Celebrating Easter despite COVID-19

SEELEY LAKE – Among the things the coronavirus has disrupted is the supply lines feeding the nation. Who would have thought toilet paper would become the most hoarded commodity? There's a possibility it may also lead to fewer Easter "necessities." The traditional Easter egg hunt has already been canceled for Seeley Lake and other places. So just in case supplies of baskets, egg dying equipment, or candy run out before you get there, or because you are staying home as all the health officials are imploring you to do, here are some internet suggestions to help make Easter a fun day anyway.

Don't have an Easter basket? This website http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2014/03/07/Original_Abigail-Barnes-PaperandCake-printable-easter-basket.pdf has a printout with instructions for how to create a small basket. It is so simple – just print out, cut and tape together – the kids could even make their own baskets. Alison Waken's website https://allfortheboys.com/paper-baskets/ has an even simpler printout that lends itself to colored paper or plain white paper that the kids can color and decorate. If you are looking for a fancier basket, check out the HGTV site, https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/20-unconventional-easter-basket-ideas-pictures which offers "22 Unconventional Easter Basket Ideas," including #8 a Rice Krispies Treat edible basket and #13 a kitchen colander repurposed to become a basket. In fact anything around the house, from a soup bowl to a garden bucket, could be used. For grass inside the basket, use curly green ribbon, tissue paper, hand-colored paper cut in thin strips and crumpled or cotton balls.

If the stores have run out of Easter egg coloring kits, you can always use food coloring. Out of that too? The Reader's Digest website https://www.rd.com/home/decorating/homemade-easter-egg-dye/ explains how to make egg dyes from fruits, vegetables, spices, even coffee brew. If the kids have watercolors, SquirrellyMinds demonstrates how to use them to create beautiful colored eggs at https://www.rd.com/home/decorating/homemade-easter-egg-dye/.

Can't even get eggs? Elizabeth LaBau shows how to make cute "Easter Egg Cake Pops" at https://www.thespruceeats.com/easter-egg-cake-pops-520736.

If candy is not available, the internet is overflowing with Easter candy, cake and cookie recipes. Just google "Easter candy recipes" or "Easter cookie recipes." The Gold Lining Girl even has a cake mix recipe that creates yellow baby chicken cookies that look like healthier peeps chicks.

Looking for a little gift or two to balance the cookies and candy? How about an Easter bunny bookmark from https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/easter-bunny-corner-bookmark/ -- and maybe a book to go with it. Allison Waken at All For The Boys has a number of fun (and often science-related) activities simple enough to be made into kits to place into or next to the basket. Don't be fooled by the website name. Allison Waken has two sons and the activities were created for them, but girls will have just as much fun putting the kits together and enjoying activities such as balloon racing https://allfortheboys.com/balloon-races/; blowing balloons using a water bottle https://allfortheboys.com/water-bottle-balloon-launchers/; creating an air-powered propeller https://allfortheboys.com/science-of-motion/ or creating their own cup-and-ball game https://allfortheboys.com/theme-week-plastic-cup-game/.

What about the traditional Easter egg hunt? The easiest substitute is to hide the dyed Easter eggs around the house, or even outside if the weather is good, and let the kids search for them. Don't be surprised if they want you to keep the game going by asking you to hide them again and again. Or if you have colored plastic eggs and want to make the hunt even more fun you can incorporate "eggs-ercises" into the hunt. The Seasoned Mom at https://www.theseasonedmom.com/easter-activity-for-kids-easter-eggs-ercises/ has some suggestions to get you started. Kristen Duke at https://www.kristendukephotography.com/spring-easter-lunch-jokes-are-here/ has small Easter joke printables that she puts in her kids' lunches just for fun, but they'd be great fun in the plastic eggs too or even in envelopes with a crayoned Easter egg on the front.

For older children, Studio DIY shows how to make emoji Easter eggs either for in the basket or on a hunt, though you might have to have your teen or pre-teen explain what each emoji means after they find them. If you do not have available the recommended craft paint or are concerned about eating an egg decorated with them, you might use crayons or some other impermeable paint or marker instead. The website's owner Holly also worked out a fun hunt for the older kids using QR codes to be decoded with their smart phones. She shares her printables at http://blog.bitsofeverything.com/2014/04/smart-phone-easter-egg-hunt-older-kids.html/2. She also has free printables for Easter egg coupons http://blog.bitsofeverything.com/category/easter with suggestions for things like permission to skip some chore or to allow an extra hour of video game time.

If you explore Holly's site further, you will find suggestions for emphasizing the religious celebration of Easter, including suggestions for family activities during Easter Week. Also emphasizing the religious side, Karyn at Teach Beside Me created an egg carton of what she calls "resurrection eggs." Somewhat the same as an Advent calendar, one of the numbered plastic eggs is opened each day starting 12 days before Easter. Each contains a small object and a Biblical verse. For instance, egg number 3 contains a knotted piece of string and the verse reference Matthew 27:1-2. When the child looks up the verse it reads: "Now when the morning came all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel together against Jesus in order to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the procurator."

If you don't have 12 days, you could let the children open more than one egg each day, assigning the eggs thematically. A suggestion would be to start on Maundy Thursday using Holly's #2 as #1 and adding Matt 26:26-29 with a small piece of bread as #2. Holly's #3, 4, 5, 6, 7 make logical Good Friday readings, just as her #8, 9, 10, 11 make good Holy Saturday readings.

Also remember, even though churches will not have their parishioners present in the church during Holy Week, many religious groups will have online or TV services. Some are even videoing live Passion Plays or organizing online collaborations and performing traditional Easter music and songs. Search the internet using query terms appropriate to your religious denomination. Seek and you shall find.