10+ Simple Ways to Prepare for Easter as a Family 

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Easter can be fun with crafts and food, but it can also be a great chance to teach our kids about the glory of God and what Jesus did for us on the cross. Set aside time for a few family activities, preparing for Easter with your kids.

metal cross inside an open yellow plastic easter egg on a bed of grass with other plastic eggs.

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As Easter approaches, it’s easy for the meaning of the holiday to get lost in the hunt for finding the right outfits for Easter Sunday or planning a great Easter dinner menu.

Those things aren’t bad! But, sometimes as moms we can miss the wonderful opportunity of sharing Jesus with our kids while we work to make it a “fun holiday experience” or a picture-perfect event. 

The good news of the gospel, and specifically Jesus’s sacrifice on the Cross and His resurrection are cause for great celebration. So how do we celebrate and enjoy our Easter fun, while keeping it a celebration of Jesus? 

Whether you spend weeks preparing for Easter Sunday during the days of Lent or just a few days at the end of Holy Week, preparing for Easter as a family can be a great way to communicate the beauty of the gospel to your kids.

Without Easter, there is no hope. Without Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christianity is just a bunch of do-gooders striving after thin air.

So, how do we go about preparing for Easter as moms and as a family? Choose one or more of the following activities to fold into the rhythm of your days during spring.

a wooden tray full of green paper grass, a teal bible, and a bible promise book.

1. Get in the Word. 

Over and over again, as Christians we are called to abide in Christ, that the sheep will recognize the Shepherd’s voice and flee from a stranger. We can’t do this unless we know His word. So how can you get in the Word as you’re preparing for Easter? 

Read the Bible. The Bible has thousands of years of credibility behind it. Forget what your liberal college professor said; it is considered a reliable historical document.

For Christians, God’s word is a primary text on how to live and how to know what’s what in the world.

Going through a Lenten devotional can add a lot of meaning to your Easter celebrations. YouVersion has a number of Lenten Bible reading plans. You can download their Bible app to your mobile device and get reminders about what passage to read each day.

Our family has always loved The Jesus Storybook Bible; it’s a great illustrated version for little ones. They loved this book as littles and since we have the accompanying CDs, they would often listen to the stories throughout the day. It’s a paraphase, but it’s done simply and in a very accessible manner for young children.

Reading through the life of Jesus has been a great family activity for us over the years.

an array of novels and bibles for adults as well as children.

2. Read Easter books and other books about spiritual growth with your kids.

Over the years we’ve built a small collection of Easter Book for Kids, picture books, chapter books, and novels that appeal to kids but that also have some substance when it comes to explaining Jesus’ life and goodness. 

  • The Chronicles of Narnia Books by C.S. Lewis are an excellent example of books for all ages that address what it is to get a new heart, thanks to Jesus.
  • The Bronze Bow is an excellent book for older children and adults about forgiveness and giving anger over to Jesus. I have cried buckets of tears reading that book.
  • Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a classic, but it’s a little hard going as it was written in the 17th centurey. I like this retelling by Gary D Schmidt and this other adaptation for children, Dangerous Journey. Regardless, Christian’s story, however you read it, illustrates becoming a new creation and living for Christ.
  • The Legend of the Easter Egg is a more light-hearted book for littles about how eggs became an Easter tradition in the first place.
  • The Bible Promise Book is a handy companion to Bible study or simply a jumping off point for discussion with your kids. 
  • The Tale of Three Trees, while often used as a Christmas book is really an Easter book, too.
stunning sunrise with oranges and blues.

3. Rise before the sun and get outside to pray.

Jesus prayed in the watches of the night, seeking lonely places to commune with God. We are good to follow his example and devote time to prayer.

You can do this in the days leading up to Easter or make a point to do it before church services on Easter Sunday. Some churches even hold sunrise services.

But even as a simple family practice, especially with littles who wake early anyway, this can be a great teaching moment!

4. Listen to hymns and praise music throughout the days and weeks.

Music can often do what mere words cannot. Not only can music increase your dopamine, but it can bring you closer to God, especially as Easter draws near.

