Easter can be an important time for special memories.  This is a fun activity which can be used to generate talk about special loved ones this Easter.

 

You will need:

4 paper plates – 2 large and 2 small

Coloured paint

White paper

Black card

Googly eyes

Black texta

Glue

6 split pins

 

Method:

Paint the paper plates before shaping your bunny.

Attach one small paper plate to a larger one, the head to the body, with glue.

Cut out bunny arms and legs. Attach to the body with split pins.

Cut out bunny ears and attach these with split pins to the head.

Draw a bunny tummy oval shape onto a piece of white paper, cut out and paste onto the bunny’s body.

Draw some smaller bunny oval eyes, cut these out, and paste onto the bunny’s head.  Either cut out some black eyes with black card or draw them in with texta.

Cut out a black triangle for the bunny’s teeth.  Draw in some whiskers with texta

Optional – paint over the split pins so they are the same colour as the bunny.

 

Teaching Points:

What have bunnies got to do with Easter?  Find out the real Easter story.

How do other cultures/religions celebrate significant events?

This activity could be used to support a literacy activity, such as looking at the letter R.

Use in conjunction with the reading of a text about rabbits

Look at fables such as The Tortoise and the Hare

Research rabbits and their habits, habitats and predators

Explore the introduction of rabbits to Australia and the effect this has had on the environment and natural flora and fauna.

Research all you need to know for looking after a pet rabbit.

Showing aspects of a narrative – Orientation (who, when, where), Events, Complication, Resolution, Ending

 

For Grief and Loss:

Easter can be a time when children can feel sadness due to the loss of a loved one.  Doing an activity such as this one can calm a child, providing a fun activity plus connection with others.  This can produce a release of the neurotransmitter dopamine which can be healing to a young brain.

Normalising feelings of sadness, loneliness, anger and frustration can help children to understand that what they are experiencing is what happens when we grieve, and that these feelings are quite normal.

Memories can be an important way of helping a young person to come to terms with their loss.

Allow children to scrapbook or to make up a photo album of photos of their special loved one.  Printing or photocopying these photos may be an option to cutting them up.

A memory box is a special collection of items that have a connection to their loved one, housed in a special box.  This box can be specially decorated by the child – painted, using collages, decoupage, or with pictures of their loved on, special times, special places.

Planting a tree, rose bush or a favourite plant can be wonderful memorials for a special deceased loved one.

At the completion of this activity, children may like to take their bunny for a run around outside.  This aerobic activity will be beneficial in releasing endorphins, which helps to decrease stress.

Have a very blessed Easter.

 

Reference:

Smith Adcock, S. (Ed) & Tucker C. (Ed) (2017) Counseling Children and Adolescents: connecting theory, development, and diversity. SAGE. London

 

Links to the Australian Curriculum:

Learning Area: English   http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10

Literacy / Interpreting, analysing, evaluating

Produce some lower case and upper case letters using learned letter formations (ACELY1653)

Language / Sound and letter knowledge

Recognise the letters of the alphabet and know there are lower and upper case letters (ACELA1440)

 

ACHASSK012 / Humanities and Social Sciences / F–6/7 HASS / Foundation Year / Knowledge and Understanding / History

How they, their family and friends commemorate past events that are important to them

 

ACPPS024 | Content description | Years 1 and 2 | Health and Physical Education | Personal, Social and Community Health | Contributing to healthy and active communities

Recognise similarities and differences in individuals and groups, and explore how these are celebrated and respected