AUSSIE EDUCATOR

 EASTER

Easter [n.]

The festival of the Christian Church celebrating the resurrection of Christ and held [in the Western Church] on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox.
- ORIGIN : The name is recorded from Old English [in form ēastre] and is of Germanic origin, related to east. According to Bede the word is derived from Ēastre, the name of a goddess associated with spring.
Oxford Reference

Easter has other links beside those for the Christian religions. It was first a pagan festival celebrating the beginning of spring, with the Goddess known as Ēastre having a rabbit as her symbol, hence the Easter Bunny. The Easter Rabbit did not become a commonly used symbol, however, until the 19th century. Similarly, the sharing of eggs was a common practice during spring celebrations, though they may not have been quite as colourful or made of chocolate. Further information on the history and traditions of Easter is found below.

This page covers history, traditions, Easter in Australia, arts, crafts, cards, games, religious meaning, material for the very young, education material, Easter images, … .

EASTER

AUSTRALIAN

  • Burra Nimu, The Easter Bilby
    ‘An Australian children’s story’.
  • Celebrating Easter in Australia
    ‘Whether you plan to munch on hot cross buns or go for a weekend getaway, there are countless ways to celebrate Easter. Read on for your handy guide to celebrating Easter in Australia’.
  • Easter Bilby
    Australian site urging replacement of the Easter Rabbit with the Easter Bilby. [The Australian Bilby Appreciation Society.]
  • New !  Easter Story Spinner / Easter Activities [teacher made]
    ‘Check out this fun template pack to create your own Easter story spinner. This fun Easter craft is a great way for children to practise retelling the Easter story. We have split the back circle into 6 sections, so children can plan which six parts of the Easter story to include in their retelling. Children could choose to only include a picture, or to include some text too, to retell the Easter story. Then, decorate the front circle of the spinner. You can find more creative Christian Easter activities at the New ! Twinkl Crafts Christian Easter Crafts Hub’.
  • Easter Holidays in Australia 2022
    When they are, Traditions,Easter Eggs, Festivals, gift ideas, the Easter Bunny and more.
  • Easter in Australia
    General information plus a significant array of links grouped under selected headings. Now archived through the National Library of Australia [Trove].
  • Easter In Australia : ABC iview
    ‘Jeremy Fernandez explores the most significant event on the Christian calendar. Investigating the mystery of transformation and renewal at the heart of the Easter story’. [50:00]
  • Easter Chocolate Recipes [Cadbury Recipes]
    ‘Check out our Easter recipes including Hot Cross Buns, Easter Chocolate Eggs, Cakes, Biscuits, Cheesecakes and Cupcakes, more’.
  • Easter Recipes and Easter Food : SBS Food
    ‘Make it a long, leisurely Easter lunch of slow-cooked lamb shoulder, whole baked fish and roasted veg. Later, pass around the spice-laden hot-cross buns, baked by none other than you’.
  • Easter Traditions in Australia
    ‘Cultural historian Grant Stone goes through the current and former Easter traditions in Australia and how they have shifted’. [9:27 podcast presentation.]
  • How Australians Celebrate Easter
    ‘As you know, Easter is celebrated between Good Friday and Easter Monday. Many Australians also consider the day prior to Good Friday to be a holy day - known as Holy Thursday. The top five ways that Australians celebrate Easter are as follows … ’.
  • Save the [Easter] Bilby
    ‘A website to support the endangered Australian bilby’. There are Teacher resources, activities, fun stuff and links. All schools received log in details at the beginning of 2003 for the teaching resources.

