1) Chocolate Easter Baskets
Chocolate Clay
 10 ounces dark, milk or white chocolate confectionery coating (1-3/4 cups
semi
                    sweet or milk chocolate chips may be substituted),
chopped and melted
  1/3 cup light corn syrup

 Combine chocolate and corn syrup until just blended.  Spread onto a sheet of
waxed paper to 3/8-inch thickness (about an 8-inch square). Let stand,
uncovered, at room temperature for about 2-3 hours or until dry to the touch.
 Wrap tightly with plastic wrap; let stand overnight.  Use immediately or
store up to 2 weeks. Yield: 1-1/4 cups.

It is a lot of fun, we rolled it into long strings and made Easter baskets
last year.


2) Dying Easter Eggs--the Natural way!

This Easter, why not color your eggs using nature's very own dyes? It's
possible to come up
with a great number of colors using natural ingredients that can easily be
found in almost any
kitchen. 

Pale Red: Fresh beets or cranberries, frozen raspberries 

Orange: Yellow onion skins 

Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin


Yellow: Ground turmeric 

Pale green: Spinach leaves 

Green-gold: Yellow Delicious apple peels 

Blue: Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves 

Beige to brown: Strong brewed coffee 

To dye the perfect Easter eggs the natural way, here's what to do: 

1. Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs are
covered. 

2. Add about a teaspoon of vinegar. 

3. Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to be.
(The more eggs you
are dying at a time, the more dye you will need to use.) 

4. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

5. Remove the substance you used to color the eggs. Put eggs in a bowl. If
you want your eggs
to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye and let them stand overnight in
the
refrigerator. 

*Jell-O Eggs--Pastel Colors for Easter
Dissolve two 4 ounce packages of unflavored gelatin in 1 cup of boiling
water.  After it cools to room temperature, whip in 8 ounces of Cool Whip and
combine with 6 ounces of flavored Jell-O dissolved in 1 cup boiling water.
Poor into lightly greased pan and refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours).
 Cut with egg shaped cookie cutter.  Decorate with shredded coconut.

3) Hide-An-Egg
My big thing now is to hide a plastic egg full of jellybeans (1 egg for each
child) around my home.  The little ones get the easiest eggs to find.  When
the child finds his egg, he can eat the jellybeans inside.  I plan to do this
nearly each day, until Easter. 

4) Bunny Ice-Cream
Arrange 3 balls of vanilla ice cream on a plate to form a bunny--use medium
one for head, large one for body and tiny one for the tail.  Cover with
shredded coconut.  Place carrot shavings (large) for ears, jelly beans for
eyes and nose, and licorice stings for whiskers. 

5) Easter Party Invitations
Draw and cut out a basket shape and eggs from construction paper.  Glue the
eggs and plastic grass to the basket.  Write our invitation on the outside of
the basket.

6) Egg Carton Place Card (makes a cute cubby marker)
Cut two cups from a cardboard egg carton for each place card.  Glue the two
cups together (bottom to bottom).  Cut a chick from const. paper.  Add
features with paper and glue the chick inside the cup.  Print a name on a
piece of paper and glue it to the front of the cup - put a few jelly beans
inside if you want.

7) Cotton Ball Rabbit
Draw and cut out a rabbit shape from cardboard. Cover thears with pieces of
pink felt.  Outline them with glue and cotton balls.  Spread glue over the
rest of the rabbit, and completely cover it with cotton balls.  From felt,
cut out and glue on eyes, a nose and a bow tie.  Glue buttons onto the body.
 Glue on black yarn for the mouth.  Attach a short string to the top of the
rabbit for a hanger.

8) Egg's Out Game

Play hot potato with a plastic easter egg.

Cardboard Egg Hop Game
Draw and cut out two large cardboard eggs.  Decorate them with paint,
markers, or crayons.  Have each player choose a partner and give each pair of
players two eggs.  To play:  In each pair, there is a hopper and a helper.
 Starting at one end of the room, the helper places an eggon the floor in
front of the hopper, who hops onto it with both feet.  The helper then places
the other egg a little way ahead and the hopper jumps onto it.  This
continues until the pair gets to the end of the room.  Now players change
roles.  The first pari back to the starting line wins.  If you don't want it
to be a competition, young children have fun just hopping.
EASTER

9) Bunny Baskets:
Using a white paper bag, cut out bunny ears at yop open end of sack. Draw,
color or paste on the facial features of the bunny's face. Pipe cleaners make
cute whiskers for the bunny. After face is done, open sack and staple the top
of each ear shut. Fill bunny baskets with green grass and fill with treats
for the children.

10) Easter eggs:

Give each child a large egg shape cut from construction paper.  Have the
children decorate with anything/everything (glitter, sequins, scrap fabric,
foil, buttons, crayons, markers).

11) Egg Shell collage:
Make a collage from crushed egg shells. Egg shells may be colored or white.
Bruch diluted glue into an outline shape and then place egg shells into the
shape. The children can create their own designs or you may provide them with
the shape of a rabbit, chick or egg to fill in with the egg shells.

