Flame: Creative Children's Ministry

I've put together a discovery basket for younger children when we do our Easter family activities morning. This basket looks at the story of Palm Sunday and I'll have some story books with it so that parents can help children to engage with the items! Contents include:  Donkey puppet, plastic palm leaves, palm crosses, a crown, strips of fabric of different textures (to represent the cloaks put on the ground). Coconut halves (donkey hooves!), bells to make some noise, a heart, a stone (to represent the road Jesus travelled along) and a small tin with magnetic letters spelling 'hosanna' and 'Jesus.'

We are holding a special Easter activities event this year aimed at families. Most, if not all, of the families do not attend church, so I wanted to produce something they could take away and do that would carry the message of Easter in a easy to approach way. This is what I came up with and there will hopefully be enough for each person to take a bag away with them. The activity involves planting the seed paper and linking the growth of the flowers to the hope and new life Jesus brings at Easter. You will need : Little drawstring bags or envelopes, enough printed strips for each bag, a piece of plantable seed paper for each bag (it is cheaper to buy A4 seed paper sheets and cut them up than buy pre-cut shapes!) Print out the 'Planting New Life' Strips and cut them out. Fold and put into a bag with a rectangle or square of seed paper that will also fit the bag.  Give out and watch prayers and hope grow in the community!