Ideas for Easter

I know it is only a few weeks past Christmas, but I'm editing some Easter lessons for the Wisdom & Wonder Curriculum today, and I came across this great idea.

I couldn't seem to Pin it (almost all good ideas get pinned with the help of Pinterest these days), so I decided to repost part of it here. A Catholic mother came up with this idea for a Jelly bean Prayer Jar.

On Ash Wednesday set out a glass jar for each child with a small copy of the jelly bean prayer taped to it. Determined a behaviour to go with each jelly bean colour (corresponding with the prayer). Each day the kids could earn a jelly bean of any colour they followed through on.  The jelly beans cannot be eaten until Easter. White jelly beans cannot be earned, these represent the Grace of God, which is a gift not earned ourselves.  On Easter morning, the jars are filled up where they were still empty (lacking) with white jelly beans (God's grace).

Ideas on interpreting colour:

• Red is for the blood Christ gave. Each morning ask your child to choose something to sacrifice that day to earn the red jelly bean.  It should be something they would have the opportunity to have or do on that day.
   
• Green is the colour of growth. Green jelly beans can be earned for growing in faith - to see my children ask to say Grace before a meal, to see them reading their Bible or devotional or writing in their faith journal.
   
• Yellow is for God's light so bright. Yellow jelly beans may be earned for sharing God's light through kindness to others.
   
• Orange is for prayers at twilight. Orange jelly beans may be were earned for leading us in prayer - for remembering to pray for those in our life who are sick, hurting, lonely.
   
• Black is for sin - or rather resisting the temptation to sin. When one child chooses self-control - to hold their tongue and not insult their sibling, or when they choose to submit to the instruction of the parent when it they would really rather resist.
   
• White is for the Grace of God (these we could not earn as mentioned above)
   
• Purple is for His days of sorrow. These can be earned through apologizing to anyone hurt with our words or deeds that day.
   
• Pink is for each new tomorrow. Pink jelly beans could be earned for showing hope, forgiveness and love.