Captivating Kids with Christ on Easter
As a pretty non-crafty mom, I’ve struggled with teaching my kids the Easter story in a tangible way that holds their attention. I mean, how do we explain, even to adults, what Jesus accomplished on the cross? As moms, we must learn to explain to our children that we celebrate His birth at Christmas because on Easter, he died a gruesome death as a sacrifice for our sins and then rose again, conquering death, and proving He is who He says He is. This is no small task!
Of course Scripture is the best way to teach about God, so reading from a children’s Bible or family Bible seems obvious, but what if are kids aren’t auditory learners? And even if they are they still probably need the Easter story reinforced in different ways so that it overcomes the distractions of the world.
First things first, we need to take a deep breath and take these things to God in prayer. He gave us these children as a blessing to us and He designed us to bless them with His Truth and Love. Ask Him how you can best teach them about the Easter story.
I will share some of the things that have worked for us, but please remember mama, we don’t do all of these perfectly each year, We pick and choose depending on what season of life we are at. Hands on activities that I don’t have to be too crafty with have helped us the most.
1.) The Jelly Bean Prayer
The Jelly Bean prayer is easy because who doesn’t love CANDY?!?!? There are several free printable versions online that say something like:
Red is for the Blood He Gave
Yellow is for God’s Light so Bright
Orange is for the Edge of Night
Black is for the Sins we Made
White is for the Grace He Gave
Purple is for His Hour of Sorrow
Pink is for a New Tomorrow
You can download a printable or make your own.
Next, have the kids sort the jelly beans and talk about what each color means. They will probably want to eat some along the way, just like I do. After that it’s a quick assembly line with one of each color going into a treat bag and put the jelly bean prayer over the top. These make cute favors for Easter Dinner or treats for teachers, etc.
2.) Family Movies With Conversation
Family movies are another way to give a visual reminder of the good news of Jesus’s resurrection, as long as they are age appropriate. My older kids get bored with the Veggie Tales Easter Carol. They do better watching Narnia and talking about the correlation between (Spoiler Alert) Aslan dying for Edmund and then coming back to life, and Jesus dying for our sins and rising from the dead. My preschooler gets scared by Aslan’s death scene. Most children shouldn’t watch the Passion until they are adults. I find that it’s important for me to sit with them to show it is an important family activity as opposed to a short cartoon they watch while I’m cleaning the kitchen.
3.) Passover Seder
Some years we’ve done a mini Passover Seder to teach our children the symbolism of the Last Supper in the Gospels. It also reminds us that God was preparing the way for a Savior even as far back as the Exodus. There are several Messianic resources online to help explain the symbolism of the Seder.
4.) Resurrection Eggs
Resurrection Eggs are another way to keep Jesus in the Easter celebration. Each plastic egg has something that represents the Easter Story. For example coins that represent the silver Judas got for betraying Jesus. Of course, you can buy a set online or make your own. We have the store bought set because I thought it was easier than making my own. However, I know going through 12 eggs was way too long when my kids were preschoolers. I see that they now make sets of 6 which would be better for smaller kids.
Also, the devotions that come with the store bought set were too long to focus on if you tried to read them each with each egg. We generally read the scripture and then adjust the devotion/explanation to what fits for us. I think if we try the home made ones this year we will just put the scripture and item in the same egg and then talk about it as we open each egg. We always do ours as part of an Easter Egg hunt so we go through all 12 eggs at once. I know some families do one egg a day leading up to Easter. Honestly, whenever I think of this, I usually only have 6-10 days before Easter…..so I can see how the 6 egg version would be better for our family!
Thankfully God’s grace covers a multitude of my imperfections, He has allowed me to teach my children about His Grace and Truth despite my lack of craftiness! I know that he can redeem my children no matter what I do so I can focus on making memories and sharing Jesus with them.
Praying peace and joy for you and your family as you celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.
Kirstin Berger
Kirstin Berger has been married to her husband, Steve for 18 years. They have 3 beautiful and spunky daughters ages 13, 10, and 5. As an Army Family they have had the opportunity to live in many different states and countries. Kirstin is grateful for the chance to learn from each of the many different women that God has placed in her life. She is currently a Mom Mentor in Mom Mastery University and you can follow her Zebra Tribe page on Facebook.