This great craft idea from Awana at home is pretend “spaghetti and meatballs” with “tomato sauce”. And it’s a delicious cake dessert.

This is what you start with! Image from Awana at Home

It is easy to make at home, or even with a small group in a club, because you can buy pre-baked fairy cakes and have the decorating materials ready.

To find out how to make the delicious and fun dessert, visit the Awana at Home blog, ApPARENTly Blogging, for all instructions and some gooey, mouth-watering pics.

And here is the finished product! Pic from Awana at Home

Can you guess what makes the meatball, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese? You’ll find out here!

You will find it on DLTK’s Crafts for Kids, together with masses of other ideas for all sorts of craft. In addition to ideas,  templates and other downloadable printables are available free of charge for all sorts of projects.

Playdough from Ministry-to-Children.com

There are plenty of recipes for play dough to make at home, but many involve cooking.

This great one from Ministry-to-Children.com not only looks good but smells nice too!

It involves Kool-Aid , which for us in the UK is difficult and expensive to get. But for those of you who can get hold of it, Kool-Aid seems to be the secret ingredient!

>>There are full instructions and a video demo here.

The article outlines some simple, inexpensive but fun crafts, where the kids can express their own creativity.

Check it out here.  While you are there, why not browse the site. If  you like what you see, you could sign up for the e-news yourself.
Go to this page http://www.childrensministry.com/magazine/ then scroll down a bit. You will find an orange “E-newsletter sign up” place.

Here’s how Tony introduces it:

To complete our new children’s church decorations, we used the children’s painted hand prints as leaves to complete the tree mural. The project was not too complicated, but it took real coordination on the part of our adult volunteers to pull it off…

There are full instructions on the site, and even a video showing every stage very clearly. It looks fun!

It’s a varied bunch of ideas where there is sure to be something to suit your facilities and your children. Check it out here.

PHOTO courtesy of Hartini.com

You need:
1 cup whole pecans (or other nuts)
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
1 pinch salt
6 oz caster sugar
Strong plastic bag
Wooden spoon, mallet or rolling pin
Masking Tape
A Bible 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (Important — don’t wait until you’re half way through the recipe!)
Place the nuts in the plastic bag and let the children beat them with the wooden mallet or rolling pin to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3. 

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Because living chicks come from eggs, eggs remind us of life. Explain that Jesus gave up his life to give us a wonderful new life.
Read John 10:10-11. 

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand and let them taste it. Add a pinch to the bowl. Explain that this reminds us of the salty tears cried by Jesus’ friends.
Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing.
  

Now add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that although Jesus died, he did it because he loves us. He wants us to know him and belong to him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed (7-10 minutes). Explain that the colour white reminds of something very clean. God will take away all our sin and make us clean inside if we are truly sorry and ask him to forgive us.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3. 

Fold in broken nuts. Then drop teaspoonsful of the mixture onto baking parchment on a cookie tray. Explain that each mound reminds us of the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
 

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a small piece of tape and “seal” the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66. 

GO TO BED!   Explain that they may feel sad to leave the meringues in the oven overnight and that Jesus’ friends were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a meringue. Encourage them to look at the cracked surface and then take a bite. The meringues are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus’ friends were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9 

He Is Risen! Hallelujah! Happy Easter!

-Author unknown