Christ in Easter: 10 Days of Family Fun

In “Celebrate Easter: 10 Days of Family Fun,” Episode, #132, Meredith Curtis gives you a 10-day plan for Family Devotions/Fun that will engage all ages and make your Holy Week/Easter celebration meaningful for the whole family. Each day, she has Scripture suggestions, prayer focus, discussion ideas, song/hymn ideas, and fun activities. Easter is more than brand new frilly dresses and baskets packed with goodies. Easter celebrations remind us of the historical day when Jesus died for our sins, paying our penalty, and 3 days later rose from the dead, conquering death forever and setting us free! Use Easter to teach your children about the most important event in history and how it matters to each of them personally.

Show Notes

Holy Week is a traditional celebration of the final week in Jesus’ Life ending with the cross (Good Friday) and the resurrection (Easter Sunday). This is a little different though it Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter fall in sync with tradition Holy Week days, it does not line up with Maundy Thursday so please feel free to adapt this any way you would like to.

For everything I share in this podcast, PLUS 6 more days, all the Scripture written out, Prophecies given in Old Testament fulfilled during Holy Week, and MORE! Get Celebrate Easter Devotions FREE until April 30, 2021 by clicking on the photo below. 😊 Happy Easter! 😊 😊

Day 1 Saturday Before Palm Sunday

Jesus is anointed at Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13 or John 12:1-9)

Discuss the place of extravagance in worship. Drive it home with foot rubs.

Prayer focus: thanking God

Worship song suggestion: How Great Thou Art

Family Fun: Decorate for Easter

Day 2 Palm Sunday

Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1-13 or John 12:12-19)

Discuss “Hosanna”—a cry of praise that means “Help!” or “Please save me!”. Drive it home with a parade around the yard or neighborhood singing.

Prayer focus: things you need God to help with

Worship song suggestion: All Glory, Laud, & Honor

Family Fun: Watch a movie about the life of Jesus

• The Chosen (TV series)
• The Gospel of John
• Jesus
• The Greatest Story Ever Told
• Jesus of Nazareth
• The Miracle Maker

Day 3 Monday

Jesus cleanses the temple (Matthew 21:12-17 or Mark 11:15-19)

Discuss what Jesus was cleaning out—the greed/idoltry. Drive it home by pulling out the refrigerator and cleaning behind it.

Prayer focus: purity

Worship song suggestion: A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Family Fun: Color Easter Eggs together

Day 4 Tuesday

The Plot to Kill Jesus (Matthew 26:3-5 or John 11:45-57)

Discuss the the plot the Jewish leaders were hatching. Drive it home with creating your own plot together. Maybe you can “trick” another family into joining you for dinner.

Prayer focus: pray for freedom from the plots of satan in our world today: sexual immorality, abortion, liberal theology, atheism

Worship song suggestion: Fairest Lord Jesus

Family Fun: have a Treasure Hunt or invite a family over for dinner

Day 5 Wednesday

Passover Feast/Last Supper (Exodus 12:1-36, Matthew 26:17-19 or John 13, I Corinthians 11:23-25)

Discuss how the Passover Feast was fulfilled in Christ. Drive it home with a Christian Seder Meal or family communion.

Prayer focus: greater desire to serve others

Worship song suggestion: Let Us Break Bread Together

Family Fun: Holy Week symbolic eggs

Day 6 Thursday

Garden/Betrayal/Arrest (Matthew 26:36-56 or John 15:1-18:14)

Discuss the focus of Jesus prayer in the Garden (John 17). Drive it home with trying to stay up and pray as late as you can. Who stayed awake the longest?

Prayer focus: bless people who have hurt you in the past

Worship song suggestion: In the Garden

Family Fun: Fill Out a Map of Jerusalem. Label where Jesus spent the last week of His life.

Day 7 Good Friday

Jesus’ Trial, Torture, & Death, Peter’s Denial, Judas’ Suicide (Matthew 26:57-27:50 or John 18:12-19:30)

Discuss what Jesus’ betray, arrest, beating, mocking, agony, and death show us about the holiness of God / His punishment of sin. Drive it home by having devotion time at 3 p.m., the hour He died. Also write past sins on pieces of paper and nail them to a wooden cross.

Prayer focus: forgiveness

Worship song suggestion: The Old Rugged Cross

Family Fun: make & eat Hot Cross Buns (the cross on the top symbolizes the cross of Jesus)

Day 8 Saturday before Easter

Supernatural Events as Jesus Died & Christ’s Burial (Matthew 27:45, 51-66 or John 19:25-42)

Discuss the last 7 phrases of Jesus. Drive it home by talking about what you would want to communicate before you die.

Prayer focus: freedom from sin

Worship song suggestion: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Family Fun: prepare for tomorrow’s celebration

Day 9 Easter Sunday

Resurrection! (Matthew 28:1-15 or John 20:1-18)

Discuss how each person responded on that first Resurrection Sunday. Drive it home with each person taking an empty egg, going outside, and filling it with something to resprent new life.

Prayer focus: thanking God for His Resurrection!