ART & CRAFT IDEAS

  • New !  11 Quick and Easy Easter Craft Ideas for Your Classroom [Teach Starter]
    ‘Apart from the obvious - holidays soon approaching - the number of fun craft activities you can do with your little bunnies abounds. With that in mind, our teacher team has put together a few of our very favourite [and very cute] Easter craft ideas you can use in your classroom’.
  • 20+ Cool Easter Crafts for Tweens to Make
    Multiple sections with some quite different craft activities to have fun with.
  • New !  25+ Easter Crafts for Kids [The Best Ideas for Kids]
    ‘Looking for some easy Easter crafts for kids ? This list has over 25+ of the best Easter craft ideas you can make with kids. We especially love all of the bunny and Easter egg crafts’.
  • New !  35 Adorable Free Printable Easter Crafts aAnd Activities - In The Playroom
    ‘Easter is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with fun crafts and activities for kids ? That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 35 fun free printable Easter crafts for kids of all ages. From paper plate Easter bunnies to bunny face gift tags, these easy Easter crafts are a great way to keep young children entertained and engaged’.
  • Easter Activities
    Pinterest. ‘Easter activities, recipes, games & projects for school-age kids’. Now 900+ pins for activities, etc..
  • Easter Activities for Children
    Dyeing Easter eggs, crafts, colouring pages, traditions, games, puzzles, printables, recipes, other links.
  • Easter Colouring Pages
    A range of colouring pages around the Easter Theme.
  • Easter Craft
    A huge range of ideas from tie-dyed Easter eggs to printable Easter materials. Includes Hatching Pompom Easter Chicks, suitable for primary level students.
  • Easter Craft [3]
    Easter colouring pages, Easter stationery, games, musical postcards, jokes, other links.
  • Easter Crafts
    ‘These easy crafts are more than just Easter baskets and egg dyeing [although we have those, too !]. Whether it’s DIY Easter garlands or spring flower wreaths, we’ve got plenty of Easter crafts for kids [and adults] to help you celebrate the holiday’.
  • Easter Eggs and Favourite Friends Easter Colouring Pages
    There are also links to other activities.
  • Easy Easter Crafts for Kids [Parenting]
    ‘These adorable crafts are a great way to welcome spring. Whether you need decorations for Easter brunch, or you’re looking for an afternoon activity, these crafts can be done with children of all ages’.
  • Learn to Make Your Own Pysanky
    Learn how to make Ukrainian Easter eggs. Parental supervision required with younger children.
  • Printable Easter Egg Colouring Pages & Templates
    ‘We’ve designed some fun Easter egg colouring pages and templates just for the occasion. Check out our twelve designs, which includes basic and detailed designs of Easter eggs’.

EASTER CARDS

  • 20 Free, Printable Easter Cards for Everyone You Know
    ‘These free, printable Easter cards are a great way to spread some Easter joy to the special people in your life, especially the ones you won’t get to see on Easter’.
  • 45 Homemade Easter Card Ideas [Easy & Fun]
    ‘Do you want to save a bit of money and make your own Easter card ? Here are some homemade Easter card ideas that will impress others ! These ideas for Easter cards are easy to make. Also, I will give different Easter greetings you can use to make your own Easter cards’.
  • Design a Custom eCard - Canva
    ‘Create and send custom eCards to loved ones with Canva’s DIY e-card maker’.
  • Easter Cards
    ‘Easter season should be celebrated with church, chocolate and cards !’
  • New !  Easter Greeting Card Templates [Canva]
    ‘Complete your Easter celebration with a thanksgiving note or a party invite. Choose from our free Easter card templates and start designing’.
  • Easter Card Templates [Twinkl]
    ‘Give your children something special to take home with them with these colourful Easter Card Templates. Featuring Twinkl’s original illustrations, these Easter cards are a quick and easy way for your students to create personal gifts that celebrate the season. To enable maximum creativity, why not download the black and white version, so children can decorate the Easter cards themselves ? They could colour them in, add glitter, or even paint them’.
  • Easter eCards
    ‘Make Easter extra special with ecards to remember everyone you care about and share the joy of spring with Easter ecards’.
  • Easter Greeting Cards - plus much more
    Includes Vintage Flower Cards, Vintage Greeting Cards covering several different options, plus Colouring Pages, information, history and much, much more. Remember - unless indicated otherwise, all card ideas and templates are for personal use only’.
  • Free Printable Easter Colouring Cards
    ‘Create and print free printable Colour Your Card cards at home’.
  • Happy Easter Cards
    A wide range of cards to choose from.
  • Free Printable Easter Cards [Easter Card Templates ]
    ‘Take a look at our free printable Easter cards to give to your friends and family. Including cute Easter bunnies, beautiful watercolour prints, religious card designs, plus a super fun collection of Easter card templates for kids to colour in’.

