Pastel colors and cotton balls, Easter grass and yellow peeps – all bring to mind baskets of eggs, bunnies and pretty little girl dresses. Ah Spring. After a long cold winter, it’s fun to start planning spring-time and Easter projects with your kids. Here are a few fun ideas for Easter crafts and yummy snacks that your kids can help make and of course – eat!

Paper Bag Easter Bunny

1 lunch sack for 1 paper bag

Pink, white, and black construction paper

Scissors

Crayons

Paste

Cut a V notch at the top of each lunch sack. Start at the top center and bring your notch down. This will form the ears. Close the bag and lie flat. Then cut your notch with both sides of the bag together. This will be the bunny ears. Cut out ear shapes with the white construction paper and glue onto "ear" of the bag. Cut a smaller piece in pink for the inside of the ear, or reverse the colors. Cut out a small triangle of pink for the nose and paste it in the center where a nose would go. Draw in your eyes or you could cut them from paper or even add wiggle eyes. Cut out a rectangle piece of black paper - about mustache size. Then make cuts from each side of the short end towards the center of the paper without cutting all the way through. Do this several times on each side to create whiskers. Paste this above the nose. Now draw two circle cheeks and connect the mouth from the cheeks to the nose like a kitty mouth. Open up bag and it can now be a bag to collect eggs from your class egg hunt or to take crafts home in and then use for center piece at home!

Easter Jelly Bean Fudge

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 (16 ounce) container vanilla frosting

2 cups miniature jelly beans in pastel colors

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and grease lightly. Melt the chips according to the package directions or in a heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the frosting and stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Fudge mixture
should still be easy to stir, but not hot enough to melt the jelly beans.) Add the jelly beans and stir well. Spread the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove the foil and fudge from the pan together and place on a cutting surface. Carefully remove the foil and cut the fudge into small pieces. Makes 3 dozen pieces.

Edible Easter Baskets

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 cup miniature marshmallows

3 Shredded Wheat biscuits, crushed

Jelly beans

Place butter in medium bowl. Microwave at 100% for 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows, stirring to coat. Microwave at 100% for 30 to 60 seconds, or until marshmallows puff and mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in crushed cereal. Shape into Easter baskets and when cool, fill with jelly beans. Makes 4 to 6.