Celebrating the True Meaning of Easter

Here are a few suggestions to celebrate Easter with your children while pointing to the true meaning and why we celebrate it.

1. Make your own resurrection eggs to share the true meaning of Easter (or buy them)

Or you can dye (or buy) eggs and have each color symbolize part of the story:

Green symbolizes the palm leaves waved by the crowds as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Red, the symbol of blood and pain.  His sacrifice.

Shades of purple are draped around crosses during Lent. Purple is the symbol of royalty and suffering. On Good Friday, the purple cloth is replaced with black. The symbol of sin, death and darkness, black tells us that there is an end to life.

White (representing purity) transforms the cross on Easter morning. The black color of sin is replaced by the bright color of white, signifying the passage from darkness to light.

Gold is symbolic of majesty

Yellow stands for light and renewal.

2. Read books about the true meaning of Easter like Benjamin’s Box

3. Make Resurrection cookies the night before or Resurrection Rolls on Easter.  In both, when you break them open-it is hallow…empty…to represent the tomb on Easter.

Here are some pics from last year.  In short, you beat nuts to represent the beating Christ endured, you taste vinegar to show what Christ was given on the cross when he was thirsty, etc. you add all the necessary ingredients and put them in the oven, seal it (as in the tomb) but when you open it on Easter morning and crack open a cookie…it is….empty…

You can see Jackson wasn’t exactly “getting it” as he joyfully took advantage of any opportunity to whack something…

and when it came to tasting the vinegar…well, you can see by his face he’s thinking “Go ahead, sis…I dare you!”

But they totally got into their roles as guards of the “tomb”…

4. Make hot cross buns on Good Friday and discuss the crucifixion.

5. Make an Easter basket. Here are some suggestions that point to the true meaning:

Cross-shaped chocolate (I found these at the Dollar Tree)

Bible related coloring or activity book (at the Dollar Tree)

The Story of Easter board book

A plush lamb

A craft like this Story of Easter Wreath

6. Get beads to make this Story of Jesus Bracelet:

A star charm with three beads represents the bethlehem star and the three wise men, three colored beads represent their three gifts, a pearl bead represents the Christ Child.  The wood bead represents Jesus as carpenter, a fish symbol represents making fishers of men, and twelve blue beads represent the apostles, and the white bead represents the Word of God. The black beads and cross symbolize His passion. A red bead represents his precious blood while a white bead represents his tears. He now resides in heaven with the Father and the Holy Spirt, the blue beads. And he lived his whole life because of his great love, represented by the heart bead.

7. Act it out or draw out the story

I drew out the story showing how our sin separated us from God but he loves us so much that he sent his Son to take the punishment

He sealed the tomb…

and after we “opened” the tomb and Jesus ascended to Heaven…he did this to the Cross…

because Jesus did this for us… he crossed out sin and I gave him an eraser

To show him that Easter is about this…

Come now, and let us reason together, Says the Lord, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. -Isaiah 1:18

8. Plant or buy Easter Lilies.

9. Invite someone to your table for dinner

10. Pray. Give thanks for our Savior