Resurrection Eggs are a great tool for teaching kids about the meaning of Easter, but my kids are kinda getting bored with them, and I’m looking for more!
I’m big on traditions. Traditions – especially those that children can see, hear, feel, smell and taste – provide vivid impressions on which parents can build year after year. There are so many which can enrich your own family’s celebration of “Resurrection Day.”
Noel Piper’s Lenten Lights-Eight Biblical Devotions to prepare for Easter, to be used weekly during Lent OR daily during Holy Week
We are going to do this for one family night soon: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/tell-the-easter-story-with-a-playdough-mountain
Love this beautiful Advent/Lent wooden “wreath”
We are going to take out our Jesse tree that we used at Christmas and turn it into a Resurrection Tree!
I found this idea of three wreaths displayed during lent. The first is made of wheat to symbolize the bread of Christ’s body that was broken for us. The second is thorns to represent his suffering. The third is made of purple ribbon that symbolizes his resurrection and Lordship. Display each for two weeks in that order during lent.
I also love this: “sinning stones and blessing baskets”. Each day of lent focus on a scripture verse and each day choose a sin that God forgives us for daily. Write that sin on “sinning stones” (paint a bunch of rocks black on Ash Wed.) At the end of lent you have a whole basket full of sin and we talk about how those sins led to the Jesus’ death. Then on Easter Sunday, God has replaced all our sins (stones) with the blessing of Christ-our Easter baskets! (We are going to try this idea soon, you don’t have to start on Ash Wednesday.)
These great ideas are from Thriving Family magazine, which you now can subscribe to for free! (My favorite is the white carnation idea-another family night activity for sure!)
This is a crazy cool website that has pictures of all the Bible stories including the Crucifixion from PlayMobil sets! Pretty cool visual for little kids if you ask me!
We made Resurrection Rolls last year for breakfast! Yum! MUCH tastier than Resurrection cookies if you ask me!
The night before Easter, write with a dry erase marker on every mirror in the house, “He is risen!” the next morning wake the family up with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus blaring throughout the house and the children run and check all the mirrors! (I am thinking of using Wiki Stix to write “He is Risen” on the walls too.) 🙂
Bake your own pretzels. Pretzels originated as early Christian Lenten treats, designed in the form of arms crossed in prayer.
Foot Washing: This Maundy Thursday event speaks volumes about Jesus’s desire for us to serve. Read John 13. Wrap a towel around your waist, as Jesus did, and wash your children’s feet.
New clothes (I knew there was a good reason to buy new clothes every Easter!): New converts were traditionally baptized at Easter, wearing new white garments to symbolize their new life.
Eggs: they can become a subtle way of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Like seeds, eggs are very much a symbol of new life.
Bunnies: see this previous post how you can use the Easter bunny to teach about Jesus.
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| Rilyn’s first Easter |
the paquettes 
Julie, I LOVE the way you don’t stray from what others might see as cliche OR too “of the world” (such a temptation for me in Austin hipster culture). I celebrate lent every year now (didnt start until adulthood) and just think that EVERYthing can teach us something about God, so there is rarely a reason just run away from what the world does.
anyway, point is, i just really appreciate the way you do these things and share them. Such a great resource!