This is a post from Easter, 2 years ago. My kids have enjoyed this tradition so much, that I just had to repost it in case any of you wanted to make Resurrection Eggs for your kids. If you follow our tradition of reading from one egg every night for 12 nights, you will need to open the first egg on Wednesday, March 20 and the final egg on Easter Sunday.
(Originally posted April 16, 2011)
When I was a kid I lived for Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I love the thrill of the surprise (even though I often searched for my presents hidden in my parents’ bedroom), and I love the mystery and excitement. However, now that I have kids, I want them to understand that these holidays are about so much more than Santa and a silly bunny. Not that my parents didn’t teach us the real meanings of these holidays, but my focus was just never right as a child.
This Christmas, Preston and Lilly Katherine followed the lead of my sweet nephew, Caleb, and they learned a good part of Luke 2. It was so sweet to see the verses and the story of Christ’s birth come alive to them.
A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to find another passage for them to memorize for Easter, but I couldn’t find a passage. The Easter story is more spread out and it would be hard for them to memorize several chapters (not that they couldn’t do it…) :)
My Google search resulted in something I had not heard of, although I’m sure many of you have…Resurrection Eggs. This seemed like the perfect visual for my children to memorize the details of Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. It’s not a fun, Easter Bunny story. In fact, it’s sad and horrible, but it has a happy ending, and it’s so important for my children to learn and know the REAL meaning of what we are really celebrating on Easter.
You can purchase Resurrection Eggs online, but I wanted to make them myself. I got ideas from a few different people, then I chose all the verses I wanted to teach my maniacs. I used different symbols than many of the eggs I saw, plus I have listed 3 additional symbols that you could use. (Use as many as you want. You don’t have to be limited to 12, but I wanted our eggs to store neatly in my egg carton, so I chose 12. I’m weird like that.)
I have also created a printable PDF of the list of eggs and a PDF of the verses, so you can cut and put them in your eggs. Please feel free to use these to teach your family about Christ. (PDFs at bottom of post)
We started opening eggs 12 days before Easter, and we will open one every night. On Easter we will open the empty egg, to symbolize that Jesus has risen, and the tomb was empty. Preston reads the verses for us and then we talk about what each one means. I have heard other people that open all of them and let their kids try to put them in order. Just use this as a tool…there are no rules. Once you make it, you can use it year after year.
A few little tips:
Day 1: Palm branch. I just cut up an old fake ivy leaf that I had around the house. Not sure why I have fake ivy as a decoration, but if you do, cut it up for your palm branch.
Day 2: Perfume. If you have a small bottle of perfume, use it. If you don’t, steal one from a friend, like I did. (Thanks, Dominique). Or, you can just put some perfume on a cotton ball.
Day 3: Towel. Use a small baby’s washcloth, or I just cut a piece from an old towel.
Day 4: Little piece of bread. Some people use a piece of chex cereal, but we always have bread. Once you put it in the egg, it gets hard quickly…it doesn’t mold.
Day 5: 3 dimes because Judas was paid 30 silver coins when he betrayed Jesus. Sword can be made with cardboard and foil, or you can borrow one from an action figure.
Day 6: Crown of thorns. I used a rose branch and twisted it into a circle. (Again, thanks Dominique)
Day 7: Dice (crazy, but I didn’t have any) and for the clothes I just cut a little robe out of a piece of material.
Day 8: Cross and nails. I just used 2 little sticks and bound them together with thread/floss.
Day 9: Sponge with a little vinegar. I soaked it in vinegar and then squeezed it out. The smell remains, but your sponge doesn’t stay wet.
Day 10: Spices. Use whatever whole spices you have. Cloves, Cinnamon sticks…
Day 11: Rock. Any small pebble will work…even one from a fake flower arrangement. This has taught me I need some decorations that aren’t fake greenery!
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How to make Resurrection Eggs for your family. Here is a printable PDFs of the eggs, symbols, story, verses, and prophesies they fulfilled.
Here is the printable PDF of the verses, so you can cut them and place them in the appropriate egg.
I hope you and your family are blessed by this project.
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Kate you are an amazing mom!!! I just bought them at Lifeway, bur yours are so much better!!!!
~Melissa
i actually bought these last year to use with the girls and i forgot all about them. so, i am very excited about doing it this week. i think camden and claire are at the perfect age for them to really understand the truth!!! thanks for sharing!
Hi Kate,
This is a wonderful way to teach the TRUE meaning of Easter. Wish these were around when my girls were young. Indeed, you continue to amaze me with your three just as Leslie does. Keep up the good things you do in the way you teach your children.
Love you,
JoJo
LOVE THIS… i am posting some easter ideas this week and i’m going to link you in my post! thanks for sharing!
sooooo i have been resistant to the resurection eggs, but i have NO idea why!! yours are adorable, and since i missed the boat this year…we’ll hope on the ride next year hahahahaha!
Thanks! Now, since you said it took you 5 minutes to whip this up…I’m considering paying the $19.99 to buy myself a set. This would take me ALL DAY! I love them. I printed the information out so we’ll see :)!
I just made mine! Thanks for helping me get organized and do it…I have wanted to for several years but did not want to buy the pre-made set:) We are going to “hunt” for ours at our big family reunion! I am looking forward to reading the Easter story with our extended family…some who do not know Jesus.
Thanks for the PDFs! So helpful! I am going to use them for a moms group at church tomorrow and we are going to make a Resurrecion Egg tree. Excited!
Thanks for the wonderful idea! I was getting ready to replace mine that I’d bought years ago, when I ran across your site. :D I am putting it together this morning. Thanks for blessing us the PDFs. God bless you and yours indeed!
Thank You Kate Sherman for posting this – I have been searching everywhere for these eggs with no luck so I printed off your stuff and I am going to make them!! Yay for moms like you that keep the rest of us organized and on our toes :)