Now is a perfect time to build an Easter playlist on Spotify or another streaming platform that can provide you with inspiring music. Search “Easter worship” and you may find a good playlist ready to go, like this one

One year at Easter I ended up buying I Am by Crowder as well as What If We by Brandon Heath as a result of how they turn me back to God.

brick wall with a big screen tv and an actor playing jesus on the screen.

5. Watch a Bible movie together as a family.

I’m not talking about the Charlton Heston variety of Bible movies. There are a few out there now that are pretty legit. 

The Bible mini-series first aired on television but is now available on Amazon. It covers many important events of Biblical proportions, including the Passion of Christ. It’s one of many reproductions of the Bible. Any discrepancies in interpretation typically prompt lively discussions at our house. And yes, there are some factual errors. See point 1 to learn how to identify those errors. 😉

There are also two versions (for adults and for children) of The Jesus Movie. You can buy the disks or watch both online for FREE. They also make available a number of foreign language versions as well as a new animated version coming in 2025.

In all cases, I have had small children become alarmed/outraged during the Crucifixion scenes. I’ve looked at these as teaching moments, however, you may want to preview the films before viewing them as a family.

Whatever films you watch, keep in mind it was a brutal time that Jesus walked in, which makes His sacrifice really clear. Find a movie that suits the age of your watchers or just screen it on your own after bedtime.

resurrection eggs with insert and stickers on the table next to it.

6. Do the Resurrection Eggs.

My kids have always loved this set of plastic eggs that tells the story of Jesus’s resurrection. The updated versions are really nice!

You may want to accompany the activity with a copy of Benjamin’s Box to go with.  You can make your own version of Resurrection Eggs pretty easily.

7. Attend a special service.

Check with your local church to see what holy week services they have planned. 

Some years, Passover and Easter fall in the same week; when they do it’s interesting to attend a Messianic seder, a celebration of the Passover. It’s a wonderful event to help fix your mind on Jesus in a new and focused way. (Do a google search to find one in your area.)

In 2024 the two holidays are three weeks apart. Make a note to attend one in April if you can!

empty tomb cake with playmobil figures on the top.

8. Choose a meaningful recipe to make together. 

Easter baking projects abound and are a perfect way to combine kids’ love of food with the grand miracle of Easter. 

Each year for a very long time, I’ve created an Empty Tomb Cake with my kids, complete with Playmobil Roman guards. It’s a longstanding tradition for the FishFam; I can’t imagine Easter without it!

Once the girls were old enough, my youngest daughter pointed out one of my oversights as a boy mom. She told me that we needed to make sure we “added the women” to our cake. See, she was paying attention when we read the Bible or watched the movie! There were, indeed, WOMEN at the tomb!

If you don’t already own some appropriate action figures to depict the scene properly. Now might be the time to scare some up. You can find the Roman Playmobil collection here.

an array of chocolate dipped oreos, some with the crosses of calvary piped on them.

Other treats to make:

  • Pretzels are a baked good with roots deep in Easter tradition. Created by monks to teach children about Christian traditions, pretzels were often made at Easter time. Some say that the three holes represent the holy trinity, while others claim the pretzel shape represents praying hands.  Since they were often made at Easter and topped with hard cooked eggs, pretzels are also often seen as the first Easter baskets.
  • Hot Cross buns are another traditional Easter treat, usually served on Good Friday. Its history within christianity is debatable by some, but what isn’t? We find them to be a delicious treat to make at Easter.
  • Like Christmas cookies that represent stories of the season, Jesus Cookies can take on the same meaning at Easter. For years we baked nativity-inspired cookies at Christmas time. A few years ago, I rounded up a collection of resurrection-inspired cutters like a boat, a dove, a chalice. Now we have Jesus Cookies for Easter.
  • Need something simple? Be sure to make my Easter Oreos.
ingredients to dye easter eggs laid out on the counter.

9. Do an Easter craft together and talk while you create.

We don’t “do” the Easter Bunny, Santa, or the Tooth Fairy around here. But, I’ve made peace with dying eggs and hanging stockings, especially if our focus is in the right place.

