Spring is right around the corner and Easter will be here before you know it. For many kids, Easter evokes images of candy, baskets and Easter egg hunts. Some of your club members may not even know why we celebrate the holiday. Easter is a wonderful time of the year to bring the gospel message to kids and share with them the wonder of Christ’s resurrection. If you haven’t already begun planning your Easter event, now would be a good time to start. However, if you’re not sure where to begin, here are some ideas that will help.

First of all, kids learn from visuals and object lessons. Choose an idea or two from the ones listed below to help them picture what Jesus did for us at Easter.

Easter Story Cookies. These cookies can be baked by your club members’ families the night before Easter. The ingredients help tell the Easter story. On Easter morning, kids will break open the cookies and see nothing inside—just like the empty tomb. Bake a batch to bring to club and share the Easter story while demonstrating how the cookies resemble Jesus’ empty tomb. Pass out the cookies for snack.

Give each child a copy of the direction sheet to take home. You might include three zip bags containing the dry ingredients, also.

Resurrection Eggs. Make a set of plastic eggs with visual aids to help club members learn the Easter story. Hide the eggs around the room. Let children find them. When all the eggs are gathered, have individual club members open the eggs in order and read the Bible verse inside. Explain what the object inside represents.

Caterpillars. Buy a caterpillar kit for your club. In the different stages of growth, explain that the cocoons are like Jesus’ death and the tomb, and the butterflies that emerge are like Jesus Take kids to a farm to see new lambs. Or take the kids to a nursery (or your church garden) to see flowers coming up. Talk about the miracle of new life that Jesus gives us.

Easter Terrariums. Have club members plant Easter terrariums with small sprouted plants. Use foil tins or disposable plastic containers and potting soil. Be sure to put gravel in the bottom for drainage. Have them shape an empty tomb out of modeling clay and place it in the terrarium. Provide small stones for club members to put in front of it. Tell the Easter story and explain that on Easter morning they can roll the stones away from the tomb in their terrarium to represent Jesus rising from the tomb on Easter morning.

Consider purchasing a Pioneer Clubs Easter Party kit for your club. Each kit comes with a CD containing invitations, posters, guest handouts, a special card for leaders and a complete lesson plan, as well as 24 crafts for club members to do.