How to Plan an Easter Party for Kids

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Kids look forward to holidays and Easter is always a kid favorite. The Easter bunny, chocolates, an Easter egg hunt, and coloring eggs are all fun activities children anticipate well in advance. If you are interested in planning an Easter party for kids you can do so with minimal effort and for a low cost if you are well organized and planned. The following tips will help you plan an outstanding Easter party for kids that will be enjoyed by kids and adults.

First, you need to decide what you want to do. An Easter egg hunt is a definite, but you need to make some decisions about this. Will you be inviting children of a similar age or will there be a wide age range? The reason this is important is because you want everyone to have a chance to find some eggs. If there are lots of big kids and little kids all mixed together then the little kids won't find any eggs, or not many, and then they will feel sad and won't enjoy the party. So, if you have kids that are close in age at the party then one Easter egg hunt will suffice. But, if you are going to have a wide range of ages then you will need to plan an Easter egg hunt for both groups.

Another thing to keep in mind is where you will have the hunt and what will you place in the eggs. Chocolates, especially dark chocolates, are great suggestions to place inside the plastic eggs. Money, jelly beans, and even small toys are also great suggestions. Some people like to use real boiled eggs for their Easter egg hunt. This is completely up to you and what is easiest should be chosen.

If you do decide to use real eggs then you might want to have an egg coloring contest before. That way the kids could really enjoy decorating the eggs and once decorated they could be hidden for the Easter egg hunt. That would be a lot of fun for the kids to hunt for the eggs they already decorated!

Beyond including an Easter egg hunt and possibly an egg coloring contest you should have refreshments. It is really easy to make a cake that looks like a bunny, or if you aren't that creative you could just buy one already made. A bunny cake is the centerpiece and then you could just offer chips, Easter candy and some punch or other drinks.

Remember as well that if you invite many children to the event you will need chaperones, especially if you are having an egg hunt and kids are roaming around. Ask a couple of parents to stay or invite kids with their parents so everyone can enjoy the party and you don't have the responsibility of that many kids on your hands.

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Personalized Easter Basket For Kids Will Make Then Smile This Easter 2009

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Making your Easter basket for kids in 2009 is going to be great fun for the whole family but there are a few things to keep in mind too. Things like safety and durability are the major concerns.

Putting Child Safety First

When creating you personalized Easter basket for kids one of the concerns that needs to be considered when buying the basket is putting the safety of the child first

When your child finds an Easter egg or other surprise in the garden, they can use their personalized Easter egg basket to protect their treasures.

Don't forget that the basket needs to be robust enough to carry as many Easter eggs and goodies that you have taken the time to hide in the garden. Otherwise the items that they find could fall out and rediscovered by another child on the same hunt.

When choosing your personalized Easter egg basket for your kids, due attention must be paid to the makeup of the handles especially. This is because an overloaded basket may break at the handles exposing the sharp edges of their Easter basket.

When out in the stores choosing your basket, due care and attention should be paid to the type of material that may splinter or rip that may cause injury to your child.

How Strong is your Easter Basket

If you choose to buy a strong and durable personalized Easter basket for kids then not only can you be more confident that your child will be safe, but you can also use the basket for other items such as flowers for Mother's, or Christmas care baskets for family and friends.

If you only need your personalized Easter basket for kids to last for this year only, then I would advise finding a relatively cheap one that still conforms to all the aforementioned safety tips.

For myself, about 5 years ago I chose to buy my personalized Easter basket for kids from a quality store. This has meant that I have been able to use and use again the basket for many other craft ideas.

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History of Chocolate Easter Confection

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The Mayans and Aztecs were two ancient people groups of Southern Mexico and Guatemala. What did they have to do with the history of Easter? This is where chocolate originated, and tied to the history of chocolate Easter confections provides a rich holiday legacy.

