If you’re familiar with my homeschool posts, you know we have a “fun day” about every six weeks as part of our home-micro-school routine. With Easter coming up, our most recent one was about Holy Week.
One of the things I love about the church I belong to is the collection of resources they make available to teachers and families. Years ago we bought a collection called “gospel art” that has beautiful depictions of so many scripture stories! My first task in preparing to teach my kiddos about Holy Week was to get some pictures from this collection to help them visualize. Now these pictures can be purchased as a book. Some of them are specific to scriptures that our church uses that many churches don’t, but many of them are from Bible stories that all Christians could appreciate.
Next I looked to Pinterest for some activity ideas. There’s really some great stuff on there, and I appreciate people sharing their ideas and inspiration! I often tweak the ideas I see to use what we have and not take a trip to the store. Here’s how it went:
Palm Sunday
I read them the summary on the back of the picture to teach them about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. My favorite part is where Jesus says that if the people were quiet, the stones would cry out in His praise (Luke 19:40). Then we used cardboard strips and paper hands to make palm fronds. I didn’t have much green paper, so we used a tan color that I have a lot of. I’m just gonna show you like it is, no pretend perfection here.
Cleansing the Temple
The next thing we know about Jesus’ last week was that He made the money changers leave the temple saying, “It is written, My house is a house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46). I showed my kids the picture and we talked about the temple being a holy place in the Bible times, and for some religions today. I printed out a color page of the Solomon’s temple for them to color.
Jesus’ Parables
I love that Jesus taught in parables! Stories really have a way of speaking to me, and I think to all of us. What we know about Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week is that Jesus was teaching, and much of it was in parables. I picked my favorite of His parables, “The Good Samaritan,” talked to my kids about it, and had them act it out.
To have them act it out, I got sticky labels and write down the titles of the different characters. I added a few innkeepers and robbers to make sure I had enough for everyone. Then I let them pick a label from an envelope without looking so that it was fair and no one could say I favored one or the other child. I then read to them the story of the Good Samaritan and directed them to act it out as I read. They did a great job!
The Last Supper
I love the historical significance of the feast of the Passover. I always get excited and have to retell the story of Moses and the Israelites and how the angel of death passed over them when they were obedient. Of course, Jesus Christ’s last supper with His Apostles gives a new meaning to that great event. I love how He tells them, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:” (Luke 22:15). He knew what was coming, and this was a comfort to Him before it all took place. ❤️
I didn’t get into all the beautiful significance of that event since we were short on time and needed to keep things moving for the little ones. We simply said that it happened and I let each of them have a little ball of dough to make some unleavened bread. Again, it wasn’t perfect, but it was good.
In the Garden and on the Cross
I have some pretty strong feelings as I get to this part of the story where Jesus suffered for all our pains and sins in the garden of Gethsemane, was judged unjustly, and sentenced to die by crucifixion. There was a reverence in our classroom as I read to them. I didn’t feel there was any appropriate activity for this one, so I simply read to them and showed them pictures.
He is Risen!
Instead of a picture for this one, we did a little food craft. I’ve seen lots of pictures for this one usuing donuts, but we went with bagels, sandwich cookies, frosting for glue, and a craft stick cross to make our empty tomb. Then we sang “Jesus has Risen” before we ate our little craft.
That was how I taught my little students about Holy Week in two hours. I hope it gives you some ideas. Whatever you do to celebrate Easter, I hope you feel His love for you and enjoy your adventure!