12) Movement Activity:
HOPPING!!!  Give kids a variety of "hopping" commands such as:
(Be sure kids are told to take their time hopping, hold a hand of younger
ones, if nec.)
Hop in one place
hop and turn in circles at same time
Hop on left/right foot
Hop backwards, sideways, make a square or circle
Hop over a line
Hop with a partner
Hop to different rhythms (clap hands, use drum, music, etc...)


13) Bunny Face Salad
Lettuce, cottage cheese, 1 pear, celery stick, raisins, 1 red grape.
  Arrange lettuce on a salad plate.  Spoon cottage cheese on top of the
lettuce.  Peel and core a pear, cut it in half (or use canned halves).  Place
one half on top of the cottage cheese for the bunny face.  Add pieces of
celery for whiskers, raisins for eyes and a grape for the nose.  Cut the
remining pear section in half for the ears.

14) Hand Print Art
Springtime Bunny
green, blue and white const. paper - scissors and paste
Trace around 1 hand on white paper.  cut it out.  Fold the middle finger
under.  Fold the thumb and the pinky finger forward.  Cut out a strip of
grass.  Paste the hand print (w/fingers folded) fingers up - and the grass on
blue paper.  draw a face on the bunny, draw paws on the bunny, color the
inside of the ears pink.

15) Swimming Duck
yellow, blue, white and orange const paper - scissors and paste 
Trace around 1 hand on white paper, cut it out.  Cut out a yellow duck body
and yellow duck head, orange feet and an orange bill.  Glue them on blue
paper - using the hand print sideways as the ducks wings.  Draw an eye on the
duck and water lines around the duck.

16) Basket of Eggs
Trace around 2 hands on green paper - cut them out.  Cut out a large basket
shape from brown paper and four eggs on colored paper - glue the hands
(fingers up) as grass behind the eggs and basket on blue paper.

17) Cherry Chick
Trace around 2 hands on white paper - cut them out.  Cut out a yellow circle
(chicks head) and a large yellow egg shape (chicks body).  Cut out 2 orange
feet, 2 white eyes and an orange beak using the handprints (fingers down) for
wings glue the body parts on green paper.

18) Paper Mache Easter Basket
Blow up a large balloon - cover with paper mache - when dry pop the balloon
and cut a handle into the paper to form a basket - paint!!!!

19) Natural Easter Basket
Plant grass seed in an Easter Basket 2-3 weeks before Easter.

20) Paper Bag Bunnies
Cut bunny ears from pink paper and staple to lunch size bag.  Cut pink nose
from const paper.  Using the same pink paper - cut whiskers.  Paste nose and
whiskers on face.  Draw in face with crayons - finish by glueing on a cotton
ball tail.

21) Easter baskets we have made:
You take the empty green pint containers that strawberries (or other berries)
come
in, put pipe cleaners through one of the holes at the top.  Fill with Easter
grass and
top with candy etc.

22) Circle Bunny
Trace circles on white or pink paper.  Cut them out. Cut ears from the sides
of one circle leaving an hour glass shape in the center - use that as a bow
tie - Draw a bunny face on the other circle.  Glue ears and bow on rabbit
face.  Color - place on large sheet of const. paper

23) Easter Baskets
Use decorative plastic margarine tubs.  Punch a hole on each side.  Use the
pipe cleaners for a handle.  Fill with Easter grass.   Put in dyed eggs and
jelly beans.

24) Chicken in a Shell
Cut a large oval egg form wall paper or white paper.  Draw jagged line across
half of egg and cut.  If white paper is used, it should be decorated.  Make a
chick's head out of yellow or white construction paper.  Color beak and eyes
black.  Paste chick to bottom half of egg shell.  Fasten top and bottom shell
together with paper fastener so top half of shell can be moved to reveal
chick.

25) Easter Bonnet
Decorate a paper plate with tissue paper flowers and leaves.   Staple or glue
decorations on bonnet.   Poke a hole on each side.  Put a ribbon through from
the top and tie under chin.  Have an Easter Parade wearing the bonnets.




26) Category: Days: Easter, Movement
Title: Bunny Song

See the little bunnies sleeping
Till it's nearly noon,
Come and let us gently wake them
With a merry tune.
Oh, so still.
Are they ill?

Hop little bunnies...hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies...hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies...hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies, hop and stop! 
___________________________________________
27) Easter Eggs

At Easter time we color eggs,
Shades of yellow, red and blue.
We make them pretty as can be,
We'll make some for me and some for you.

28) Finding a Treat

Hippy hop, hippity hop.
Will the Easter Bunny stop?
Will he leave a treat behind,
An Easter basket for me to find?

I'll look over here, I'll look over there,
I'll look behind things, I'll look everywhere
I'll look until I find my treat,
And then I'll sit right down and eat.

29) Easter Hat

I'll make a pretty Easter hat,
To wear at Easter time
I'll put some flowers on it,
And a bow will make it fine.
We'll fasten on some ribbons,
All pretty pink and blue,
Then we'll take a picture,
And I'll give it to you.

