Easter is Sunday, March 31. Christians all over the world celebrate this holiest of days by reflecting on the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter activities for children usually include decorating eggs and having Easter egg hunts. Kids dress up in their Sunday best as they look forward to receiving colorful baskets stuffed with chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and other sweet treats.

Easter is not only a time to bask in Jesus’ love, but to come together as a family and create special memories. The following four activities can help make everyone’s day fun!

1) Flowers of hope. Popular flowers associated with Easter include lilies, daffodils, hydrangeas and tulips. You and your child can make simple paper flowers with the following supplies:

• Craft sticks
• Green paint
• White or orange tissue paper
• Construction paper
• Small paper plates
• Glue sticks
• Scissors

Once you’ve assembled your supplies, follow these steps to create the flowers:

• Paint the craft sticks green for the flower stem.
• Cut or tear the tissue paper into smaller pieces.
• Glue the tissue paper onto a paper plate.
• Cut leaves from green construction paper and glue them to the craft sticks.
• Glue the craft stick “stems” to the back of the paper plate “flower.”

This hands-on activity will give children a colorful reminder of Easter long after the holiday has passed.

2) Easter hat parade. Who doesn’t love to see a gorgeous “church hat” on Easter Sunday? You don’t need a church pew for this fun activity. Let your kids design and decorate their own Easter hats. You can buy inexpensive white party hats or caps and let kids decorate them with ribbons, feathers, glitter and other decorative materials. Once the hats are ready, have a parade in your home or on your block where children can showcase their unique designs. Organizing an Easter hat parade is a festive way to encourage creativity in your children.

3) A hoppin’ good activity. Another affordable and fun Easter activity for kids is transforming plain white paper plates into adorable Easter bunnies! Provide each child with a paper plate and let their imagination go to work. You can use a variety of craft supplies such as construction paper, googly eyes, cotton balls, markers, scissors and glue to bring the Easter bunny to life.

Instruct children to cut out bunny ears from white construction paper. Attach the ears to the top of the plate with glue. Next, have kids use markers or crayons to draw the bunny’s face, adding googly eyes for a silly effect. To create a fluffy tail, have them glue cotton balls to the back of the plate.

This activity helps develop fine motor skills as the kids cut, glue, and decorate their bunny plates.

4) Easter-themed veggie tray. Instead of the usual jelly beans and chocolate Easter bunnies, try this healthier twist to fill your child’s Easter basket. Help your kids arrange a variety of fresh vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, celery and colorful bell peppers, to resemble an Easter bunny. Spice up your creation by adding healthy peanut butter, raisins or yogurt.

This activity not only stimulates your child’s imagination but also instills the importance of incorporating a variety of fresh vegetables into their diet.