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GAMES

  • 7 Free Online Easter Games
    ‘These free online Easter games are just what your kids need to get them excited about Easter. There are Easter puzzle games, cooking games, sports games and more here’.
  • 21 Fun Easter Games for Kids to Play [Kids Activities]
    ‘These Easter games for kids will give you some fun alternatives. These game ideas will work in the classroom, at home, or in daycare’.
  • Updated !  25 Best Easter Games to Play with the Whole Family
    Reader’s Digest. ‘After all the eggs have been found, keep the festivities going with these fun Easter activities for all ages’.
  • 33 Fun Easter Games For Kids Of All Ages [Netmums]
    ‘Looking for the best Easter games for kids? Here are lots of lovely ideas for indoor and outdoor activities, including an Easter egg hunt and even Easter egg bowling’. Some are quite simple but really different from what we normally have.
  • 35 Best Easter Games That Will Keep the Kids Entertained
    ‘Here, we’ve compiled the very best Easter games for all ages [in fact, we’re pretty sure the whole family will fall in love with them’.
  • Easter Games [ActivityVillage]
    ‘We have a growing collection of Easter games for your children and family - some printable, some not & We also have ideas for your Easter egg hunt, so that you can adapt it for all ages’.
  • Easter Games [PrimaryGames]
    ‘Play free online Easter games. Celebrate Easter with these fun and festive games ! Help the Easter Bunny collect colourful eggs, learn new vocabulary words, solve challenging word puzzles or make Easter crafts with Baby Hazel’.
  • Easter Games [Y8.com]
    88 online games based around the Easter theme.
  • New !  The 25 BEST Easter Games for Kids [LalyMom]
    ‘A collection of super fun Easter Games for Kids as part of a HUGE collaborative effort that is super to make your Easter and Spring Season a blast’.

EASTER IMAGES

WORLD EASTER TRADITIONS

  • 10 Different Ways Easter Is Celebrated Around The World
    ‘Though the same holiday is celebrated around the globe, the ceremonies and customs vary from country to country’.
  • Bet You Didn’t Know : Easter Traditions
    ‘How did Easter traditions like the Easter bunny and egg hunts become part of the holiday celebration ?’. History.com. Many other links to Easter information on the right hand side of the screen. [3:09}
  • Easter [Wikipedia]
    Etymology; Theological significance; Early Christianity; Date; Position in the Church Year; Liturgical observance; Easter celebrations around the world; Music; See also … : References; Links.
  • Easter Around The World
    Looks in particular at Africa, Australia, Europe and Mexico.
  • Easter Around the World [FTfs]
    ‘Find education resources about Easter, free for use in your classroom. Included are facts and general information for students about the traditions and cultures of Easter in Australia and around the world. Also find a selection of curriculum-linked lesson ideas, accompanying student activity sheets and extra resources’. Australia.
  • Easter Celebrations and Traditions around the World
    Range of information, quick quiz, glossary, extra reading, listen to a story, class and other activities.
  • Easter traditions around the world [BBC]
    ‘There are lots of ways people celebrate Easter around the world that are different from how we mark it in the UK. We’ve been taking a look at a few of them’.
  • Easter Traditions From Around the World [Reader’s Digest Canada]
    ‘While Easter may conjure up visions of colourful eggs and chocolate bunnies, different countries mark the holiday with their own Easter traditions. From kite flying to pot throwing, here are some of the unique ways that Easter is celebrated around the world’.
  • How Easter Works
    ‘The Season of Lent; Holy Week; Easter Sunday; Easter Traditions; Worldwide Easter Celebrations; Egg Rolling and other Easter Activities’.

