The Easter Bunny has made his residence at the mall and the chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and jelly beans can be found everywhere you go to shop. It’s Eastertime- a time when every kid looks forward to getting a great big basket full of goodies and toys.
It’s hard, especially in these busy, errand full days, to help make Jesus the focus of your family celebration. It takes a bit of ingenuity and time to make sure that your kids understand that Jesus is the center of this celebration and that his sacrificial death is the reason for the season that includes a giant bunny who brings eggs and goodies.
But how do we refocus?
- All kids enjoy coloring Easter Eggs! When you go shopping this season to buy your kit, be sure to try to purchase some Easter religious stickers from your local Christian store or dollar store. You can then have your child decorate the colored eggs with them! Every egg kit usually comes with a special crayon or two. Instead of just writing a child’s name on each egg, you can, or your older child can, write special messages such as “He Is Risen,” “Alleluia” and “Thank you Jesus” and draw crosses and flowers on them.
- Buy books or visit the library to get a few books, preferably with pictures, on the real Easter story and Easter traditions in other countries! Read the books together as you would read the Night before Christmas at Christmastime. Talk about how it was during Jesus’ time in history. Let your child ask questions and be sure to find out the answers! Talk about how Easter is celebrated in other cultures and religions.
- Attend your church special services or masses or vigils during Easter Week not only attend them, but find the meaning behind each service or vigil. If there are traditions included in these, explain them to your child.
- Visit those who are in need such as a homeless center or a retirement or senior apartment facility. Be sure to call ahead. If possible, ask the director whether your child(ren) can make any special kind of cookies or bring in any Easter treats for the residents. If your budget allows, ask if there is a senior, family or child that you could sponsor, purchasing an Easter outfit or necessities.
- Making special crosses for your home and attach silk flowers, such as lilies and/or purple ribbons. You can make these simply with popsicle sticks or colored papers or with sticks you find in your yard or with wood scraps. Color them with paints, crayons, fabric and glitter, allowing each child decorate his or her cross as she or he likes. Display them throughout the season!
- On Easter Sunday, make sure that your family celebrates the day by attending your chosen church. If there is a sunrise service, get everyone up early and attend it and have a special breakfast. Be sure to talk about this special day and its’ meaning after the service or mass and discuss the readings and sermons!
- Try to make a special dessert or bread that can become an Easter tradition, such as a lamb cake, symbolizing the Lamb of God, or a cross shaped cake or bread with eggs, the symbol of new life, baked in the crust.
- Most importantly, be sure to say grace before sharing your family meal, asking all to participate and give thanks to the Lord for giving his life and for his rising from the dead for each and every one of us.
How can I help my kids understand the true meaning of Easter?
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Start by layering small traditions throughout the season rather than relying on one big conversation. Read children’s books about the Easter story together, attend your church’s special Easter Week services and explain the meaning behind each one, and use the egg-decorating moment to add religious stickers or write messages like ‘He Is Risen’ on the shells. Each small practice reinforces the message in a way children naturally absorb.
What are some Easter activities for kids that focus on Jesus rather than the Easter Bunny?
A few meaningful options: let each child make their own cross from popsicle sticks, colored paper, wood scraps, or yard sticks — they can paint and decorate it however they like and display it through the season. On the egg-coloring night, purchase religious stickers from a Christian store and have children write Easter messages with the special crayon that comes in most kits. These hands-on crafts keep the focus on faith while still feeling festive.
How can kids give back to others during Easter?
Visit a homeless shelter or senior apartment facility as a family — call ahead to ask whether your child can bring Easter treats or sponsor a resident with an Easter outfit or necessities. Even simply baking and delivering cookies to neighbors in need turns Easter Sunday into an act of service kids will remember. The connection between Jesus’ sacrifice and giving to others is one of the most powerful lessons the holiday offers.
What are traditional Easter foods that connect to the religious meaning of the holiday?
A lamb-shaped cake is a beautiful Easter tradition, symbolizing Jesus as the Lamb of God. A cross-shaped bread or cake with eggs baked into the crust — the eggs representing new life — is another meaningful centerpiece for the Easter table. Both can be made with children, which turns the baking itself into a lesson. Whatever you prepare, the article suggests opening the meal with grace and inviting everyone to give thanks together.
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