5 Last-Minute Ways We’re Celebrating Easter

I love this time of year.  For me, Easter is a time of celebration, joy and hope.  There’s much realization for me about the power of the cross and God’s presence in this season of my life.  Easter is my yearly reminder of God’s transcendent love, and a reminder of our responsibility to “pay it forward”.

This year I really wanted to be intentional with Easter and come up with some fun activities to engage my kids. However, I was traveling for work for a few days, so I didn’t have time to plan out activities and fun things to do like I did last year during Holy Week.  And now with Easter being just three days away, I have no time to worry about elaborate crafts or fancy Pinterest activities.  Can you relate?

I just want to use the next few days to introduce the Easter story and plant seeds for important conversations about God’s sacrifice. I want to keep it as simple, purposeful and straight forward as possible for my kids’ short attention spans.

In addition to reading some great books, here are the other activities we have lined up for the next few days leading up to Easter.

1. We’re Going on a Nature Walk
Weather permitting, we’ll be going on a Good Friday nature walk at a nearby park.  This is a simple activity and it won’t cost you a thing (except a few cents to print out the free printables).  The Unlikely Homeschool has put together these wonderful cards to help guide conversation during your walk as a family or group.  The cards walk children through a scriptural account of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, all while they spend time outside appreciating God’s creation.  {free printable}

2. We’re Reading the Bible
This is one of my favorite Bibles that the children own.  The kids love it too!  Over the next few days we’ll be reading select passages and stories from this Bible related to the resurrection.

This incredibly clear and easy to understand Storybook Bible uses the rich, full-color illustrations of African-American artist Victor Hogan. The easy to read text is adapted from the International Children’s Bible, the Children of Color Storybook shows African-American and other children of color that they are an important part of God’s Word and His plan for the world. These 61 well-known stories of biblical characters and events helps children build self-esteem and serve as foundation for building Christian character and moral values. Both you and the child will love this book and it’s clarity.

3. We’re Cooking
There are so many wonderful Easter-themed recipes available to help teach kids the true meaning of Easter and the resurrection.  Below are a few that I like.  What are some of your favorites to try?

Resurrection Rolls | Resurrection Cookies | Empty Tomb Rolls Easter Tomb Biscuits Empty Tomb Cake

4. We’re Coloring
Coloring certainly won’t help your kids understand the true meaning of Easter, but it’s something fun and doesn’t require much effort.  Plus, coloring is a great way to enhance those fine motor skills!  Here are the coloring sheets we’ll be using. {free printables}

5. We’re Planting Magic Jelly Beans
This is a really cute Easter tradition I started with the kids last year…planting magic jelly beans on Easter Eve!  Simply plant some jelly beans into your own homemade wheat grass or use the grass outside in your yard.  Do this with the kids.  Then, early in the morning before the kids wake up (or right after they fall asleep at night) “plant” some lollipops in place of the jelly beans.  The kids will be so excited when they wake up and see their magic jelly beans have turned into a mini garden of lollipops.  So fun! {free magic jelly beans packet printable}

I hope these simple ideas help you and your kids celebrate Easter this weekend while having some fun.  Happy Easter!

Your turn: How will you celebrate the deeper meaning of Easter with your little ones this year?  How does your family celebrate Easter?  Do you have any fun crafts, games, recipes or activities you do?  Feel free to share in the comments.