SPECIFIC COUNTRIES/REGIONS

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GENERAL INFORMATION

  • 10 Easter Symbols and Their Meanings
    ‘The following are symbols of Easter and their meanings that you need to know to appreciate the symbols and their role in Easter’. Symbols Related to Easter also supplies meanings for a range of symbols.
  • 10 Fun and Interesting Facts About Easter for Kids
    ‘Enjoy these fun facts and snippets that you can learn about for this cheerful and colourful holiday occasion’.
  • 10 of the Best Easter Apps For Kids
    ‘These Easter apps are perfect if you’re travelling with kids over the holidays, or you and the kids are just in need of some Easter fun’. Most are free.
  • Can teach : Easter Poems and Songs
    A Canadian site with the words of songs and poems related to Easter. Link to further examples.
  • Cracking Easter Resources for EYFS and Primary
    ‘Activity packs, games and fun lesson ideas to bring the spirit of Easter into EYFS and primary classrooms’.
  • Easter
    Annotated links to Easter material including printables, crafts, activities, Easter resources about Jesus, Secular Easter Resources, Easter Unit, songs and poems, links to other sources.
  • Easter [2]
    Access various pages/topics using the drop down menu near the bottom of the page
  • Easter Activities Preschool Theme
    ‘Includes preschool lesson plans, activities and Interest Learning Centre ideas for your Preschool Classroom. Scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your theme, or just click the picture links to go to the specific preschool activity type you are looking for’. USA.
  • Easter [Activity Village]
    ‘A huge selection of Easter activities for you to enjoy with your children, including colouring pages, printables, jokes, crafts and puzzles ! Explore them all’. Free. UK. Some sections have been included in other sections of the page.
  • Easter [Teaching Ideas]
    ‘When Easter is approaching, don’t forget to try using our free teaching ideas, display materials and activity resources with your children’. Keep loading more ! Free. UK.
  • Easter Teaching Resources [TES, Australia]
    More than 5 000 resources you can filter by age, subject, licence, type and file type. A mix of free and fee-based material.

EASTER DATES

  • Determining the Date of Easter
    Information on how this is done in Australia, a calculator, other information.
  • Easter Dating Method
    Find Easter for dates from 1700 to 2999. Also how Easter dates are determined, including programs for you to use.
  • Easter Sunday Dates
    ‘Here are tables of Easter Sunday dates from 1990 to 2049. Below the list is an Easter Sunday date calculator for any year from 326 to 4099 ! Western Easters are the basis of public holidays, and are the dates celebrated by Western religions. The Orthodox dates are based on the original calculation using the Julian calendar, converted to the equivalent date in the Gregorian calendar now in use’.
  • When Is Easter Sunday ?
    ‘Here is a list of Easter Sunday dates from 2020 to 2049. Below the list is an Easter Sunday date calculator for any year outside this period’.
  • When Is Easter Sunday 2022
    A countdown to Easter site [to the second !]. ‘We will update the site year after year so you can always come back and find out each year what day or date Easter Sunday will fall on’. It also has a brief amount of additional information.
  • Easter - Happy Easter
    A site with a wide range of inclusion - books, facts, crafts, celebration information, gifts, Easter party, poems, recipes, songs, symbols and Traditions.
  • Easter Poems
    Multiple sections including Bunny Poems, Easter Eggs, Easter Pictures, Short Poems for this Holy Day and The Christian Story. You can submit Easter Poems for possible inclusion.
  • Easter Quiz
    ‘This is a quiz to be used for fun at Easter. There are three rounds, each with 10 questions. The first round is Eggs, the second is Easter around the World and the third is The Easter Story’. TES Educational Resources.
  • Easter Recipe Book : 20+ Dishes to Inspire You in 2023
    ‘From classic hot cross buns to creamy pasta primavera, we’ve compiled a dazzling array of both traditional and less-conventional Easter foods. Find appetizers, snacks, mains, sweets and drinks fit for any taste or occasion inside – whether you’re throwing a large party or cooking a family dinner. Without further ado, let’s dive into our Easter Recipe Book !’
  • New !  Easter Recipes
    ‘From Easter egg cupcakes to chocolate recipes for kids, we’ve got your Easter covered. And if you love hot cross buns, check out our hot cross buns collection’.
  • Easter Resources
    Grouped in specific Easter topics ranging from Easter Celebrations to an Egg Theme Page and beyond. Lesson Plans, Resources, Colouring Pages, Activities, Printables, Clipart, Worksheets.
  • Happy Easter
    A site which covers every aspect of Easter - crafts, songs, poems, games, flowers, decorations, cards, Easter Party, gifts, Across the World, icons, dresses, dinner recipes, cakes, cookies, desserts, Quotes, Jokes and Movies. There are more links, including Easter Island !
  • History of the Easter Egg
  • The Holiday Spot - Easter
    History, Personalised Gifts, Images and Memes for WhatsApp and Facebook, Wallpapers, Greeting Cards, Craft Ideas, Easter around the World, Letters from Easter Bunny, Animated Wishes/Greetings for WhatsApps, Activities and Downloads, Easter Trivia and “Easter Scoop”.
  • The Mystery of the Empty Easter Bunny Basket
    ‘A mystery game for 6-12 children and 3-4 adults. Includes role playing and party games’. This is fee-based.
    Other sections of the site may not necessarily be suited to children.

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