As parents, we desire to find fun ways to teach the Easter Story to our kids. This particular year it feels more needed than ever to remind ourselves of the beautiful hope we have as believers that Jesus died and rose again. As a country, we face something unlike ever before, and the good news the Resurrection brings is something that I not only want to teach my kids but that I am desperately needing to remind myself of.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade." (1 Peter 1:3-4)
Little ones have a hard time sitting still, activities where they can use their hands happen to work best when teaching the Easter Story to our kids. Since a lot of us are currently spending significant amounts of time at home, there is no better time than to try a couple of these in these weeks leading up to Easter. If you don’t have a particular ingredient or item needed, no worries, just use what you have around your house that can accomplish the overall mission of teaching the Easter Story to your children.
Here are 4 ways to teach the Easter story to your kids:
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Photo Credit: © Getty Images/leolintang
1. Making Resurrection Rolls
Our faith rests in the fact that Jesus died and rose again. Making resurrection rolls as a family is not only a great hands on activity to teach the Easter Story to kids, but serves as a delicious treat as well. We hope you enjoy!
Ingredients for Resurrection Rolls:
- 1 can of crescent rolls (if you don’t have this find a recipe to make your own)
- Marshmallows
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Melted butter
- A Bible
Step 1. For this activity, start with reading the Easter story from the Bible.
Step 2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Step 3. Spread out the crescent rolls individually on a baking sheet. As you do this, explain these represent the tomb Jesus was put in.
Step 4. Dip a marshmallow in butter and then the cinnamon and sugar mix. As you do this, talk about how Jesus’ body was prepared with oil and spices.
Step 5. Place the marshmallow you just dipped into the center of a crescent roll, wrap it tightly making sure to press the edges and completely seal it. As you do this, talk about how Jesus’ body was sealed in the tomb with the stone.
Step 6. Bake the crescent rolls for about 12 minutes.
Step 7. After letting them cool for a couple of minutes let your child open up the tomb (crescent roll). The marshmallow will have melted and disappeared symbolizing Jesus is alive! Use this as a conversation starter of what that means for us.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/evgenyatamanenko
2. Making Resurrection Eggs Together
As parents of little ones we know our children tend to be more engaged when they can use their hands. Resurrection eggs enable children to listen to the Easter story while opening each egg and discovering a part of the Easter story inside of it.
Items needed to make your own set of Resurrection eggs:
- 12 different colored plastic eggs
- An egg carton
- Small props to put in the eggs
Now to fill the eggs:
Egg 1. For this egg use a donkey or a palm branch. In Jesus’ day it was common to walk everywhere. Sometimes kings rode on donkeys or horses. So on the day that Jesus rode into their city, the crowds believed He was their new king and greeted him by laying down palm branches.
Egg 2. For this egg use a couple of silver coins. These coins represent the money Judas was paid to betray Jesus.
Egg 3. For this egg use a cup. This represents the last supper Jesus had with his disciples and the special promise he made during it.
Egg 4. For this egg use hands or a prayer symbol. This represents when Jesus spent some time praying in the garden to talk to God alone.
Egg 5. For this egg use a small piece of leather. This represents what they used to whip Jesus when they took him prisoner.
Egg 6. For this egg use a crown. This represents what the soldiers laid on his head.
Egg 7. For this egg use nails or a cross. This represents what the soldiers used to hang Jesus to the cross.
Egg 8. For this egg use a die from a game. This represents playing a game, one like the soldiers played when deciding who would take His clothes.
Egg 9. For this egg use a spear. This represents the spear they stabbed in Jesus’ side to make sure He was dead.
Egg 10. For this egg use a piece of cloth. This represents the cloth they buried Jesus in.
Egg 11. For this egg use a stone or rock. This represents the stone they rolled in front of His tomb.
Egg 12. Leave this egg empty. This represents how the tomb was empty and Jesus rose again!
If you can’t find the specific prop that goes with the egg just use something you can find around your house that aligns with the representation of the egg. Another idea could be to print images of these items to put in the egg. Not only can you teach the Easter Story to Your Children while making the eggs, but then you can use them for years to come. We have three children and each of them has their own set. We pull them out when Lent starts and it’s a great thing they can play with while we read the Easter Story over the weeks leading up to Easter.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/POMACHKA
3. Making an Easter Story Scavenger Hunt
Our kids love any game involving hiding something and having to find it. A scavenger hunt for items portraying the Easter Story is a fun interactive way to teach them and doesn’t require them to sit still.
Items needed for your scavenger hunt:
Gather household items from the props listed above in #2 (making resurrection eggs together). Hide these items around your house and yard. Give each kid a list of what they need to find and send them on their way. When they bring the items back, start with what would have been in Egg 1 and talk about what it means in the context of the Easter Story. Then Egg 2, Egg 3, and so on.
It could also help to include some Easter Bible verses. Here are some verses that you can use:
Zechariah 9:9: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
John 12:12-15: "The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!"
For more ideas, check out this article here!
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Ashton Bingham
4. Use Apps and Books to Tell the Easter Story
I am embarrassed to say we have several books that teach the Easter story to children on our shelves that I forget to bring out each year until after it passes. Remember to bring those out and make use of them. I know it is hard to get kids to sit still while reading. Here are a few things to help keep them engaged:
- Print Easter coloring sheets for your kids to color while you read
- If they are old enough, let them take turns reading the Easter story to the family
- If they are just learning to read, when you get to one of their sight words, point to it and let them read that word
Take advantage of different animated bible apps that can also work to teach the Easter Story to your children, such as the bible app for kids. This is a great tool you can use from right at home, and it is free to download.
A prayer as we teach the Easter Story to our children:
Dear Lord,
We thank you that even in weird times we can freely praise you. May we be good role models for the little ones you have placed in our lives. May we teach them your goodness, Father. May they know that through your resurrection, we have the utmost faith that you alone are in control.
Amen
Sarah Nichols is a writer who loves to encourage women by sharing hope-filled stories that point others to Jesus. She lives in Kansas City, MO with her high school sweetheart and their three kids. You can find more from Sarah at her blog sarahnicholswrites.com and on Instagram @sarahnicholswrites.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/MoMo-Productions
Originally published Friday, 27 March 2020.
