It's Palm Sunday

It is really hard to believe it is Palm Sunday and we are entering Holy Week. I will miss being in church today and getting my palm cross pinned on. And the somber Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services. Never the less, we will be celebrating Christ's resurrection next Sunday, but let's start with today's celebration. Visit You Tube IPC Birmingham to join our Sunday morning service, an adult Sunday school class, a youth Sunday school, and a lesson in our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atriums.

Today, talk to your children about the parade the people of Jerusalem had when they heard Jesus was coming to town to celebrate Passover, a religious celebration . They laid down palm branches and cloaks for the donkey carrying Jesus and they waved palm branches with excitement at seeing this wonderful, amazing man who loved all he met, healed the sick, shared everything he had with the poor, and performed miracles. They sang "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! " Who wouldn't be excited? Weren't they lucky? And, I bet that donkey felt so important. We try to talk about the good parts of Holy Week with young children, so don't worry about all the details you think they won't understand.

NOTE: These are easy, fun activities, but both will help develop fine motor skills.
To help your child correctly hold scissors and cut,  remind them "thumb goes on top" and they have to hold the paper with their other hand. If they still try to cut from the top headed toward themselves, help them reposition the paper. If that is still difficult, put a cotton ball in their little armpit and tell them to keep their arm down while they cut so they do not lose their cotton ball.

LEAF RUBBING ACTIVITY
Collect a leaf from outside
Secure the leaf to a table with tape underneath
Position the leaf over the leaf
Gently rub over the leaf with the side of a crayon (with paper removed) until the outline of the leaf appears on the paper (This is great practice for little fingers because they cannot "fist" the crayon or the rubbing won't work. Rather they have to hold the crayon with their thumb and next 2 fingers.)
You can get as creative as you want with the types of numbers of leaves you rub on one piece of paper
Or you can rub each different leaf on different pieces of paper and learn what tree they come from.

PALM LEAF CUTTING ACTIVITY
What you will need:
One piece of green construction paper or a piece of printer paper
Green crayon if using white paper
Marker
Scissors
Craft stick and glue optional

Instructions:
Draw a big leaf on the construction paper with the marker so there are dark lines for the child to see.
If you draw it on white paper, let child color the leaf green.
Have child cut out the leaf.
The adult then needs to draw diagonal lines from the center going up and out with the marker.
Have the child cut each diagonal line and stop in center, but not continuously across leaf. If it seems that this might be difficult, draw a center line with the marker.
When they have finished cutting, "fluff" the fronds.
If you have a craft stick, glue the leaf onto the stick.
Have a parade and wave all the leaves you and your children have made and shout Hosanna!