The Mayans and Aztecs discovered that the seeds of the cacao tree can be processed into chocolate. These early peoples mixed the ground cacao seeds with spices to create a beverage. The Aztecs used cacao seeds as money, and they exacted cacao seeds from their citizens and their conquered. In Aztec culture, only royalty and elite could drink chocolate, but in Mayan culture more people had access to chocolate. Both cultures used chocolate as religious offerings and during sacred rituals.

Spanish conquistadors, after exploring Mexico, brought the seeds with them back to Spain, and the cacao seeds eventually spread all over Europe. It was in Europe that the ground cacao seeds were mixed with sugar, and a new taste sensation was born. At this time in Europe only the rich could afford to drink chocolate.

The Industrial Revolution brought modern technology to the making of chocolate, and it was at this time that technology made it possible for chocolate to be eaten in its solid form. It could also be mass produced, making it more accessible to a wider audience. Even today machines are used to sort and clean the seeds, then weigh them. After this they are roasted and cleaned still further. At this point they get ground and through this process they are liquefied, then separated into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Although each chocolate manufacturer has their own specific recipes for making chocolate, they all essentially mix together chocolate liquor, sugar, condensed milk and cocoa butter to create chocolate crumb. The crumb is pressed and forms chocolate paste, which is then blended in a large vat. At this stage, the chocolate is heated and cooled several times to temper it, making is shiny. After it is tempered, it can be poured into molds, forming all the familiar shapes in which chocolate comes. It can also be poured over flavored centers or the shaped chocolate can be filled with liquid. Finally, a machine is used to package the chocolate for sale.

The first solid chocolate Easter eggs were created in Germany and France around 1800. After this came the formation of hollow chocolate eggs, and with modern machines that could mass produce the confections, over time they became one of the best-loved Easter confections around the globe. To satisfy our worldwide sweet tooth requires the manufacture of ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies every year. Today's Easter baskets, filled with Easter gifts, are a chocolate-filled holiday tradition.

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Children's Activities - Two Activities to Have Fun With Your Kids

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In this article I will recommend two activities which you can employ and have as fun as possible with your children. I found them searching online and I changed them a little bit to fit my personal standards. Keep reading.

Children's activity #1: Creating hats from paper board.

For this activity for children you will need scissors, colors, and colored paper board. First you must cut the paper board to the shape of the hat. You can also make a crown instead. You can find printable designs online but you can always draw your own hat. Then let the children cut the paper board hats. Urge them to start drawing on the hats. You can also use glue to stick small beads on the hat or crown. After the drawing is over add the finishing touch by sticking the two sides of the paper board together to form the hat. Next, children can wear the hats and have fun switching hats and running here and there. When they are finished ask them to help you clean the mess. Children will just love this activity!

Children's activity #2: Painting Easter Eggs

You can use this activity during Easter when you paint the eggs (usually red). If children like it then you can do many times a year. This is actually a Christian custom. I changed a little bit and I let my children draw on the eggs instead of painting them with one color. You will need eggs, acrylic paints and brushes. First of all boil the eggs. Let them cool down. Then gather the paints and brushes to the playground and let your kids draw happy faces on the eggs or just pick their own theme. Let the color dry. In the next step children play with the eggs hitting them to one another to find out which one is the strongest. The eggs that brake can be eaten. They will just love this part. Your children's activity is over. Clean up the up the mess with the help of your kids.

The above mentioned children's activities are just a sample of the thousands activity-recommendations you can find on the world wide web. I usually search for packs of printable craft and activity templates. I also invest money in buying these templates and then I re-model them to fit my children's needs and my own. I keep having fun with my children using new ideas. I wish you all the fun you can get with your kids.

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Easter - A Time For Celebration and a Time For Reflection

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Easter is the time of year when all Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after he was crucified on the cross. It is probably the most celebrated occasion in the Christian calendar. It is even more important than Christmas itself.

