The Gospel in an Eggshell

Looking for a quick hands-on object lesson for Lent and Easter?
Here's a new one to try:

The Gospel in an Eggshell.

I like this one, because it is quick, and tells the story with objects that can lead to short, easy conversations with littles, or longer, more advanced conversations with older kids.








You will need one of each item for each child:

• a plastic Easter egg
• a mini baby Jesus (see directions below)
• a small cross 
• a small artificial flower, or some Easter grass, or other "growing" thing
• a Gospel in an Eggshell sticker (link below)
• a Gospel in an Eggshell insert (link below)

This is a great lesson to help kids see that the Jesus we celebrate at Christmas time is the same Jesus who died for us on Good Friday.  It can be really hard for kids to understand how he can go from baby to 33 year-old man in a few months during the Liturgical year.  This activity can help tie the story together and emphasize that He came so that we might have life forever with Him.

Here's how you make this easy craft-

1. Prep work for the adult comes first- I don't recommend using a hot glue gun with kids :)
Draw a simple "sleeping" face on a wooden bead with a permanent marker.

 2. Cut out a roughly 3" x 3" square from any kind of white fabric.

 3. Using a handy-dandy hot glue gun, glue the head close to one of the corners.  Then glue one side across the "body" like this:

 4. Then glue the bottom like this:

 5. And glue the other side like this:  Ta-da!  Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes!

 6. Find some kind of a small cross- only rule is that it has to fit in an eggshell.  I think that I got several hundred of these from Oriental Trading.

 7.  Then you need something to represent life- I used a tiny artificial flower.  You could also use some Easter Grass, a real flower, etc.

 8.  Cut out a Gospel in an Eggshell sticker and insert.  (Both links below)  Someone donated a whole bunch of labels to our CCD program, so I actually printed the circle on labels and then cut them out using a circle punch.  That way, they can just stick on the outside of the egg, no glue required. 

 9. Now its time to get the kids involved. Have them add a sticker to the outside of the egg, and put Baby Jesus inside.  Ask the kids- Why do we celebrate Christmas?  Who was born on Christmas?  What did He grow up to do? etc.

 10.  Add a cross to the eggshell. Ask the kids- What is the cross a symbol of? What happened to Jesus on the cross?  Why did He have to die?  Did He stay on the cross?  What happened on Easter morning? etc.

 11.  Add the flower or grass.  Ask the kids- What does is mean to be alive?  How can this flower (or grass...) be a symbol of life?  What did Jesus come to earth to do?  How can we live with Him forever? etc.

 12.  Add the egg insert- It reads "He was born in order to die so that we might live!"  This is the time to tie the whole thing together with the kids.  Also, I always try to remind them of the symbolism of the eggshell- that it reminds us of the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. You can challenge them to go home and share the story of the three objects in the eggshell with their family and friends.  Remind them that Gospel means "Good News"- they are sharing the Good News of Jesus. 

Hope you enjoy trying this or your own variation with your kids!

Here are the documents to make the stickers and inserts: