Bible Verse Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt

Instead of leaving the Easter baskets out and then later also giving the kids more junk in eggs with an egg hunt, I borrowed the idea from a friend in my small group to do a scavenger egg hunt to find the Easter baskets.  My mil also hearing her bible teacher share about a birthday party scavenger hunt where all the clues led a a prize and related it to how the bible is full of clues that lead us to the greatest prize of all so I decided to try to incorporate those two things last minute..as in its midnight and I'm just now doing this for when the kids wake up!  I picked out some bible verses with hints that could be pulled from the verse as to where to look for the next egg containing the next verse/clue.

Where the baskets normally wait at bottom of stairs is first egg with Matthew 28:6 

"He is not here, for He has risen as He has said." And on back of paper there's a hint: Who is He in the verse?  Your baskets are not here either, but where your earthly father has "risen today" you will find a clue. (That should lead them to look on dad's side of the bedroom for the next egg.

"In His great mercy, He has given us NEW BIRTH into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" Peter 1:5 

Hint: what does the word birth mean? Talking about that should lead them to my bathroom where the last child in our family was born during a planned home birth. (But you could also use the word living and lead to the living room)

"For God so loved THE WORLD that he gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Hint: who did God so love? Only a certain continent? Only places we've lived or people we like? Only nice people? (Talking about the world should lead them to our Globe).

"Jesus said I am the bread of life, He who comes to me will not hunger and He who believes in me will never thirst" John 6:35

(Should lead them to the bread where I put the egg inside the bag that has the bread which we keep in the fridge because it's gluten free bread).

"He saved us not because of the GOOD THINGS we did but because of His mercy." Titus 3:5

Hint: where do we acknowledge some of the good things you kids do? (Our positive reinforcement rock jar)

"And with His wounds, we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5

Hint: what were Jesus' wounds?  Where do we go to take care of your wounds at home? (Medicine cupboard where first aid supplies are, egg inside box of band aids).

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name UNDER heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12

Hint: what name is it talking about?

Do you see any reference to His name nearby? (I have a decor sign in kitchen/keeping room near the first aid cupboard the says "for where two or three gather in my name I am with them" next clue will be under the throw pillow on the chair below that sign.

"And walk in love just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

Hint: walk in love "me and my happy heart" and around till you find the fragrant aroma - (out back door we made a small stepping stone path and one rock is shaped like a big heart and the kids hop on each stone and like saying "me and my happy heart" or "I love my fam i ly" as they hop on each one. So they will walk on that and follow their nose across the lawn to the lilac bushes in front of house that smell amazing right now, a very fragrant aroma. 🌺

"I am the vine, you are the branches, if a person remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Hint: who is the vine? Do we have a vine that can bear fruit? (The grapevine in the backyard that's springing back to life)

"Greater love has no one than this, that one LAY DOWN his life for his friends." John 15:13

Hint: where do our friends and loved ones LAY DOWN when they visit for more than a day?

(This will take them upstairs to the guest room where the baskets will be.)

In the doorway will be an egg with

"You know that he appeared in order to take away sins and in Him there is no sin." 1John 3:5

Hint: these clues have helped point you to your baskets but the clues are from the bible which is full of clues that point us to Jesus, the best prize of all.  God created you in His image if you look in something in this room, your image will appear, as well as your prize...but don't forget, the real prize is knowing and having faith in Jesus.

When they look in the mirror, the reflection will show their Easter baskets in the corner on the opposite side of the bed that they didn't see when they walked in.

In the back of their Easter basket goodies will be something random to them. I have 3 kiddos so in my 3 year old's basket will be a small Jar of salt numbered with a 1.

My middle child who is 7 will have a small jar with pepper with the number 2.

My oldest whose 10 will have a plastic spoon and instructions tied to it with a number 3.

The instructions are:

*1 Have the youngest pour his salt on a plate.

*2 Have the middle sprinkle some pepper on the salt. The pepper is like sin, you all like salt on your food but none of you like pepper, you might still eat your food if it has a little bit of pepper but you really don't enjoy it as much.  Well. That is like when we sin, we aren't as good as we could be and don't feel as great as we should but none of us are perfect, we all sin and need Jesus. We all accidentally grab the pepper shaker and get some on our food sometimes!

*3 Oldest rub the spoon on a towel and then move it slowly over the salt and pepper.  What happened?  We couldn't pick up the tiny pieces of pepper ourselves very easily or at all, but with the help of some static electricity, something we can't see but is definitely there and working, it's like Jesus being able to take our sins away.  We can't see Him but he rids us of our sin just like the spoon was able to get rid of the pepper. Jesus makes it go away and we are good and salty again.  Did the spoon have any pepper on it? No it was smooth, shiny and clean.  That is why we celebrate Easter, because Jesus appeared to take away sins and in Him there is no sin (1 John 3:5), He laid down His life for us, there is salvation in no one else and with His wounds we are healed, not because of the good things we do but because of His mercy. If we come to him we will not hunger or thirst and have everlasting life!  Christ loves us and gave himself as a living sacrifice, He has risen as He has said. He has given us a new birth and a living hope through his resurrection and there is no greater love than the love we have in Jesus Christ our Savior. 

Then we can emphasize what they always hear at church "Jesus wants to be my forever friend".

I really hadn't planned much but I'm so glad I did this last minute, it was good for me to have a moment at night when the house was quiet to look thru verses to use and get my own mind, heart and spirit prepared for tomorrow in the process.  

I haven't done many scavenger hunts with clues with my kids and whatever I've done in the past it's been so long I'm sure they don't remember so I 'm looking forward to their excitement and getting some of God's word in there as an integral part of it!  I'm already predicting they will want to do it again afterwards and I will say no, one set up is enough for me, I'm done thinking up clues and hiding things.  Then they will set up scavenger hunts for each other throughout the day lol and my daughter will try to keep it going til even her brothers are tired of it....just my guess;)

I'm sure the kids will want to repeat the salt and pepper experiment a few times and take turns doing it.  I hope it works! I didn't test it.

*salt and pepper experiment lesson came from The Friend LDS kids magazine.  I do not attend but my grandma got us a subscription to it and it always has some fun ideas and stories to use.