Easter itself is the culmination of forty days in which time Christians pray, fast and reflect. That time is called Lent. The forty days are said to represent the forty days that Jesus was out in the wilderness alone and where he overcame many temptations of the devil.

The week before Easter itself is the Holy Week. Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday and is the day Jesus had the last supper with his disciples then Good Friday is the day Jesus was crucified. As we all know Easter Sunday is the day in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and should not be forgotten when we celebrate Easter.

Christian Church

The Christian church was looking for a time to hold a celebration for the resurrection of Christ and changed the pagan celebration of Eostre into their own celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. They also changed the day on which the celebration took place and decreed that the new date was after the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the Vernal Equinox. This also meant that the date changed from year to year and is now celebrated between the 22nd March or in some cases as late as the 25th April.

Many centuries before Jesus was resurrected from the cross civilizations celebrated the coming of spring with grand festivals and rituals so it's no coincidence the Christian church used this time to celebrate Jesus' life and death.

Warmth, Light and Fertility

Even before Christianity began people celebrated the coming of spring by organizing grand festivals and sacrifices to honor their goddesses of spring. They all knew that if their goddess was pleased with them then she would reward them by warming and lighting up the land, give new life to overwintering flowers, trees and shrubs and to bring new life into animals and birds too not to mention the fields upon which they grew their food.

But where did the Easter celebration come from? Well we are not quite sure but it's almost certain that it is from one of these events:

Goddess of Fertility and Spring

The word "Easter" could be derived from the pagan word Eostre who was the goddess of fertility and birth. The pagans believed she returned to earth each year around what we now call spring time and bestowed light and warmth to the land. To mark the coming of Eostre the pagans laid on huge celebrations in her honor so as not to upset the goddess.

There are other events that claim to be the original Easter celebration including:

The Jewish Passover

Another version is the Jewish Passover with some people believing this Hebrew tradition was the basis of Easter. The Jewish people celebrated around Easter time to herald the freedom of the Israelites from incarceration and slavery. This, along with the resurrection of Christ which happened around the same time as the Jewish Passover contributed too many Jews considering the Passover and Easter being one.

Even the word Easter is a little mysterious in it's origins.

Lost in Translation

The word Easter itself is said to have come from an actual translation error. The Latin word Alba or white is thought to have been mistranslated when translated into German. The Alba word means white but it can also mean sunlight and its thought that the sunlight translation was used and therefore the word Easter was born.

Easter Bunny and Brightly Painted Eggs

It has become a much commercialized event too with the integration of Easter eggs, chocolate and the Easter bunny being at the forefront of the commercialization. The original Easter bunny and eggs originated from pagan times when they associated them with the coming of spring and fertility. The pagans would paint them with bright colors and hang them in trees and bushes and also give them out to family and friends. But it was the Germans who carried on with the tradition, so much so that around the 18th century the first chocolate Easter eggs were created by them. Since then we have seen an explosion of people giving chocolate around Easter time but it should not be forgotten why Easter is important for another reason.

Never Forget why we Celebrate

No matter how or why we celebrate Easter there is one thing that all Christian's must never forget. You should never forget the reason why the world over people celebrate Easter, and that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For that very fact Easter is an important date in the Christian calendar and possibly more important than Christmas itself.

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The Eid Festivals - Eid ul Fit and Eid ul Adha

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The Muslim festival Eid-Ul-Adha is the Festival of Pilgrimage for Muslims. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijjah to mark the end of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. This is a festival that recollects fundamental events in Muslim history; the call of Prophet Abraham for believers to visit the Kaaba he had built.

Basically Eid-Ul-Adha signifies a festival of obedience and sacrifice through following God's commands and the spirit of sacrifice and dedication that Muslims harbor with fellow Muslims and other human beings.

The great patriarch, Abraham was so God abiding that he was ready to immolate his beloved son Ismael at God's command. But God then acknowledged his obedience and sent a sheep to be sacrificed instead. Today believers donate to the poor and rejoice during Eid-Ul-Adha.

