The Wednesday of Easter week was a lovely sunny day. Freda led a workshop for the children of the parish and their friends. Although we knew the purpose was to build an Easter Garden we didn’t expect our first job to be to ‘move on’ an army of ants!!

The children were divided into 3 age groups, 3 to 5; 6 to 8 and 9 to ll and all started with the same story - The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith.

I would thoroughly recommend this book it suited all ages and was beautiflully illustrated. Each group then made a frieze depicting the week leading up to Easter Sunday. These can be seen behind the font in church.

Decorated eggs were also attempted, I say attempted because the fmishing touch was not quite right, we couldn’t dye them!

Then the piece de resistance, the Easter Garden. Wellies were not required only imagination and patience, the children had the first and Freda, Brian and myself tried to fmd the latter. It was started with black bin liners followed by gravel and sand, the children just loved getting their hands dirty. Potted plants lined the way from the cross to the tomb. Although we placed water jugs and urns along the sand road we didn’t include a water feature, next year maybe? Predominately red flowers were placed by the cross and bright flowers by the tomb. The fmal touch was a candle placed just inside the tomb. Before we moved back into the hall for pizza and chips Brian led the prayers.

The twenty children enjoyed themselves immensely, we should have bought a bigger chocolate egg but the thought was there. One small girl was heard to ask whether she could have chocolate and chips every time she came to church!

Source: Lou Coaker, The Spire Magazine - 2000 June

On the Sunday before Easter we went to the workshop and leant all about Easter. We split up into age groups and I was with Brian. We read the Easter story, and then did a collage, which were put up at the back of the church. After that we decorated some boiled eggs. We drew a design on the egg with wax crayons and then Mummy tried to dye them in beetroot and spinach water, but it wasn’t very successful!

Next we made an Easter garden, which you have probably seen when you have come into church. To make it we put big bin bag down and then Brian opened the sandbag, everyone was keen to help spread the sand around! We each put a plant down by the path. We also made cave and a cross.

As you can imagine we were very hungry doing all that work. Luckily for us Janet had been busy in the kitchen providing drinks and biscuits during the morning and our Mums made us lunch. We had pizza, chips and hot cross buns. Freda told us the spices in them reminded us of the spices that Mary put on Jesus’ body. We all shared an Easter Egg which represented new life.

I learnt a lot about Easter and enjoyed the morning.

Source: Stephanie Bailey, The Spire Magazine - 2000 June