I {Kayla} teach a pre-k class at my church on Wednesday nights and, as the Easter holiday approaches, my kiddos have been working on a lapbook to take home and share with their families. [The curriculum had us working through the Easter story for four weeks, spreading lessons a little thin, and I needed something to supplement the activities in order to keep my 5-year-olds engaged!] Containing a mixture of printables that I found online and resources that I made myself, I think my little learners are going to have a fun and colorful way to recount the amazing story of Easter - this year and in the years to come! Not to mention, under the guise of fun art projects and activities, they strengthened handwriting skills, early reading skills, color recognition, and more!

Here's a breakdown of the first two sections...

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

While the highlight of our night was definitely when a friend from the kindergarten class got to ride on the back of our program leader's back, pretending to be Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, while we all waved construction paper palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" - my kiddos also enjoyed tracing the message on the palm branch and coloring a picture of Jesus' triumphal entry. [I think they might have enjoyed tracing because they got to use our pip squeaks markers that we only pull out for special occasions!] While the parts of the first section by themselves aren't overly exciting, my pre-k kiddos loved when everything was put together and they could lift the palm branch to see what goodies were hidden behind it!

Jesus Died on the Cross

This lesson, while integral to our faith story and the Easter story, was also darker and sadder than most of our previous lessons. For a 5-year-old who may not have much experience with death, or truly comprehend it even if they have lost a loved one, I wanted to incorporate the story in a positive and uplifting way. While understanding the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and the brutal way in which He took our sins upon Himself  is important (and better for when the kiddos are older!), this lesson is also all about God's love for us. I created a short booklet/reader for my kiddos to illustrate in order to remind them WHY Jesus died on the cross. They had a great time drawing pictures of themselves, their family, their friends, and the world!

Stay tuned for Part 2!