Tag: Christian

Simple games for the Easter Season

In an effort to follow Elder Gary Stevenson counsel quoting N.T Wright that we should be taking steps to do more for the Easter season including more children’s games I have compiled a few ideas of children’s games for the Easter Season below.

PEOPLE of Easter CARDS. I made a card set. The card set can be found on etsy but you can also create your own by writing the names of the people of the Easter Story on separate pieces of paper. You are welcome to use this pdf compilation of about FORTY people of the Easter Story.

Too many times I over simplify the account by leaving out many of the people involved. I have found that even young children can learn many of these details. Age 7-11 enjoy matching games and teenagers may like the challenge of 20 questions game, charades or pictionary type came to see if they can guess the person.

Here is the free pdf. Enjoy! I love seeing that SO MANY people were part of these miraculous events and thinking of each of their perspectives in this scriptural narrative.

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IMAGE match for Good Friday – Put images of Good Friday events up on a moveable chalkboard or wall.  Have a list of events displayed large on a wall and see if people can match the events with the image. Or, do use images for the entire easter season. Older children may enjoy the challenge of putting the images in order. See an amazing compilation of images at the scripture central site.

ITEMS –Display and discuss a few items of Good Friday. Ask children or teens if they can guess what person or event they are connected to. See my Good Friday page for or this object page a list of items.

Pictionary of Holy Week – done respectfully, guess what event of Holy Week is drawn.

Make oil lamps out of homemade or store bought clay. A couple days later when they are dry put a little oil in it and a piece of napkin or cloth so it can lite on fire. BE CAREFUL and have ADULT SUPERVISON because this can get a big flame. Act out the parable of the 10 virgins. (source: Joe and Janet Hales book, A Christ-Centered Easter)

Parable Charades, Pictionary, or 20 questions to review parables Jesus taught.

Book of Mormon Easter account — Whisper 3x and see if children/youth can understand the message –to go with 3 Nephi 11; build a temple out of legos or clay.

For more fun religious themed craft ideas related to Palm Sunday see this page.

For more Good Friday ideas see this page

Easter Resources

I am often asked to share resources for celebrating the Easter season. The scriptures are the most important resource of course!!!

Here is a link to a video series I did with Scripture Central on celebrating a Christ-centered Easter season. There are 12 short videos highlighting each day of Holy Week and significant events surround Holy Week including a Book of Mormon Easter. Here is a 16 page compilation of resources mentioned in the videos.

Here is a Church News article I wrote on Easter is a Season which is very similar to the first video in the series mentioned above. Here is an op ed I wrote on The Good Friday bill.

Here are ideas for simple games for the Easter season.

For Homes or Church Groups:

Holy Week — A timeline and overview

Palm Sunday -Ideas to celebrate including crafts, activities and sample Palm Sunday church program. And here is an article I wrote on Praising the Lord- A Part of Worship that Can Transform Your Life. Enjoy! I was recently on Leading Saints podcast discussing a Palm Sunday event and Easter as a season. Here is that link. Here is a LDS Living article I wrote on 5 symbols of Palm Sunday.

Anointing Wednesday!

Last Supper for Holy Thursday and Passover Simplified

Good Friday-Its importance & ideas to commemorate it with children and adults.

Easter Sunday

Music favorites for the Easter Season, most of which is free online. Recipes/Food for the Easter Season, from simple to complex. Simple learning games for the Easter Season

IMAGES are so helpful in overviewing events of the Easter Season. Here are posts with high quality images including detailed events. For Holy Week, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and the weeks following including Book of Mormon Easter images.

Elder Gary Stevenson invited us to “adopt appropriate Christ-centered Easter traditions found in the cultures and practices of countries worldwide.” This site provides an overview of Easter traditions in many countries.

If you would rather watch something: a video of a podcast I was on with Ben Hancock with For All the Saints; and a shorter video of my husband and I sharing Fun ideas for a Christ-centered Easter

DECOR IDEAS: Purples, Golds, Green Colors including palm branches and any spring blooming branches budding or flowering; Greek Easter table scape with red and white eggs; use some of the Good Friday items for display. Risen banner; Or make your own Hosanna banner for Palm Sunday and use the word of the day for each day of Holy Week as display; use the 7 final statements for Good Friday dinner table display or make it into a banner.

Church blogpost I wrote on Ideas for Extending the Easter Season. Liahona article I wrote on Lessons we can learn from the women at the cross and tomb. Blogpost I wrote on the women of Holy Week.  

PROPHETS SPEAK ABOUT HOLY WEEK: A video a day from Prophets; Prophets speak about Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter in 2023 and 2024. In this a short video President Nelson invites us to think of the peace and hope that Easter brings “because of Him” and (at minute 2:55) to think of the Palms of Jesus’ hands this Palm Sunday and (at min 3:25) he gives us another invitation for Holy Week. In this Video President Nelson encourages us to forgive during the Easter season. Elder Stevenson’s conference talk on “The greatest Easter story ever told.” And Elder Gong’s talk on “Hosanna and Hallelujah“

Here’s a day by day reading plan for each day of Holy Week.

Here are some additional ideas to help us focus on Jesus Christ during the Easter season. Clearly, we do not need to use all of these! It can become overwhelming if we try to do everything. Pick and choose what best suits you, your phase of life and your vision for feeling the sanctity of the Easter season.

These ideas can be done by yourself, immediate or extended family members, as part of church classes, or in other ways. Let’s celebrate the Easter story with “the same balance, fulness, and rich religious tradition of the…Christmas story” (Elder Stevenson April 2023)!!

President Russell M. Nelson said, “This Easter Season let us worship and praise Him for the peace, hope, light and truth He brings to us.” Here are some ideas to worship and praise Him for Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, the Last Supper and many more. Enjoy!

For leaders/teachers: see this document with ideas for auxiliary activities during the Easter Season, and here is a three page document with ideas for Sacrament and other worship during the Easter Season.

A FEW ADDITIONAL resources that cost: People in Easter Story Cards– digital download. I made theses cards as a resource for young children, teenagers and families to help us see/learn/discuss the people from Gethsemane on Thursday to the Resurrection Sunday. You choose in your own printer setting what size you want to print them. My daughter made the 7 final statements of Jesus on the cross digital download. Display them in the shape of a cross on the wall, in a banner, as part of your table decor, or make a paper book. Use these or make your own but somehow let them be part of your Easter discussion and decor. A friend made this Easter Journey game (also a digital download) I am going to try for the first time this year.

A Christ-Centered Easter by Joe and Janet Hales  an informative, practical book that lays out day by day activities for Holy Week. This was my first introduction to a more Christ focused Easter. Highly recommend! Also, Holy week for Latter-day Saint Families book can be found at Deseret Book or Amazon.

More FREE online resources:

Really cool Compilation of Easter ideas from the Friend and Liahona magazines on the church website. Ldsdaily Blogpost with lesson plan day by day of Holy Week; Easter Week day by day at the church website & Holy Week day by day at church website; PDF Printout Interactive Lesson for Easter Sunday; Short video – LdsLiving Easter with David Butler and Emily Freeman; there are multiple videos. This blog has print outs of scriptures to go with items in an Easter basket. And here is religious subway art decor.

For friends in Utah, here is one Easter Walk idea a friend recommended.

Motivating Easter Quote –Let’s do it!! Elder Gary Stevenson quoted New Testament scholar N. T. Wright as saying, “We should be taking steps to celebrate Easter in creative new ways: in art, literature, children’s games, poetry, music, dance, festivals, bells, special concerts. … This is our greatest festival. Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity.”  Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Liahona, May 2023