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Easter is a Christian celebration and originated as a feast day.  Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion, and many Christians celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday.  Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon which is the first full moon on or after March 21.  The egg is a symbol for rebirth, specifically the rebirth of man.

The Easter bunny probably originated in Germany where it was part of a pagan celebration and first mentioned in German writings in the 1600′s.  The Easter bunny was brought to America by German settlers in the 1700′s and was eventually combined with the celebration of Easter.  According to their tradition, if children were good then the Easter bunny would lay brightly colored eggs in nests for the children.  The nests were replaced by Easter baskets as the tradition spread.

ACTIVITIES:

• How to save dyed easter eggs
• Decorate Easter cupcakes
• Make little Easter baskets out of decorated Easter party cups.  Punch two holes at the very top on either side.  To make a handle, use a long, colored pipe cleaner and secure on either side of the cup at the top by inserting the end of the pipe cleaner into the punched hole.  Twist both ends of the pipe cleaner onto the cup.  Fill with Easter basket grass.
• Play Easter Egg Toss by trying to toss plastic Easter eggs (ones that stay closed) into an empty Easter egg basket that is several feet away.
• Sing “The Bunny Hop” song.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS:

• Berenstain Bears and the Real Easter Eggs by Berenstain.  Mama Bear teaches the bear cubs about rebirth and life.
• Easter by Gail Gibbons.  Explains the significance and traditions of Easter.
• Easter Bugs by David A. Carter.  Discover much more than eggs on an Easter egg hunt.  Discover all sorts of bugs!
• Easter Crack-Ups:  Knock-Knock Jokes Funny-Side Up by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg.  Enjoyable egg hunt and parade.
• The Easter Story by Patricia Pingry.  Explains the reason for celebrating Easter.
• The Night Before Easter by Natasha Wing.   Written in the style of Clement Moore’s classic poem.
• The Story of the Easter Bunny by Catherine Tegen.   A legend about how the easter bunny got his job of painting eggs.   According to the story, the job originally belonged to an older couple.
• Where Are Baby’s Easter Eggs? by Karen Katz.   Preschoolers and toddlers will enjoy lifting the flaps to find the eggs.

CHILDREN’S DVD:

• The Easter Story Read-A-Long Sing-A-Long DVD by Nest Learning System.  Spanish version available.  (Good for ESL)

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