I'm excited for our Easter Treasure Hunt this year. The grands are getting old enough that we can talk about the Easter story with them. Today, I will share the details of the hunt with you.
Supplies you will need:
Miniature door (Hobby Lobby)
Brown paper egg for each family (paint them red and Mod Podge a cross sticker on each one)
3 wooden eggs for each family(2-dimensional) one painted blue, one painted yellow, and one painted green (Write "He" on the blue egg, "is" on the yellow egg and "risen" on the green egg)
Pink and purple plastic eggs stuffed with candy
Orange plastic eggs - one for each family
Golden rule plaque for each child
Growth stick for each family with a star glued to a clothespin for each child (can buy balsa wood pieces at Hobby Lobby)
Clues:
#1 - Jesus came down from Heaven and made Himself into a little baby. Earth must have looked so small compared to Heaven. Look for a very small door to find your next clue.
(Give this clue to one parent for each family)
Do you remember what the unfinished door looked like? I painted the door green and everything else gray, then put a brown wash over the whole piece to "age" it. Doesn't it look like a door into a secret garden? This door will be attached to either the shed or the fence in the back yard. The #2 clue will be in orange eggs by the door, one per family.
Clue #2 - "And the Child (Jesus) continued to grow and become strong..." Luke 2:40. Look for a long stick with your names on it. Your next clue will be attached to the stick. Your parents will measure you with the Growth Stick so you can see that you are growing taller.
Clue #3 - "And the Child (Jesus) continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." Luke 2:40. Look for a painted piece of wood that has your name on it with the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31). Hint: it matches the colors in your bedroom.
Clue #4 - (tape this clue to the oldest child's Golden Rule plaque for each family) "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him anyone can have a whole and lasting life." John 3:16 from The Message. God did that for you! Look for a red egg to see how God gave his Son to save us.
Clue #5 - (taped to red eggs/ one per family) After Jesus died on the cross to pay for all the wrong things we do and say, the disciples buried Him in a tomb. BUT, on the third day, Jesus... Look for a blue wooden egg.
Clue #6 (taped to the blue wooden eggs) On the third day, just as the sun was beginning to come up, some women came to the tomb, bringing spices which they had prepared to make the tomb smell nicer. They saw that the huge stone in front of the tomb was rolled away, but when they went in the tomb, they couldn't find Jesus' body! Luke 24:1-3. Oh, no! What happened to His body?! Look for a yellow wooden egg.
Clue #7 (taped to the yellow wooden eggs) The women didn't know what to do or where to go to look for Jesus' body. Suddenly, two men dressed in very white shiny clothes stood next to them. They were angels! They told the women some very important and happy news. Luke 24:4-9. What does your blue egg say? What does your yellow egg say? Look for a green egg for your answer to: He is...what?
Clue #8 - (taped to the green eggs) Yay!!! He is risen! Jesus showed Himself to his friends so they would know He was no longer dead, but very much alive. Then after a few days, He went to a mountain with some of his friends and they watched Him go up in the air past the clouds to go back to Heaven. He has been there ever since getting a place ready for every person who believes that He died for them to pay for their sins. Some day, all of us who believe will get to go to Heaven and live there with Jesus and we will be happy, happy, happy! That is such sweet news!!! Here is your last clue - look for purple and pink eggs for something sweet to remind you that Jesus loves you.
As soon as I get at least one set of the items painted, I will post pictures.