30) See the Easter Bunny - Tune - Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

See how the bunny hops along, hops along, hops along.
See how the bunny hops along, (children crouch and hop)
On an Easter morning.
This is the way he wiggles his nose, wiggles his nose,
Wiggles his nose (children wiggle nose)
This is the way he wiggles his nose,
On an Easter morning.
This is the way he flops his ears..................etc..
On an Easter morning.
See how he jiggles his cotton tail, cotton tail........
(put one hand behind and wiggle it )
On an Easter morning.

31) Puzzle Wreaths for Easter
Another puzzle idea:   puzzle peice Easter Wreath
1.  Mix four drops of green food coloring witha cup of white glue.  Mix the
green flue with all the puzzle pieces in a large bowl.  If the mixture seems
too drippy add more puzzle pieces.  Stir until the pieces are evenly coated
with glue.

2.  Cut the center out of a paper plate to form a wreath shape.  Punch a hole
in the edge of the rim and tie a piece of yarn through it to make a hanger.

3.  Set the rim on a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface where the wreath
will be able to dry for several days without being moved.  Pile spoonfuls of
the puzzle-piece mixture around the rim to form a three-dimensional wreath.
 You may not need to use all of the mixture.  Add or subtract pieces until
the wreath looks right to you.

4.  When the wreath has dried completely, you can decorate it by glueing on
some artificial flowers.  i used little easter decorations.

Do all of the cutting and hole punching ahead of time this saves alot of time
with little ones and helps for the projects to go smoothly.
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32) Rubber Band Wraps
Materials:
          Egg dye:(FOr and extra bright color use food coloring paste,
available at party supply shops. Dissolve a dab of paste or 6 drops fo reg.
liquid food coloring in a cup of hot water. Stir in 1/4 cup of vinegar)
Rubber bands, (various length widths long enough go around the egg several
times)
 
Wrap rubber bands around the egg, covering it completley. When you dip the
covered egg, the dye will seep under the bands in some areas and be blocked
out in other areas. Remove from the dye when the color is bright enough. Blot
dry with paper towels and remove the rubber bands. If you wish, repeat with a
new color. (If the rubber bands pop off the egg, try using thicker ones ro
wrap them more loosely.
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33) Marbelized eggs:
Materials: Egg dye, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Lightly stir the oit into a bowl of egg dye. Immediately dip the egg inot the
liqiud. Or stand the egg in a small cup and slowly spoon the oit-water
mixture over it. WHen the egg dreis, repeat the steps with another color for
an interesting color combining efffect. TIP: For cleanup, wash all dipping
containers in ho soapy water and rinse with vinegar to get rid of oil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
34) Fingerpaint eggs
Materials: Paper plates, tempera paint
Put a few colors of paint on the paper plate. Hold the egg n the ends with
your thumb and finger so you can rotate it while you're stamping. Dip your
finger in the paint, dab off the excess on a paper towel, then gently press
your finger onto the egg.


35) KARO Syrup Eggs....

Cut out easter eggs out of heavy paper.  Pour Karo syrup on it and drops of
food coloring.  Let teh kids use their fingers to mix the colors into the
syrup and lay them flat to dry- it takes a long time for them to dry, but
they are really pretty when they are done.


36) Center Ideas:

Here are some suggestions of materials that can be placed in the learning
centers in addition to your regular materials:

Housekeeping:  Easter basket with plastic eggs, Easter bonnets, dressy
clothes, and shoes
Circle:  flannel basket, assorted sizes and colors of eggs, rabbit
Books:  Books about rabbits and Easter
Table Activities:  file folder activities 
Blocks:  Easter basket and plastic eggs
Puppets:  rabbit stick puppets
Science:  egg sound cups
Science Activities:  Incubator with chicken eggs to hatch

37) File Folder Activities:  Choose the skills you wish to emphazise this 
week.  

Matching color bunnies
Waster Egg Wallpaper Matching

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38) Bunny Paint
PUFFY PAINT
You'll need:
Shaving Cream
White Glue
Food Coloring (or I prefer Liquid Temepra)
Magarine Containers (or similar with covers)

Mix Puffy Paint with the children:
Squirt shaving cream in the small containers until full.
Use as many containers as you want colors.
Squirt in one big blob of white glue in each container.
Stir in small amounts of color until you get desired color.
Please note: stirring will not deflat shaving cream.
Cover until ready to use.

Paint with PUFFY PAINT:
You can use assorted size brushes, q-tips, or hands and have
children paint as they want. The puffier the better!  Let dry.

Your children will love the experience! Great smell too!

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39) Books

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes - DuBois Heyward - No one gave
her much encouragement, but pluck and persistence are rewarded when a little
country bunny finally becomes an Easter Bunny.

Everything About Easter Rabbits - Wiltrud Roser - Everything you ever wanted
to know about the habits of the genuine original Easter Rabbit.

Bently & Egg - by William Joyce
If You Were My Bunny - by Kate McMullan
The Easter Chicks - by Repchuck/Harland
Easter Egg Fun - Ursula Muhr
Pooh!  Oh Bother!  It's the Easter Bunny - Nancy Parent
What Is Easter? - Lillie James
Spot's First Easter - Eric Hill
Little Mouse Meets the Easter Bunny - Harriet Ziefert
Easter Yolks - Katy Hall