Easter is getting closer and closer and we’ve all realized that we are going to be quarantined for Easter this year-something I never even dreamed of happening!  I’ve been thinking of some ways to create a meaningful Easter celebration with minimal outside shopping, and all within our home.  I thought I’d share some of my ideas in case they’re helpful to you as well. We’re in this together, right?!

*I’m providing Amazon affiliate links for some items I’ve found as well!  I do receive a small commission from these, at no extra cost to you, but I hope they help limit your searching time and are helpful.*  Just click each picture to shop it.
Also, we aren’t doing all of these, but I wanted to give some options!

Good Friday ideas:

Every Christmas Eve, we eat a Shepherd’s Meal (thank you Sally Clarkson!).  It’s a simple, rustic meal that the kids and I conjure up based off what we think the shepherds might have eaten.  Simple homemade breads and soups, nuts, olives, cheeses, and dried fruits are some of the things we’ve done.  This year for Good Friday, we are doing something similar and calling it our Disciple’s Meal 🙂  Since we have extra downtime, we will do a lot more from scratch.  We plan to make it a little more “Spring-y” with variations on our Christmas recipes: maybe a mint pea or roasted cauliflower soup, or maybe a gazpacho.  For breads, a fresh sourdough or herbed focaccia and fresh fruits instead of dried fruits.

We are all going to make collages, pictures, or write words about what Good Friday, Easter and the resurrection means to our lives.  I’m excited to pause and reflect with Adam and the kids; and I always love hearing what’s in their hearts.

To end our Good Friday reflections, we are going to have an Easter movie theater.  We have a projector that we put on our living room wall but you don’t have to have one to have a fun movie night.  Because of the age and emotions of our kids, we will watch one of the Veggie Tales Easter movies but Passion of the Christ and the Greatest Story Ever Told are great options for an older audience.  We put out tons of snuggly blankets, pillows, and twinkle lights.  For our concession stand, I’m making Peeps Popcorn and pretzels with peanuts.  The Peeps popcorn is super simple: melt down Peeps with butter and drizzle over popped popcorn.

Easter ideas:

Easter is one of two times a year that I coordinate the family and get a few photos in front of the photo backdrops at church.  I didn’t want to lose that this year so I bought the kids fun Easter pj’s and Talullah and I are making a homemade photo drop!  We are going to have a blast getting some fun, candid photos of the family 🙂  I’m linking some cute jammies I found- on each link, you’ll have to scroll to find the Easter prints offered.  For the photo backdrop, I’m hanging vertical rolls of the felt ball garland against the wall and putting the Happy Easter sign over those.  It wold be fun to add photo props like Easter glasses or bunny ears too!

We are usually pretty rushed on Easter morning but this year, obviously, will be relaxed.  We decided to do an Easter brunch since we’ve never had the time to do one.  On the menu: creamy grits bar with optional toppings of scallions, bacon, scrambled eggs, different cheeses, heirloom tomatoes, and black olives; scones; and fruit salad. I’m keeping the drinks simple with sparkling juice throughout the day.

Since we are eating a big brunch mid-morning, I’m going to do a Mediterranean food board spread we can nibble on throughout the day.  You can search Pinterest for beautiful inspiration for these.  I like to set my table with mainly earthy components and add some bright splashes of Spring color.  And we always have tons of twinkling candles for any holiday!  I’m linking some tableware options I’m considering below.

Since we will be at our house all day for Easter, we thought it would be fun to write messages and draw pictures on our doors and windows.  We will do some Easter eggs and bunnies but also write phrases like He is Risen, Jesus Loves Us, etc.

I thought it’d be fun to do something really different for our egg hunt this year . . . so we are going to wait until dark and have a Glow in the Dark egg hunt!  I got some Spring colored twinkle lights, Glow in the Dark eggs, and lots of glowing fun stuff  🙂  Instead of filling them with candy,re going to fill them with Quarantine Coupons: an adventure bike ride with dad, a spa day with mom, Family Game Night of your choice, You Choose Dinner . . . I think they are going to be so excited about these activities to fill our days at home.

Below i’m linking some fun basket gift ideas!  We love doing art supplies, books, journals, or outdoor activities and these are some favorites. I’m also linking our favorite Easter books that tell the Real Story.

I hope these ideas inspire you!  As the grown ups, we set the tone and atmosphere for our home.  My prayer is that my kids feel how special and worthy of celebration Christ’s resurrection is.