Following on from our activities for Maundy Thursday, here are some simple activities to share this Good Friday.
If you have a Bible storybook, why not read The Good Friday story together or watch this animation from Saddleback Kids & then choose one or more of the following activities to explore.
Rainbow Cross of Hope for Your Window
This Free Printable can be used to decorate a window & as the sun shines through the colours you add will glow. A beautiful reminder of the Hope that the cross brings. You can download a copy here.
You can make an Easter Garden from a few basics you have around the house, in the past, we've made ones like this, but this year we've created a simpler version using a small mug & plate from our kitchen cupboard.
We covered the mug (tomb) with moss collected from one of our daily walks, & used sticks to make 3 crosses. We found a larger stone to seal the tomb & decorated the base with some gravel. Inside, we placed a battery light ready to light on Easter Day, along with a small piece of folded kitchen paper to represent the folded grave clothes.
If you have any flour to spare, this multisensory play dough recipe is super simple to make & ideal for toddlers to explore. It'll keep fresh for a few weeks in an airtight container, so it can be used for plenty of play.
Weave a String Art Easter Cross
This creative activity is ideal for slightly older children & offers them a chance to create their own cross from nails. The sound of this activity is particularly poignant for Good Friday. More info on how we made ours here: String Art Easter Cross
Rainbow Cross illusion
This is a cool activity & a reminder that although we can't always see hope, it is always there!
All you need for this activity are coloured pens & 2 sheets of kitchen paper. On one sheet draw a cross & on the other colour a cross in. Place the plain cross over the coloured one so you can't see any colours, then add to a saucer of water & watch the cross transform into a rainbow of hope. This could be used to explore the transforming power of the cross. Here's how we made ours.
Make a Stick Cross
Find a couple of sticks from a nature walk or your garden & tie them together with string or grass to make a cross. Or make one from lolly sticks secured with a pipe cleaner. You could use your cross as a prayer cross or display it in your home.
Plant some cress seeds in the shape of a cross & watch as the seeds grow. Within 4 days you should have a cross full of fresh green cress. The seeds that once looked dead have come to life, reminding us of the new life that Jesus brings.
Outdoor Chalk Art
Lastly, if you have any coloured chalk, why not create a colourful cross outside on your driveway or wall & share the joy of the Easter Story with your neighbours & anyone passing by.
