Make a Playdough Mountain
Here's a messy way to draw your youngsters into the meaning of this weekend. Make a mountain out of playdough to tell the story of Jesus' death and then turn it around and you have the tomb he arises from.
This idea can be found in Noel Piper's book, Treasuring God in Our Traditions.
Ingredients for playdough:
- 4 c. of flour
- 1.5 c. salt
- 1.5 c. water
- 1 Tbs. oil
Mix ingredients and knead. Add small amounts of water as needed until the texture is right.
1. Use two backyard sticks bound together with twine to make a cross about five or six inches tall.
2. Shape the whole lump of play dough into a mountain. The size will be determined by the volume of your play dough. Leave an opening on one side into the "cave' that will represent the tomb, using your fist or a soup can to hold the space open.
3. Press the cross into the top of the mountain to form a hole deep enough to stand the cross in. Make the hole a bit larger than the actual stick circumference because the hole will get smaller as the mountain bakes. Set the cross aside.
4. Twist toothpicks into the dough or press fork tines randomly around on the hill to make "footholds" for the stick people.
5. Press the rock that will cover the tomb against the opening, to shape a better fit. Set the stone aside.
6. Bake at 250 degrees for four to five hours. When cooled, color as desired with paint or markers.
Finally, make some figures out of pipe cleaners.
And don't forget to make them leap for joy on Sunday.