EASTER TREE

Take a large limb from a tree, making sure it has lots of off-shoots.  Spray paint white.  Put in coffee can filled with cement.  Now decorate to your heart's content.  I used this tree for Easter, Jesse Tree, and Christmas Tree.  It pretty much stayed in my classroom all year.  I think it would make a great Halloween 'Spooky' Tree too.  I also used this tree in my own home when my children were younger.  See below.

MILK JUG EASTER BASKETS

This project started with the students drawing Easter pictures and designs on milk cartons.  (I had parents cut the cartons into the shape needed.)  Then, we started making the traditional Easter Bunny Basket.  All baskets looked more or less alike.  Finally, we extended the project to students having a choice of which basket to make.
We would do one type of basket a day.  The students who wanted to make that basket would meet in a center with a parent volunteer.  It might take a week to complete all the baskets.  Once the baskets were complete, we planted grass.  You can make this into a science project.  The grass needs about 5-6 weeks to grow.  It helps the seed germinate, to put the baskets in plastic bags (from grocery stores) for a few days.  Watch that you take the bags off before the project gets moldy.  I used grow lights on cloudy days.  On nice days, we put the baskets outside.  I would monitor the baskets.  If some weren't growing, I would add grass.  If it gets too long, let the children used scissors to give it a "haircut".  They love this concept!

DIRECTIONS FROM THE INTERNET:

Gather your supplies and start about three weeks before Easter.  We started earlier to make sure everyone had Easter Grass.

Find a shallow container that's just big enough to fit inside the basket you want to use. (Make sure the pot has drainage holes.)

Fill the container with potting soil and sprinkle grass seed on top.  I asked the nearest garden shop what to use.  Some years, I would even get the material donated!

Place it outdoors in the sun or on a sunny windowsill.

Water it daily.  We used a spray bottle.  Each child was in charge of spraying their own each day.

Wait until the grass has grown a few inches high and then tuck the container into a basket and let the Easter Bunny fill it with springtime treats.  See DECORATIVE EASTER EGG posting.

NOTICES SENT HOME:

~ Please send in 3 or more blown eggs by March 1^st.  We plan to work on our eggs the week we take the ITBS.  We will make cascarones from the eggs and put them in our Easter Basket.

~ Please send in gallon plastic milk jug as soon as possible so we can get them cut for our Bunny Baskets.

~ We need parent volunteers to help us make our Bunny Baskets the week of ITBS.  If you can help please let me know.

EASTER GIFT CARD

When you need to send a card/cards to someone in a hurry, this idea is quick and cute.  Use a large cutout for the center picture, give the students a 2x2 piece of paper to make a fingerprint picture.  For ideas, use Ed Emberley Print Books.  Emberley is best known for his children's book work - particularly instructional drawing books. Emberley believes that everyone can learn to draw. His drawing books for children feature clear step-by-step instructions employing numbers, letters, and shapes graded to the early elementary school level.  Emberley has illustrated or contributed to over 50 books, many of which were first published between the 1960s and 1980s.   You can find the books at any bookstore.

APRIL BULLETIN BOARDS

The first bulletin board is showing off student work.  The next two are listing student names.  The final board is vocabulary for science and writing.

TORN PAPER BUNNY HEAD

An easy project that can be completed in a short amount of time.  Every student gets a piece of pink construction paper.  Guide the students while they tear the bunny face.  This is the most difficult part of the project.  Have students tear the eyes and nose from purple  paper, the whiskers and inner ears from black and the teeth from white.  Place all the pieces where they should be and then glue one piece at a time.  Back onto dark construction paper.  Add to this project with a poem or story.  If this rabbit is made smaller it is a cute front to an Easter Card.

BUNNY BOUNCE PROGRAM

This program turned out to be delightful and easy to put together. Students make bunny masks to wear during the program. Each child gets a part to say during the program. All students learn the Rockin' Rabbit Song. Add a few other songs with movements from the students and you have your Spring Program.The hutch for the bunnies to hide in is so easy to make. It can be used year after year. Take 3 Science Tri Fold Boards, spray paint sky blue, trim the bottom with construction paper grass, add 3-D daffodils (see posting: DAFFODIL BULLETIN BOARD), and use bulletin board letters to write THE BUNNY BOUNCE on the front of the hutch. The three boards do not need to be attached. The tri fold holds them in place.

BUNNY BAKES

EASTER COOKIE

LARGE SPRING BASKET TEMPLATES

These make cute Spring Baskets.  Make as large as you wish.  Help the students place the template on the folded construction paper.  I stapled the construction paper closed so it would not move as the students were cutting.  Make sure they understand not to cut the folded edge sections.  Choice of colors should be spring colors. Once the student is finished tracing their basket, set up another student.  Monitor the students as they cut out the basket.  It is the most difficult part of the project.  Have students write a poem to go along with the basket.      

DAFFODIL BULLETIN BOARD

This makes a wonderful bulletin board to use as a backdrop for student work you would like to display.  I used cupcake liners as the center of the daffodils for a nice 3D look.

WALLPAPER BUNNY BASKETS

This is an ADORABLE PROJECT that is very easy for students of all ages.  Younger students need the patterns cut out, ready to trace and cut.  Older students can be given the pattern page and directions.  You will need several wallpaper sample books.  Cut the paper out of books so students are not waiting












to look for wallpaper.  Encourage students to lay everything out prior to gluing.  Ask if the different wall paper chosen makes a nice picture.  You can choose to give this as a gift or display it on a wall.  You can also have students write a Spring Poem to go with this project.  Frame the art project with black construction paper that is pinched at each corner.

EASTER BOOKMARK

Print on card stock.  Punch a hole.  Thread a small ribbon.  You can tie in a bow or add beads at the bottom of the ribbon.  Sign your name and date.

COLORED EASTER CARD

Have students choose one of these pictures to color with magic markers.  Glue onto the front of a folded colorful construction paper card.  Give students writing paper to write a note.  Can put in a 5 x 7 envelope and deliver.

EASTER EGG BASKET - EARLY CHILDHOOD

Simple Easter Basket for younger children to color.  Have a set of eggs for the students to match to the eggs in the basket.

BUNNY BOOKMARK

This is a cute, quick bookmark for your students.  Or have your students make them for a gift project.

ENVELOPE BUNNY BASKET

This is a quick activity that could be sent to a lower grade that your class works with or to an Elderly Group for an Easter Treat.  Add colored grass and a few chocolate eggs.

EASTER EGG COLORING DESIGN

This project can be done in a lot of ways.  First way that I like is to either lay an acetate on top of the egg pattern for the students to color and trace, or copy the pattern straight to the acetate for the students to color.  These can be put in the windows and add lots of colors on sunny days.  Be sure to use magic markers - permanent ones are great except for the smell, so keep your doors and windows open for ventilation.  Second way is to give the eggs to the students and let them color, cut out and place in the hallway with a GIANT EASTER BASKET and Easter Grass.  Third way is to blow up, print on tagboard (make sure it is not the slick side), color with markers, and cut out to hang from the ceiling.  Write an Easter or Spring Poem to put on the back side.  See MAY CEILING HANGINGS for another idea.