Focusing Your Kids' Attention on the Cross instead of the Bunny at Easter
As Easter approaches, your kids may be getting excited about Easter baskets and egg hunts. They may be picking out Easter outfits and looking forward to a day out of school on Good Friday. These traditions are certainly fun, but our kids need to know Easter isn’t about the bunny; it’s about the cross. They need to know Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead so we can live with Him in heaven when we die. If your kids need to be reminded of the importance of Easter, try out one or all of the fun activities below.
1. Easter baskets: Make your own Easter basket with Easter-related items instead of toys. Add a children’s Bible or a book telling the Easter story. Add something special for your child to wear to church Easter Sunday – a tie or new shirt for a boy or a piece of jewelry, dress, or purse for a girl.
2. Easter treats: Resurrection Cookies and Empty Tomb Rolls are fun, easy, and yummy treats to make with your kids. Each ingredient symbolizes a part of the Easter story, so you can read the Bible or an Easter storybook while you make the treats. We’ve posted the recipe and suggested Bible verses to read for both Resurrection Cookies and Empty Tomb Rolls on the homepage of our website. Click the links above to download PDFs of each. Note: Make Resurrection Cookies on Saturday as they need to stay in the oven overnight.
3. Easter egg hunt: We have two great ideas for an Easter egg hunt. Resurrection eggs are a set of a dozen plastic eggs; instead of a treat, each egg includes a symbol representing a part of the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. You can hide these, or, for older kids, create a scavenger hunt for them to find the eggs in order. Another idea is to hide 13 plastic eggs. Twelve can include a treat of your choosing, but the 13th egg is empty, representing the empty tomb.
4. Resurrection garden: For this craft, fill a pie plate or similar container with dirt. Set a small flower pot or jar on its side to serve as the “empty tomb.” Add some rocks (include one larger rock to represent the rock rolled away from the tomb) and grass. Use sticks and string to make three small crosses to set in the dirt near or on top of the tomb. Use your “garden” as a centerpiece for your Easter dinner.
5. Easter service project: A great service project idea is to gather small bags and have your kids fill them with items for those in need: young moms, nursing home residents, hospitalized children, homeless people. Bags can include personal care products (or appropriate kids’ products for children) as well as a few plastic eggs with treats. Include a scripture card in each bag. A great idea is to pray over each bag! You can then take the bags to organizations serving those in need for distribution before Easter.
How do you help your child focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter? Let us know in the comments!
At One by One, our mission is to mentor and educate new moms to parent well. It’s our vision that all moms will accept God’s love and parent well so children thrive. If you have a heart for moms and babies and are looking for an opportunity to serve, you can learn more here.