Growing up in a non-Christian home, Easter highlights consisted of coloring eggs, Easter baskets filled with candy, and embarrassing pictures with the Easter bunny.

My family knew Easter had something to do with Jesus but that knowledge did not make a difference in our celebration of the Easter holiday.

While coloring Easter eggs and waking up Easter morning to baskets filled with candy are wonderful, they must not distract from the true meaning of Easter. As leaders, we must ensure that the kids in our ministry understand the significance of Easter, and we must provide opportunities for the Holy Spirit to draw kids into a deeper relationship with their Savior. 

Practical ways to help kids experience the significance of Easter 

Imagine yourself standing on a hillside watching the crucifixion of Jesus and then walking to the tomb Easter morning and discovering the disappearance of the body of Jesus. How would you feel? What types of smells would you experience? What would you see? 

Authors use a technique called “show, don’t tell” to enable the reader to experience the story through actions, words, senses, and emotions rather than through description and summary. The technique places the reader in the heart of the story as he or she feels what the character feels and experiences what the character experiences. “Show, don’t tell” brings the story to life for the reader, providing the reader with an opportunity to connect with the characters in the story at a deep level.

How do we help kids understand the significance of Easter and provide space for the Holy Spirit to move in the lives of the kids in our ministry? Here are three suggestions:

1. Tell the Easter story with the “show, don’t tell” technique. Help kids not only hear the story, but experience the story. Rather than saying, “the women cried,” paint a picture that allows kids to feel as if they were present in the story. Describe actions that suggest crying: perhaps the women fell to their knees or tears rolled down their face as soldiers led Jesus away. As kids are personally drawn into the story, the Word of God becomes alive and memorable, opening the door for the Holy Spirit to work.
2. Provide different prayer/response stations. Give kids an opportunity to journal, draw a picture, or respond to the Easter story in a creative hands-on way. A simple search on the Internet for “Easter prayer stations for kids” will provide you with several simple ideas.
3. Plan your Easter service with space for the Holy Spirit to work. Be careful about waiting until the end of the service, when you may run out of time.