Ever wonder how to keep Easter centered on Jesus instead of the Easter Bunny?
Growing up, Easter felt like such a powerful and sacred time of year. I’m so grateful my parents intentionally communicated the meaning of Easter to us through sacred traditions, and I want my own daughters to experience that as well. After all, Easter is about Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, not cute bunny or egg hunts or chocolate and candy fests.
I’m not trying to be a kill-joy. I think kids can have fun as they celebrate Easter, but I want those activities to keep Easter centered on Jesus Christ. So I spent hours looking for creative ways to help our familiroles center Easter celebrations on Jesus, and I compiled them all in the post below.
Jesus-Centered Kids’ Activities for Easter
- Read The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt
- Paint an oil-pastel light ray cross and talk about Jesus’ sacrifice
- Seal off the main entrance to your home as a reminder that no one thought Jesus would rise again
- A few weeks before Easter Sunday, read The Parable of the Lily and plant a lily bulb
- Make palm branches out of construction paper and discuss the triumphal entry (John 12:12-13)
- Print these creative Christ-centered activity cards and do an activity a day
- Craft this simple egg carton cross and ask questions about what happened on the cross
- Build momentum by making resurrection eggs and read Benjamin’s Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs
- Do this fun activity to learn about forgiveness
- Read Mark 11:1-11 and act out the Triumphant Entry
- Plant an Easter Garden and use it as your centerpiece for Sunday’s lunch
- Use cellophane to make a stain-glass window (I like this idea of the purple robe from Oh Amanda)
- On Saturday night, make resurrection rolls and enjoy them for Easter breakfast (here’s another take on this tradition, too!)
- Read God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren
- Make a paper dogwood craft and explain the legend of the dogwood tree
- Using red permanent marker, make marks on children’s hands to remember Jesus’ love for them
- Guide the family through a 15-minute family worship service (find a simple devotional guide here)
- Bake hot cross buns on Good Friday
- Make an un-Easter gift basket (LOVE this idea from God Centered Mom!)
- Bake bread and discuss why Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life. Place a loaf in a basket with some other goodies and deliver to a neighbor.
- Print these Easter notebooking pages to have kids take notes in church on Resurrection Sunday
- Memorize John 3:16
- Use these Easter Conversation Cards over dinner each night to discuss the meaning of Easter
- Die eggs and discuss their symbolism (green: palm branches; purple: wine & bread; orange: the money paid to Judas; blue: our sins; red: Christ’s blood; brown: the cross; white: Jesus’ forgiveness; yellow: the resurrection & Heaven)
- Teach kids about the spotless Lamb of God using white carnations and red dye
- Try this Easter egg/puzzle hunt
- Read Easter, Easter Almost Here! by Kathleen Long Bostrom the week before Palm Sunday
- Make a Resurrection Set (like a Nativity set, but for Easter) with these free printables
- Watch God Rockz from Bible Toonz to help kids visualize the Easter story
- Turn egg hunts into a prayer and praise session
- Paint stained-glass crosses and mail some to your sponsored Compassion children
- Decorate your home with Scripture banners
- Make Tasty Tuesday Easter Story cookies
- Listen to the Sense of the Resurrection playlist on Spotify
- Discuss the Last Supper while breaking bread and drinking grape juice together
- Watch What’s In the Bible Episode 10–Jesus Is the Good News! for a great explanation of Easter
- Teach the story of Holy Week using handprints and paint
- Sing Yancy’s Hosanna song on Palm Sunday
- Memorize Luke 22:42b using colorful jellybeans for each word and this free printable
- Include these Resurrection Story napkin rings on your Easter dinner table
- Have a Salvation Art Show to demonstrate what Easter is all about
- Read the Jesus Storybook Bible
- Wash each others’ feet and discuss the sacrificial love Jesus showed His disciples
- Do this rocks activity that reminds us Jesus took our sins on Himself on the cross
- Turn off the lights from 3pm on Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday morning
- Watch the Jesus Movie for kids (Carissa’s absolute FAVORITE movie of all time)
- Spritz your favorite perfume on your children’s feet and read Mark 14:1-10
- Visit a local park and read Luke 22:39-46. Spend some time in prayer together.
- Celebrate together with a kid-friendly Passover Seder (scroll to the bottom for printable and outline)
- Read Easter in the Garden by Pamela Kennedy
- Have an Easter Scavenger Hunt
- Send grandparents resurrection greeting cards signed by the whole family
- Make Resurrection cookies (scroll to end of post) and discuss each ingredient to engage kids’ senses
- Wrap up Easter celebrations with this beautiful canvas art to remember Jesus is always with us
Though some of the theological truths found in Easter may seem too deep for children to grasp (transubstantiation, anyone?), don’t underestimate the power of repetition, story, and activities in helping kids understand the Easter story. By intentionally picking activities that point to Jesus, you’ll be planting seeds in their little hearts that will bear fruit as they mature.