Easter & Spring Activities

Easter brings the hope of rebirth and beauty. It could give you a point of focus when choosing stories, crafts and activities to do as a family.

Story

The Easter Bunny
A charming, simple story about how the Easter Bunny learned how to deliver eggs. http://happywhimsicalhearts.com/2016/03/easter-bunny-rabbits/ This website has really great resources on further ways to celebrate the seasons, ways to bring Waldorf into the home, etc.

Games

Little Brown Bulb
For this game, the child curls up on a ball and you cover them with a blanket (a nice, heavy one that blocks light really gives an idea of what it is like to be underground! Then you say:

A Little Brown Bulb lay asleep in the ground (hands resting on child's back) 
And there she slept very sound (caress the back)
While Old King Winter raged and roared overhead (walk fingers like spiders over the child's back)
The Little Brown Bulb did not stir in her bed (rest hands)

Then came Lady Spring tip toeing over the lea (tip toe fingers)
Fingers to lips as quiet as can be (whisper)
The Little Brown Bulb lifted her head (child lifts head)
She slipped off her nightie and jumped out of bed! (child lifts the blanket and jumps up!)

Sleeping Bunnies
This song can be played while lying down on the floor/ grass/etc. As the song indicates, once you wake up you hop about!

See the little bunnies sleeping until noon
Shall I wake them with a merry tune?
Oh so still.....are they ill?...
Wake up little bunnies, hop hop hop!
Wake up little bunnies, hop hop hop!

Crafts

Egg Dying 
Natural dyed eggs are usually a 2 day project. To prepare, collect leaves and flowers, and secure them to the eggs using panty hose or cheese cloth (they work best when freshly picked, as maleable and moist sticks best to the eggs). After they have sat in the dye, the wrapping is removed revealing the beautiful stamp of the chosen flower or leaf.

If you're not so keen on the chemicals in store-bought Easter egg dye, try these nine all-natural options. Each features a colouring agent — a vegetable, fruit juice, or spice — that gives colour to hard-boiled eggs.

Sprouting Beans
Spring is a time to observe growth and life, and what better way to pass the days than seeing a baby bean grow right before your eyes? Here is a really easy, visual way to teach children about root systems. 

Five year olds might also like to hear the story of Jack and the Bean stalk. 
https://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/beanstalk/story.htm

Paper Seed Bombs
This is another multi step craft that is easy to execute and very rewarding. If you have any old seeds handy, this is the perfect way to use them! Perhaps you can plant to make them as gifts for friends and family, as a way of looking forward to seeing your loved ones again. Turn old paper into some super cool seed balls! This easy science activity and craft are perfect for Earth Day or a unit on gardening or plants and seeds!

With thanks and credit to Lucia Perez from the Comox Valley Waldorf School.