Easter is an exciting time for boys and girls, and for families. When planning to teach about Easter Sunday, it is important to remember why we are teaching. The truth of Jesus’ perfect sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection should be the focus of our teaching time centered around Easter.
In our humanity, we sometimes, unintentionally, distort or distract from the real reason we celebrate this glorious day. Bunnies and egg hunts can be fun exercises and entertainment for boys and girls but consider these suggestions when planning to teach the Easter story to boys and girls.
- Stick to the foundation. Teaching the foundational truth of Christ’s sacrifice is of utmost importance, even to the youngest of children. The central story around Jesus’ death and resurrection is essential for a child’s future decision to trust Jesus as Savior. Without His death and resurrection, salvation would not be possible. Teaching this truth in clear concise language appropriate for the age of the child is vital.
- Focus on the sacred. For kids, many times we try to make the story of Christ’s death and resurrection more concrete but instead lead them to be confused over the truth in Scripture. Adding activities that do not relate to the truth of Easter, such as egg hunts, which are fun for boys and girls, should not be the focus of our Easter Sunday celebrations. These events can seriously distract girls and boys from the reality of what Christ did for people when He offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross. Let’s center the precious, limited time we have with girls and boys on Jesus and Him alone.
- Tell the truth of the story. While the thought of what Jesus did for us on the cross can be overwhelming, the truth of the matter is, Jesus chose to sacrifice Himself so people could have the hope of eternal salvation. Tell the whole story making sure to share in a way that is appropriate for the age of the child. Do not focus too intently on the horror and gore of the events to prey on kids’ emotions. When we tell the Easter story it is important to use the Bible and read the Bible’s words about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Boys and girls need to know that Jesus really died on the cross. Don’t stop with the bad news—share the good news that Jesus is not still dead, but was raised to life. Jesus’ resurrection provided the hope of a future life with God forever. Help kids see the good news, do not just focus on the death without the glorious note of the new life to come!
Helping boys and girls truly internalize the truths of this story will be important as they begin to understand why Jesus’ sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection is the foundation to their relationship with Christ.
Tim Pollard leads the team that creates the Explore the Bible Kids resources. You can secure samples here.