Serving Others with Kids this Easter
Over the years, we’ve always found ways to make Easter special for our kids. Easter egg hunts, parties at the community center, meet-the-Easter-bunny at the mall, and baskets from friends and family.
It’s gotten out of hand.
Now, my kids have “wish lists” for Easter gifts…and birthday gifts…and Christmas gifts…and whatever gifts. And this is all on the heels of packing up bags and bags of broken and parts-missing-toys in our playroom.
So, instead of stuff, we’re turning our focus this Easter back to sacrifice and service.
Are you with me? Here are three super easy ideas to put the service and sacrifice back into your kids’ Easter, without actually making it less enjoyable for them.
Host a Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt
Now, I know that I said we need less of the stuff that Easter egg hunts bring, but hear me out… Our family will be working to plan a hunt for the kids nearby. I hope you try this too. Just make sure to:
- focus on giving the guests a great time.
- throw a bunch of empty plastic Easter eggs in the yard, and set out brown paper bags with markers. Encourage the neighborhood kids to decorate their bags before going on an egg hunt – and let them know that it’s about the fun of the hunt and not how many eggs they get. Everyone gets treats after they’re done playing with eggs.
- set up a big table with a kid-decorated tablecloth right out on the driveway. Load it with yummy Easter candy like my personal favorites – REESE’S Peanut Butter Eggs, HERSHEY’S chocolate bunnies and Kisses, and CADBURY Creme Eggs. Put out a scoop and bowl of jelly beans, juice boxes, and cupcakes. Invite the kids and parents to play, chat, and eat as long as they want to. Foster a sense of neighborliness. This is your family’s act of service – bring the neighbors together.
- have some extra games to play if the kids are having fun and the adults are getting to know one another. I love this Spring Hopscotch Game found on the Celebrate with HERSHEY’S site.
Make a Treat for a Neighbor or Friend
We have a wonderful woman living across the street. She’s Molly’s friend’s grandma and my kids love serving her. The kids have already asked if we could make a sweet treat for her and bring it over to celebrate spring.
Absolutely!
We’ll make yummy candy-stuffed cupcakes, and put them in a cute little box for delivery. We may make up a few boxes and give them to other friends along the way. Giving a neighbor a plate of cookies or cupcakes and a really easy way to show kids the joy of serving. It’s something they can help prepare, and the benefits are immediate and visible to them.
These are delicious, easy, and look like you spent a ton of time. Simply mix your favorite cake and bake in mini-muffin wrappers. Cut ROLO candies and REESE’S peanut butter cup minis in half and stuff them into the warm cupcakes as as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them cool, and pipe frosting on and top with another half piece of candy.
And… eat some of them straight out of the oven. You’re welcome.
Give Up Something You All Love
Making a sacrifice during Lent isn’t new. “Giving up” something happens every year for Catholics everywhere. In addition to whatever we each gave up for Lent, though, we’ll be finishing off our Lenten season by giving up the little things we spend money on every day.
- When we go to the grocery store, we won’t put a quarter in the bubble gum machine.
- At the dollar store, we’ll get only what we need, and not spend the dollar per person we usually do.
- We’ll forgo the Starbucks run on the way to co-op.
- And all the other little things we love and have the luxury of indulging in.
Instead, we’ll put those quarters and dollars in a jar and donate that money. By sacrificing what we usually spend out and about on a day to day basis, the kids can see their sacrifice in a tangible way.
And, we’ll kick off our own acts of Easter service with a fun giveaway from HERSHEY’S to one lucky reader. One chocolate-candy-needing-homeschool-mom {or whomever} will win a box of Easter sugary goodness from HERSHEY’S. Feel free to pass along the peanut butter eggs to me if you want… I already finished mine.
There are so many fun ways to celebrate Easter, and we’ll be hiding the kids’ Easter baskets filled with HERSHEY’s candy so they can wake up and find them on Easter morning {or afternoon depending on how long it takes them}, but our focus will be on the right things this year.
Jesus died so that we could live, and we remember that sacrifice during the Easter season. That’s what it’s all about.
We received candy samples and a stipend from Global Influence to facilitate the writing of this post. All thoughts, & opinions are ours.