have come up with what I have found to be the concepts that little ones can most relate to.  I even use a super fun and inviting little game to incorporate these elements. There’s more on that below.  Here are four topics that I feel make Easter meaningful for young children:

1. Love

When I teach about Easter, love is our foundational concept. Jesus loved the world so much that He laid down His life for us. He would not have come to Earth unless he loved us so much. While we may do things that make His heart sad, there is nothing we can do to lose His love. His love is greater than any other love we know, and He even loves us more than anyone else.

2. Sacrifice

While Jesus could have come to Earth to live as a king, he took on a simple life.  He came as a baby, and He didn’t even have clothes.  The entire reason that Jesus came here is for us.  He came to die on the cross for us because He loved us so much.

3. Friendship

Jesus was the ultimate friend. He loved his own friends even when they were horribly mean to Him.  When they lied about Him and hurt Him, He still loved them. Jesus also spent lots of time with them.  Before Jesus died on the cross, one of the most important things He did was eat with His special group of friends called the disciples.

4. Redemption

The purpose of Jesus coming to die on the cross for us is so that we could live with Him in heaven.  He didn’t have to come.  He didn’t have to die.  He did it because He loves us and wants to spend eternity with us.

One of my favorite ways to help children understand the story of Easter is through hands on learning.  A tool that I use to do this is called Resurrection Eggs.  Family Life Today makes these, and I will show you how I modify them to make them more appropriate for young children.  These are easy enough to make on your own, so it’s not even something that you would need to go out and buy.  We actually only use four of the original items in the eggs.

How to Make Easter Story Resurrection Eggs

To make your own meaningful Easter eggs, you will need an egg carton, plastic Easter eggs, and items to put inside of them to symbolize the Easter story.

Here are my 12 items:

1) Sponge sprayed with perfume- I love to start here and talk about the woman who came and cleaned Jesus’ feet. I like to introduce to children that it was a very special act of love. We discuss how the woman poured perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them clean with her hair and tears. A cloth could also be used instead.

2) Donkey (original piece)–

Jesus came in to town during the Triumphal Entry, and I retell about how He was riding in his super cool mustang.  Just kidding!  It was a very special donkey with a very important job. If you do not have a small donkey, you could print a picture and cut it out.

3) Block with leaf–

This represents the palm branches that the people waved when they saw Jesus during the Triumphal Entry.  They waved them and shouted “Hallelujah.”  At times we have been known to reenact this part too.  If you have real leaves around, those would be great as well.

4) Cup (original piece)–

This signifies the Last Supper.  I explain how Jesus wanted to be with all his close friends and have a special meal with them before He died.  A picture of a meal would work, or a crouton could represent bread.

5) Praying Hands (original piece)-

We talk about when Jesus was in the garden praying before he was taken away.  I tell them how Jesus was incredibly upset during this time, so He spent it talking with God.  Feel free to put in something that would represent a garden such as a flower or some greenery.

6) Rooster-

I explain how this was a time where Jesus had a friend who was very scared.  He said that he didn’t know Jesus because he thought people may want to hurt him.  When he did this three times, the rooster crowed.  I found this rooster in a Melissa and Doug magnetic set.  As suggested previously, it would be easy to print out a picture of a rooster.

7) Hearts-

Since I feel that love is the most important part of the story, I put hearts in this egg. Heart stickers or foam pieces are perfect, and these small red shapes always amaze me with their incredible impact.

8) Cross-

We talk about how Jesus died on a cross for our sins. I explain that people put Him up there, even though He didn’t deserve it. He died for us. I got this particular cross from a necklace kit, or a cross could easily be made with a piece of cardboard.

9) Block with the number 3-

The number three is significant because Jesus was in the tomb for three days. I think it’s fun to lead into the next event by counting to three together and discovering the surprise in the next egg. A magnetic number would also work perfectly or even a puzzle piece.

10) Stone (original piece)–

I love telling this part of the story! I say, “After three days…(then in a whisper voice) something amazing happened. The giant stone that covered the grave had been moved!!!” Any round stone would be easy to find for this.

11) Empty (original idea)–

We then talk about how they went inside of the tomb and found that it was empty! I explain how Jesus was no longer there, and that is called a miracle. Everyone should easily be able to find an empty tomb for this one :).

12) Golden strip-

This represents Heaven. I conclude by explaining that Jesus did all of this, so that we could go to Heaven with Him. I just took a strip from a golden paper crown for this. Any golden object such as a bead or even a piece of paper with gold glitter glue would work as well.

Alternative ideas:

A black object could represent sin, which is why we needed Jesus to die on the cross.

You could use a small white cloth or piece of paper to signify that our sin was made clean when Jesus died for us.

A small pillow or cotton ball could represent when the disciples fell asleep at the garden.

I encourage you to put anything in that your child finds to be of deep significance in the story of Easter.  I especially love when my children retell the story to me.  The entire time I am sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what they found to be important. It is my hope that you find inspiration through this and a great way to connect with young children about Easter.

Katie has been an Early Childhood Teacher for 12 years, and she is the mother to two delightful children who are three and five years old. Her passion is teaching, which she currently does in a small, private preschool inside of her home in Colorado. You can find ideas and inspiration on her blog at Preschool Inspirations. You can also follow her on the Preschool Inspirations’ facebook page or find preschool resources on her pinterest page.

The post Make Easter Meaningful for Young Children first appeared on True Aim.

First, print off this free printable cross template.  Print on card stock or other thick paper when using paint, or cut it out and trace it onto any type of paper you want.

Next, use a black marker, paint or blue painters tape to draw lines on your cross to make the stained glass effect.  For the paint, I used tempura for the black lines and water colors to fill in the shapes with color.  This helped the black lines stand out even when my daughter painted over them. You can also tape the lines on for younger children so they do not have to worry about staying in the lines.

Paint in your shapes!

Let the colors dry.

Cut out your beautiful cross and recite John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

This project is perfect for Easter.  You could use the colors in the Jelly Bean prayer to color your cross.  And when it is finished, point to each color and say that part of the poem:

Red is for the blood He gave.

Green is for the grass He made.

Yellow is for the sun so bright.

Orange is for the edge of night.

Black is for the sin we made.

White is for the grace He gave.

Purple is for the hour of sorrow.

Pink is for a new tomorrow.

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The post Easy Cross Craft first appeared on True Aim.