Fun Crafts for Easter with the Grands

Looking for fun treats to add to your grandkids' Easter basket? Be sure to include some books!

I recently went shopping for my youngest grandson's Easter basket. Besides the religious books that I wanted to include, I found some good secular books as well. 

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Lots of books available with the Good News of Easter!

Other fun books I included in my grandson's Easter basket.

Easter weekend fun!

Just like you I'm sure, we always dye Easter eggs, bake and decorate cookies with a springtime theme, and of course hide those eggs after church on Sunday. Since my grandson will be with us the entire weekend, I decided we needed to add another activity to the mix. And one that went with the fun books I bought, 

A Reading/Art Connection~

Since a chick figured prominently in two of the Easter books I bought, I thought we could make an Easter chick finger puppet. Both books have a familiar plot line and pattern, so besides the craft, we could then use the puppet/puppets we make to act out the story from the book. This is such a good literacy experience for my 5-year-old! It includes reading, art, and dramatics. Anytime you can extend one of your child's favorite books in this way, it makes for a very rich experience for him.

I got online and found a website with instructions on how to make a chick hand puppet:

​iheartcraftythings.com/chick-finger-puppets.html

So I was off to the craft store, my home away from home!

Crafts supplies I bought included feathers and googly eyes. I also got foam paper as I thought it might hold up better in a finger puppet.

I had these two books in mind as I set out to create one puppet before my grandson gets here. That way, when he makes his puppet, I can anticipate his needs and his abilities.

These are the two books I singled out to make puppets so we could act them out.

My sample for my grandson to follow.

Because I used a sheet of yellow foam for the chick, he seems to stand up very well. Cardstock would probably work just as well.

Hopefully my grandson will want to make puppets of the other characters in the book too. But in case we lack the time, I enlarged the "old lady" from the story, cut her out, and mounted her on a construction paper stick, thus making a stick puppet.

Another idea!

Another idea with this craft project is to include it as a station during your afternoon of decorating eggs. I don't know about your family, but Saturday's the day we decorate eggs. We make an entire afternoon of it--decorating eggs and cookies. One year we had 2-3 stations in our backyard so that when the grands and cousins completed one task, they could move on to another station. This puppet idea could be added as a station. Then at the end of the party, they could put on a puppet show using the finger puppets and paper sack puppets they have made. 

Egg-dyeing station...

Plastic eggs with foam stickers at another station.

Third station is the craft table where the kids can make the chick puppet.

Another fun puppet to add to the art station is this sack puppet. I've included the website with instructions at the end of this blog.

It's all about adding to your family traditions. And what can be better than using a good book for inspiration and fun. 

I found these two books at the book store and I think my five-year-old will really like them:

"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick" by Lucille Colandro and illustrated by Jared Lee. Patterned after Rose Bonne's story, "I Know an Old Lady." Kids of all ages love this cumulative story and song.

"The Night Before Easter," by Natasha Wing. This one is of course patterned after "The Night Before Christmas." Another good story that children love.

And you don't have to wait till Easter to do this. You can add an art activity to ANY book you and your grandchild read together. Things like that just enrich the grandparent/grandchild experience. I'm guessing it's something they'll always remember.

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Have fun and Happy Easter!

Website with instructions for making the bunny paper sack puppet:

​gluesticksgumdrops.com/bunny-paper-bag-puppet/