Worship song suggestion: Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Family Fun: Act out the Resurrection

Day 10: Monday after Easter

The Power of the Resurrection (I Corinthians 15:12-28 and 35-58 or Ephesians 1:15-22 and Philippians 3)

Discuss the power that raised Jesus from the dead. Drive it home by reading with a 25 watt bulb and a 100 watt bulb. Power makes a difference.

Prayer focus: more Resurrection power in our lives!

Worship song suggestion: Heaven Came Down

Family Fun: make Candles

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Resources: 1-Credit High School Courses

The high school course, devotional, and Bible studies all talk about family/holiday traditions. 😊

The following books give detailed instructions so you can have your own History Parties.

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Stress-Free Homeschool Graduation Celebration

In “Stress-Free Homeschool Graduation Celebration,” Episode #131, Meredith Curtis believes you can plan and celebrate a homeschool graduation stress-free if you plan and budget ahead. With simple explanations and examples, Meredith lays out how to plan a graduation celebration for just your family or a small group of teens. She has graduated 5 with stress-free celebrations so she shares her tips and wisdom with you! She also shares money-saving tips for every step in the process of graduation planning.

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Bringing Homeschool Joy to Families Everywhere!

Show Notes

First homeschool grad—2 graduations.

You can plan a stress-free graduation.

Choose the How

Talk with your teen. What does he want?

Quiet family celebration vs small group vs state homeschool graduation.

Formal vs. Informal

When to start planning? September/October senior year

Choose the Venue for the Graduation Ceremony

Where will graduation take place?

Rent?

Money saving tip: Jose’s graduation at a park

Choose the Venue for the Graduation Party

How we do it: Group graduation with reception. Later private party.

What does your teen/family want?

Our graduation this year.

Money saving tip: Rose’s party at Janet’s

Special Senior Year Events

Growing up we had homecoming, Grad Nite, prom, senior skip day

Special events planned by each family graduating

Ideas:

• BBQ
• Bonfire at Beach
• Game Night
• Junior/Senior Banquet
• Christian Concert
• Class T-Shirts
• Pool Party
• Movie Night
• Boat Outing

Money saving tip: Game night at our house

Senior Photos

Love the senior photos of my kids!

Bring change of clothing for nice, casual, and cap-n-gown. If group—do a group photo shoot at least a month before graduation

Shine’s photo shoots for homeschool seniors

Money saving tip: Family member take photo or bartering or coupons for professionals

Make Your Guest List

Who does teen want to be there?

Make guest list together

Notify out-of-towners as early as possible

Graduation Announcement

Nice way to invite guests (2/1)

Mail 2-4 weeks ahead and up to 8 weeks afterward

Use templates at Walgreens®, Sams®, and other photo developing place

Money saving tip: get it ready early and watch for sales

Plan Menu

Food is very important to teenagers and their guests!

Some teens will leave the planning to you, others will want their favorite foods

When we have a group graduation, each family brings hearty appetizers/sandwiches—enough to feed themselves and all their guests. Then we chip in for drinks and cake.

For creative menu planning ideas, read my blog post 8 Unique Graduation Party Menus.

Money saving tip: plan ahead and watch for sales. Have guests chip in.

Diplomas, Gowns & More

• Diplomas
• Covers
• Gown
• Tassel
• Hat

Money saving tip: order early, create a larger order with other homeschooling families

Making it Special

• Graduation colors
• Special verse
• Motto
• Graduation Program

Money-saving tip: Let a tech-saavy mom make the program—cuts printing costs!

Itinerary for Ceremony

No Rules. Be creative. Make it special for your teen/teens.

Here is our graduation itinerary:

• Play slideshow of graduates while guests are arriving
• Processional of graduates
• Open in prayer
• Worship (1-2 songs)
• Short charge to graduates
• Graduate talent or speech (song, skit, monologue, etc.)
• Each graduate goes on stage with parents where dad gives charge and presents diploma, and mom moves tassel. Parents pray over teen.
• Presentation of graduations/throw their caps
• Recessional

Right Before Graduation

Keep in touch with guests: who is coming?

Facebook event?

Make the food/prepare anything ahead and freeze

Decorate the day before if possible

Fun Decorating Ideas:

• Graduation theme on cake
• Graduation stuffed animal
• Homemade poster
• Photos of graduate progressing through life
• Tablecloth and matching tableware in graduation colors
• Graduation banners/streamers/balloons

Money saving tip: see what you have around the house, borrow from friends, purchase on sale, start a graduation tote with decorations

Graduation Budget

I put money aside each month during my children’s junior year so that I have money for the graduation expenses. There always seem to be more than I plan for!

Here are things you will want to budget for if you include them in your graduation celebration:

• Graduation Venue Rental
• Graduation Venue Rental
• Senior Photos
• Graduation Announcement
• Gown
• Hat
• Tassel
• Diploma
• Diploma Cover
• Graduation Program
• Food for Graduation Party
• Decorations for Graduation Party

I cannot stress enough the need to talk with your teen and plan everything together.

Don’t forget to take lots of photos so you can remember this special day for years to come!

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