Easter Sunday - Bible Lessons for Kids That Explain the Significance
Easter is the most important celebration in the Christian faith, but explaining the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection to kids can sometimes feel challenging. The good news is that hands-on activities and crafts help children understand and remember the true meaning of Easter. Keep reading to find Easter activities, crafts, and printable lesson plans designed to help kids learn about Jesus’ sacrifice and celebrate His resurrection in a meaningful and engaging way. These ideas are perfect for parents, teachers, and Sunday school leaders who want to teach the Easter story in a way that is both fun and faith-focused.
when is easter sunday?
Easter doesn’t fall on a specific date, as Christmas does. Instead, the date changes each year depending on the lunar cycle. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. The Paschal Full Moon is the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21.
What does Easter celebrate?
On Easter, we celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Sin separates us from God, but God had a rescue plan and sent Jesus to earth to bear the weight of our sin on the cross. Then Jesus rose from the dead to prove He has power over sin and death. Easter is a celebration of Jesus’ victory and the new life we can have through Him.
Why is easter sunday so important?
The Old Testament is filled with prophecies, promises and covenants between God and His people. God promised to send a Messiah to rescue His people from sin. Jesus fulfilled these promises and covenants when He died on the cross and rose again. This shows us that God can be trusted, that He keeps His promises, and that He loves us deeply.
If you’re looking for an age-appropriate way to describe the importance of Easter, be sure to check out the script provided in the Easter for Little Learners and the Easter for Older Kids.
Easter Bible Lessons for Kids
If you’re looking for a great way to teach the Easter story to kids, check out our scripted lesson plans, printable crafts, and simple activities. Perfect for kids aged 3 to 8.
Talking to kids about the cross
The message of the cross can be a heavy topic for kids, so as you prepare your lesson, take time to prayerfully consider how you will share the story. Crucifixion was a gruesome death, and little kids don’t need to know all the details. These details may not be beneficial for young kids. They will learn more details as they grow older and it is age-appropriate. The message of Easter should be one of love, hope, and deep gratitude for Jesus.
Easter Sunday Prayer Walk
The printable prayer walk cards make it easy to set up an age-appropriate prayer walk activity for your class. Each card flips open to reveal a prayer inside.
A prayer walk is a creative way for kids to reflect on the Easter story while still allowing them to move their bodies between prayer stations. Five stations are set up around the room, each marked by a card with a prayer inside. These five cards reflect five key moments in the Easter story.
As kids walk around the room, they will open the cards and say the prayer written inside. These scripted prayers let kids reflect on each moment in a guided way.
Set up the stations around the room or an open space. Younger kids will need a teacher to lead them through the five stations, but older kids can go through it individually or in small groups. You can find the printable prayer walk cards in Easter for Older Kids and Easter for Younger Kids.
Story Stones - An Easter Story Craft
As part of the Prayer Walk, kids will make Story Stones. Little Learners will make Story Stones after the Prayer Walk as a visual reminder of the different parts of the Easter story told during the Prayer Walk: the garden, the arrest, the cross, the tomb, and the empty tomb.
Little Learners will glue together the front and back of the stones and color them. Once the glue is dry, punch a hole into the corner of each stone and use a string or a key ring to attach them together. Then kids can use the Story Stones to retell the easter story to their families. You can find the Story Stone templates in Easter for Little Learners.
Older Kids will make the Story Stones before going on the Prayer Walk. This version of the stones includes a lined space to add writing. Kids will take their envelope of story stones along with them as they visit each station of the prayer walk. After they read each station’s prayer, they will add a short prayer or reflection to the back of their stone. This version can be found in Easter for Older Kids.
Roll the Stone Away - An Easter Sunday Craft for Preschool
Little Learners will love a simple printable craft where they create a tomb with a movable stone. Use the template pieces provided in the Easter Bible Lesson for Little Learners. Kids will color the tomb background and the paper stone. Then glue the stone onto a popsicle stick. Cut a slit at the bottom of the tomb background and insert the popsicle stick. Kids will be able to slide the popsicle stick back and forth along the slit in order to move the stone away from the tomb entrance, remembering that Jesus is alive and the tomb is empty!
Worship Songs for Easter Sunday
Anytime is a great time to worship and praise God, and Easter is especially wonderful for praising as we remember what Jesus did for us on the cross. Take some time to sing worship songs and praise together. Here are some suggestions:
Other Crafts and activities to teach about easter
Empty Tomb Paper Plate and Napkin Angel: Check out A Good Tired for a simple craft using paper plates, napkins, and other common craft supplies to make an empty tomb and angel.
Popsicle Stick Cross: Use string, popsicle sticks and a glue gun to create a cross. Check out the instructions from Crafty with Natalie to learn how to make a popsicle stick cross.
Wax Resist Easter Eggs: Follow these instructions from Little Bins for Little Hands and create watercolor Easter eggs using the wax-resist technique. This is where kids use a white crayon to draw a pattern on their egg, and when they paint over it, the crayon resists the paint, revealing the pattern.
Resurrection Buns: These sweet treats are a fun way to help kids learn about the empty tomb. Wrap a marshmallow in some dough to form a bun. Bake the buns in the oven and the marshmallow will melt away, leaving a hole. Kids love this because it resembles Jesus’ empty tomb. There are lots of recipes for Resurrection Buns online, like this one from That Bread Lady.
Looking for More Easter Lessons
This lesson is part of a two-lesson series, Palm Sunday and Easter. Kids will explore both Jesus’ triumphal entry on Palm Sunday and the significance of the cross and the empty tomb on Easter. These lessons help kids see how Jesus fulfilled God’s promises and why His resurrection gives us hope.