Easter is a holiday celebrated by many people around the world. It is often associated with religious traditions, family gatherings, and fun activities like egg hunts. However, not everyone observes Easter, and that’s okay! Whether you celebrate Easter or not, this time of year offers an excellent opportunity to learn about different cultures and explore fun and educational activities!
What is Easter?
Easter is a Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is observed on a Sunday following Good Friday, which marks the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. The date to celebrate Easter changes yearly because it is based on the lunar calendar. Many cultures and countries have unique traditions, such as painting the shells of hard-boiled eggs, enjoying a meal together, or attending church services. Ask your students to share their traditions.
Beyond its religious significance, Easter is also a time for family get-togethers and seasonal celebrations. Symbols like eggs, bunnies, and flowers are often associated with Easter because they represent new life and growth.
Educational and Fun Activities for Everyone
Whether you celebrate Easter or not, parents, teachers, and students can use this time to engage in meaningful activities. Here are some ideas for home or school. They can be independent projects for students who are ready or class/family projects to learn and explore together.
Plastic Easter Eggs Hunt Ideas
- Place digraphs or other letter sounds into plastic eggs. Ask the children to find an egg and then read the sound(s). Encourage and facilitate success for every child. Ask a friend, if needed! Read the sound!
- Insert decodable words into the eggs for the children to read!
- Put tricky words into the eggs.
- Create sentences. Cut the words apart. Ask the children to work together to recreate the sentence(s)!
- Be creative with math facts! Suggestion: Put the question in one egg and the answer in another, then ask the kids to match them up!
Create Your Own Easter Read & Write Emergent Readers – I Can Read and Write Easter
Check out these diverse Easter Emergent Readers, where kids read and write to create their own booklet. What do your students need? Choose to cut, paste, write, draw, and/or color. Does the Easter Bunny come to your house? Read your finished Emergent Reader to a friend. ⭐ 20 pages
BONUS – Color the Easter egg to show how you feel today & Color by Code Activities.
Spring Emergent Reader: Read, Write, and Develop Reading Comprehension Skills – I Can Read and Write Spring
This spring emergent reader is designed to support young readers as they develop comprehension skills. The Science of Reading-aligned books feature engaging graphics & simple text that encourage children to practice reading & writing while improving their understanding of vocabulary & sentence structure. ⭐ 20 pages
BONUS – Have any of the children ever had a Lemonade stand? Talk about how to make lemonade to sell at a lemonade stand. Ideas: Sequence the Events with a spinner. Retell the events. Sort the graphics. Do the cut-and-paste activity. Write about it.
Science and Nature Activities
- Egg Experiments: Try the classic egg-in-vinegar experiment to learn about chemical reactions.
- Springtime Nature Walk: Take a nature walk! Observe the changes in nature as spring arrives and draw pictures of different plants, animals, and insects.
- Hatch an Idea: Talk about how different animals, like birds and reptiles, hatch from eggs. Walk the children through how to research creatures that hatch from eggs. Draw them!
Art and Creativity
- Decorating Eggs: You may want to dye and decorate hard-boiled eggshells. Another option is to use your creativity and create colorful paper eggs using collage material.
- Springtime Art: Give the children ideas for drawing or painting scenes of spring landscapes, blooming flowers, or baby animals.
- Story Writing: Write a short story about a spring adventure or create a comic strip featuring animals enjoying the season.
Cultural Learning
- Explore Traditions: Learn how countries celebrate Easter or other spring festivals like Holi, Passover, or Nowruz.
- Cook a Traditional Dish: Try making hot cross buns or another festival treat from around the world.
- Create a Mini Presentation: Ask children to share events from their spring holiday (perhaps from another culture) with friends or classmates.
Math and Logic Challenges
- Egg Math: Use plastic eggs for counting, addition, and fractions.
- Pattern Making: Talk about patterns. Create repeated patterns using colors, shapes, or real dyed eggs.
- Logic Puzzles: Try an Easter-themed crossword or a Spring scavenger hunt that involves problem-solving.
Community and Kindness Activities
- Easter or Spring-themed Cards: Make greeting cards for family, friends, or a local senior center.
- Volunteer: Participate in a neighborhood park or schoolyard clean-up!
- Acts of Kindness: Be kind to a classmate. Clean up your room! Hug your parent! Help set the table.
Vocabulary Games – I have Who has Spring Vocabulary Building Games and Practice
I Have, Who Has SPRING Vocabulary Building Games allow children to identify and name spring-related items and activities. These vocabulary games provide spring graphics for vocabulary practice and opportunities for kids to take turns and listen.⭐ 31 PAGES!
A Time to Learn and Grow
Even if Easter is not part of your traditions, it can still be a valuable opportunity to learn about cultural diversity, enjoy seasonal activities, and have fun with family and friends. Schools can create inclusive celebrations by focusing on seasonal themes and educational projects that welcome everyone.
How do you plan to celebrate this season? Whether you enjoy a class egg hunt, a science experiment, or a nature walk, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this Easter season!
Happy spring!
Laurie
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BONUS – The Classic Egg-in-Vinegar Experiment
The classic egg-in-vinegar experiment is a fun and simple science activity demonstrating a chemical reaction between an acid (vinegar) and a base (eggshell containing calcium carbonate). This experiment removes the eggshell, leaving behind a “naked egg” with a soft, rubbery membrane.
How to Do the Egg-in-Vinegar Experiment
Materials Needed:
- Raw egg
- A clear glass or jar
- White vinegar
- (Optional) Food coloring
Steps:
- Place the Egg in the Jar: Carefully put the raw egg in a glass or jar.
- Add Vinegar: Pour enough vinegar into the jar to cover the egg completely. You will immediately notice bubbles forming on the eggshell.
- Observe for 24-48 Hours: Let the egg sit in the vinegar for at least 24 hours (or up to 48 hours for better results). Over time, the shell will dissolve due to the reaction between the vinegar and the calcium carbonate.
- Rinse the Egg: Carefully remove the egg from the jar and rinse it under water. You’ll notice the shell is gone, leaving behind a soft, rubbery membrane.
- Test the Bouncy Egg! Gently bounce the egg on a soft surface (like a plate or a table with a towel underneath). Be careful—it can still break if dropped from too high!
The Science Behind It:
- Vinegar (Acetic Acid) reacts with Calcium Carbonate (Eggshell) to produce Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), Water, and Dissolved Calcium.
- The bubbles you see are carbon dioxide gas forming as the shell dissolves.
- You will notice that the inner membrane remains intact, making the egg feel soft and rubbery.
Fun Variations:
- Add food coloring to the vinegar to make a colorful “naked egg.”
- After removing the shell, place the egg in corn syrup to see how osmosis works!
- Put the egg in water with food dye to see how it absorbs color.
It’s a great experiment to teach kids about chemical reactions, osmosis, and even biology (since eggs are similar to cell membranes). 😊
