Spend some time helping kids understand and enter into this joyous season

Bunnies. Baskets. Candy. Egg hunts. New clothes. Your club members will soon see signs of Easter all around them—but will these signs help them understand the true meaning of the holiday or just the cultural version?

In the weeks leading up to Easter, try some of these ideas in club to help kids focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection.

New life. Depending on your weather, take kids outside to look for signs of new life after the winter: flowers or green shoots coming up, new lambs, a bird’s nest, buds on trees. Talk about how we are “dead” in our sins until Jesus gives us new life.

Songs/hymns. In your club song time, try some Easter songs and hymns. Start with ones your church sings and then branch out as desired. Discuss a song line by line, explaining hard words. Help children convey the various emotions through their singing. Help younger children make up body and hand motions to use while singing. Consider teaching older children to sign the song. Ideas:

  • “Christ Arose” (“Low in the Grave He Lay”)
  • “Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)” by Casting Crowns
  • “He Lives”
  • “In Christ Alone (My Hope Is Found)”
  • “Easter Song” by Annie Herring
  • “Once Again” by Matt Redman

Skit. Help club members put on the skit “Rocks in Your Head” from the Skits book (Item #2726). The skit shows reasons we can know Jesus came back from the dead.

Ask for 10 minutes to put the skit on in church. Or invite parents to see it during club time. Plan for a couple of practice sessions in the weeks leading up to the event. Help club members learn to read their parts naturally.

Lamb craft. Each kid uses a marker to color one Popsicle stick (the body) and two spring-type clothespins (the legs) black. Clip the legs to the body, leaving some of the Popsicle stick sticking out in front and back for the face and tail. Stick wiggle eyes on either side of the face. Glue cotton balls all around the body.

Talk with children about why Jesus is called the Lamb of God.

Easter baskets. Gather supplies for club members to make Easter baskets for a nursing home, children’s hospital or homeless shelter. Include homemade Easter cards.

Books/DVDs. Find children’s books and DVDs about Easter. Read or show one in club.

Giant cross. Create a giant paper or cardboard cross to display in the club room for several weeks before Easter. Each week, have club members write on it sins that kids their age might commit. (If club members are hesitant, brainstorm together and assign different ideas to them to write.)

In the first week, talk about what sins are. In the second week, help kids understand how and why Jesus took the punishment for our sins on himself, even though He was perfect. In the third week, talk about how Jesus conquered death when He rose from the dead. Take down the giant cross, and have children paint white paint over the sins. Talk about how our sins can be made white as snow.