My Reading Spot

From the publisher:
“For years I felt that our family’s Easter celebration was as hollow as the chocolate bunnies we devoured on Easter morning. All my life I had been told that the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the most sacred and significant events in all creation. If that is true, I reasoned, then shouldn’t Easter, the commemoration of those events, be the highlight of our year?”

Spurred on by that question, authors Janet and Joe Hales became determined to make Easter the highlight of the year for their family. Their ideas, suggestions, and discoveries are included in this book, A Christ-Centered Easter: Day-by-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week.

Here, you will find:

• A practical resource with an outline of family activities for the entire week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
• An easy-to-read parallel scripture account of the last week of Christ’s life.
• Historical information about the Passover and an explanation on how to hold an authentic “Jerusalem Dinner” with your family (recipes included!).
• Numerous ideas for age-appropriate family activities that will appeal to kids of all ages, from preschoolers to teenagers.
• A section of stories to read together and sacred hymns to sing.

This year, make Jesus Christ and his resurrection the focus of Easter, and turn your celebration from a holiday to a holy day.

Throw back Review,
first posted April 6, 2009:
Usually for Easter week FHE we have a lesson of 12 plastic eggs, you open each one and there is a scripture and a small object that goes along with it, the last egg being empty. However, this year it’s in storage because of rotations, so this is why I bought the book, I needed some ideas.

I immediately thought this was wonderful and thought I would share some ideas.
This book has something, a song, a scriptures, an activity for every day during the week leading up to Easter.  Some examples:
Day 2 – Cleansing the Temple
Read Matthew 21:12-18
Mark 11:112-19
Luke 19:45-48

Activities:
-List and discuss some of Jesus’ character traits, choose one to work on
-Have secret pals this week
-Use GAK pictures 118, ask questions such as why were the people so happy when Jesus came back to Jerusalem, How do you think his friends felt when He was crucified?
-Discuss and practice pronouncing words such as Messiah, Atonement, Crucifixion and Resurrection
-Make up hand motions for Easter Primary songs while singing them.

Updated Review:

I originally posted this on a preschool blog group that I shared with two other amazing mothers. Six years later and this book is still one of my favorite go-to Easter week books.  I think the ideas and the format is great and my favorite part is it has grown with my family.  It has activities and ideas for almost all ages.

Out of all the Easter books I’ve read for this week, it’s hard to pick a favorite, they have all been different in different ways.  But this one has been a favorite for years.  I always recommend it to friends who are looking for something to someway to bring the true meaning of Easter into their home.

If you are looking for some new Easter traditions or ways to make the week of Easter more meaningful than I suggest you take a look at this book.  It’s a great find and I think you’ll use it for years.