An Easter Garden is a visual aid and craft that helps Christians to walk through the events of Holy Week. Since the Middle Ages church communities have created Easter Gardens. They usually consist of three central elements: A mount with a tomb and stone, a cross (or three) and lots of greenery. It is often set up on Maundy Thursday and used throughout Good Friday to Resurection Sunday.

The Easter Garden booklet by Cornerstone Designs picks up the Easter Story a little earlier than traditional Easter Gardens, starting on Palm Sunday when Jesus enters Jerusalem and starts his final week of teaching and preparing for Passover. It includes important events such as the anointing of Jesus, Judas’ plot to betray him as well as the Last Supper.

Each day is celebrated with a tangible step in the Easter Garden, the appropriate Bible passage and a short activity that helps to reflect on an important element of the narrative for us today. For older children there are extension activities should you wish to engage deeper.

A map of Jerusalem gives an overview of the events of Holy Week so that they can be better understood in the symbolism of the Easter Garden.

You will need the following items for your Easter Garden:

Large tray

Sand or earth, moss, pebbles, small stones, small twigs with leaves, dried stalks, bark etc - from your local park or forest

Gate - this could be made of two pieces of bark

Figs

Anointing oil or perfume

‘Thorns’ - simply cut off the pointy ends of toothpicks

Large bowl

Towel

Cross

Small crown of thorns

Tomb - you could make this from wood or clay or use a small clay pot

Stone to close the tomb

Small butterfly - e.g. folded out of paper

Grave cloth - a small band of purple fabric

5 no tealights

This booklet with instructions on how to use the Easter Garden

Please note this is a DIGITAL PRODUCT. You will receive one pdf via e-Mail to print an A5 booklet with 16 pages. No physical items will be shipped.

For personal use only. All copyrights reserved by Cornerstone Designs.