Eid-Ul-Adha starts with a usual bath wherein all members of the family seek each other's forgiveness and pardon. There is a special congregational prayer organized in the mosque to recall the spirit of Abraham's sacrifice.

Another joyous Islamic festival is the Eid-Ul-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. This is the day people thank Allah for their strength and self-restraint during their fast during Ramadan. The first sight of the new moon on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth Islamic month decides the date of Eid-Ul-Fitr and the start of celebrations.

The festival is also referred to as the 'Festival of Fast-Breaking' where you see a great rush in markets the day before the festival. This is when people shop for gifts, clothes and sweetmeats. Eid-Ul-Fitr also signifies the payment of obligatory charity, fitrah. Being the festival of charity, the poor, ailing and orphans are remembered and are relieved by Muslims who give donations, kindness and love generously.

The morning of Eid finds all Muslims attending morning players after which everyone wears their best. Men wear white kurtas, pants, surma, perfume and a white or colored topee to complete their attire. Women wear beautiful churidhars and shalwar kameez with embroidered shawls. After eating a special Eid preparation of milk, sugar and vermicelli, the male attend special prayers at the mosque.

The mosques are packed on Eid-Ul-Fitr where rich and poor stand together in front of their Creator to cement the bond of affection and brotherhood of Islamism by hugging each other and greeting 'Eid Mubarak'. The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives and friends to exchange greetings and gifts. Children look forward to Eid-Ul-Fitr as they receive Eidi in the form of cash or gifts from elders. Radio stations play popular 'Qauwwali' while the television screens progams with Muslim flavor.

No Lid celebration is complete without Biryani. Its preparation is a part of the rituals of Lid that is transmitted from mother to daughter and master to disciple. Besides Biryani, meet and chicken Kababs, kulfis, faloodas, pulaos, Shawai and other delicacies are gorged after one month of restraint. All friends and relatives participate in the joyous, and traditional celebrations of Eid-Ul-Fitr.

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Printable Easter Bingo

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According to Christian religious belief, three days after Jesus Christ was crucified, he was resurrected. Easter (which is also known as "Resurrection Day" or "Pasha") is the Christian holiday and festival, perhaps the most important feast of the Christian liturgical year, which marks these events. The word "Easter" is used both to refer to the specific holy day and to the season of the church year which includes Easter day itself.

The date of Easter does vary each year, and the calculation of its date has been an issue of some controversy among Christians, at various times in history. The reason that the date moves is that Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover - the Last Supper is generally regarded as having been a Passover meal - and of course date of Passover is determined using the Jewish lunar calendar. The usual formula that is used to calculate the date of Easter has been described as placing Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal equinbox - but even this is a simplification. Furthermore, since Eastern and Western Christian use different calendars (Julian and Gregorian respectively), even today there is no universal agreement on the date of Easter.

Although Easter has its roots in Christianity, today it is also a secular celebration. Most Western countries provide public holidays around Easter, and these holidays provide a excellent opportunity to spend times with friends and family. Children of course enjoy Easter eggs at this time, as well as chocolate, candies and sweets of all times. The holiday also provides the opportunity for Christian children to learn more about their faith, and for children of all faiths (and no faith) to learn about the history of Easter.

An activity that you may wish to consider for the occasion is Easter bingo. Bingo is in general suitable for marking most holidays (not just Easter), because the game is easy to learn, a lot of fun and is open to people of all ages to play. Some older people can of course enjoy the game as just a bit of fun - but kids can actually learn quite a bit while playing.

In order to play you will need some bingo cards printed with words or phrases relating to Easter instead of the traditional numbered bingo cards. In the old days, you would probably have had to send off to a specialist publisher to get these custom bingo cards - but today it's much easier and cheaper - you can simply print bingo cards from your computer. With suitable bingo card maker software, you can easily print as many bingo cards as you wish, on any topic or theme.

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