I also found that when I craft alongside my kids, spending time together breeds really interesting conversations. You can talk about what you’ve been reading, watching, or listening to, and ask the kids questions while you’re doing Easter crafts.

This was tremendously proven on Christmas Eve when we built birdhouses together as a family. This year for Easter I bought eggs you can paint and keep from year to year. We’ll be painting together this year!

Even with grown kids, crafting is a great way to spend time together and talk about important things.

fisher family thanksgiving 2023, everyone at the table.

10. Count your blessings. 

Modeling gratefulness to God for our kids is good for us and good for them! And this is something you can do together, looking back over time and writing down ways that He has provided for your family. You might even start a Gratitude Journal now.

Flip through your calendar of the last year and jot down all the things you did, problems God solved, or other blessings that have crossed your path. I believe that in some way, all good things were bought at the Cross.

It’s good to be reminded of these things as they give us faith for the future.

11. Confess your heart to God. 

1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

​Our sin brought Easter into being, so let’s confess and be forgiven. 

If confession is not a daily habit, consider how it can become so. Not to throw on guilt, but as an act of submission to God, and a means of our sanctification. He is faithful to help you change!

We won’t do these things perfectly. Our best intentions on Sunday night may fall off course when Monday morning rolls around. But, creating a plan is half the battle and a great way to instill a confident faith in your kids, especially at Easter time.

hot cross bun on a flowered plate with a red striped napkin and a red tulip in a vase.

12. Focus on fresh starts.

My family and I all struggle with making mistakes. I would like to say that we have a pretty mellow household when it comes to “correction.” Smoke seeps out of my ears only a few times a week!

Yet, none of us likes to make mistakes and it’s hard to forgive oneself. I see that in myself. But, I also see that in my kids.

We know that Easter is about “new life” and “new beginnings.” Jesus conquered sin and death, we have abundance, we have new life in Him. It’s hard to remember that when the day after Easter comes.

None of us is perfect, but Christ is working in His people. So consider with Paul said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

I want my days with my children to be filled with grace, patience, and forgiveness. I woefully fall short of this. But, it’s my hope (in Christ) to do better. And for them to share that hope as well.

FAQs

What is Lent?

Like Advent precedes Christmas, the season of Lent precedes Easter,  more or less a six week period on the church calendar that starts on Ash Wednesday. The Lenten season marks a time of reflection and repentance, characterized by simple living, fasting, and prayer.

What is Holy Week? 

Holy week is the week before Easter, starting with Palm Sunday which commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem for the Passover feast and His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross.

What is Easter?

Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. It recognizes His sacrifice to pay the price for sinners so that they may find peace with God and be forgiven. All those who put their trust in Him will find eternal life.

smaller version of an empty tomb cake with playmobil figures.

More Good Ideas for Easter

What works for you?

Leave a comment below and let us know what works for you.

This post was originally published on March 14, 2017. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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6 Comments

  1. I love all your emails, but I must admit that the playmobil figures at the empty tomb are top notch!!! I must also admit that the dinosaurs eating eggs while the marshmallow peeps bunnies looked on was one of my favorites. I think that was yours. At any rate, the cakes with playmobil are fantastic!

  2. We have a fun way of preparing for major holidays here in Western Africa. For Christmas, each church denomination has a fabric printed, and everyone has clothes made. For Easter, all of the Protestant churches have the same fabric, and we have clothes made again. Our family bought our fabric yesterday, dropped it off at the tailor today, and we’ll have it by the end of the week. A little different than the Easter dresses I grew up wearing!

  3. Today I had a thought. Why not create something like an advent calendar for my youngest? I put some sand in a shallow rectangle vase, and gathered 40 polished stones from a summer decoration. She can drop one stone per day into the vase. The sand reminds me of dryness.

    When my kids were very young we buried an alleluia. Decorate an alleluia drawing and really bury it in the dirt in the yard. Dug them up on easter Sunday.

    Thus year I am following reading sone meditations from St. John of the Cross