How to Explain the Meaning of Easter to Your Child

Last Updated on April 22, 2024

Easter is such an important time for us as Christians. But the heart of this time of year can often get overlooked. With Easter eggs and the Easter bunny everywhere we look, it can be easy to forget the real meaning of Easter. So how can we explain Easter to our kids in a way that actually impacts their hearts?

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Easter is almost here, and over the next few weeks you may see me racing through the aisles of Dollar Tree and our local Target, trying to find just the right things to add to my kids’ Easter basket. 

Every year I find myself trying to strike this perfect balance between sharing with my children the importance of Holy Week and the resurrection story while also adding in all the yummy candy and knick knacks that kids just really, really seem to love. 

But as my son and daughter are getting older, I’ve really been wanting to get to a deeper place with HOW we celebrate and talk about Easter as a family.

I want them to know it’s so much more than just getting your picture taken with a creepy-looking bunny at the mall or hiding colorful eggs in the backyard. And I don’t want Sunday school to be the only place that they ever hear the truth of the Gospel. 

Easter is when we celebrate our risen Savior and the fact that He has conquered sin and death forever, giving us new life! 

So as we get into this special season, I’ve been diving in on how to best explain Easter to our kids. I wanted to make sure I took the time to share the ideas I’ve found with all of you! 

How to explain Easter to your child

There are a lot of terms we use to explain Easter that actually need a little better of a definition, especially for younger kids. Words like crucifixion, salvation, and resurrection are very powerful once you understand their meaning. We can’t forget to explain these terms to our kids!

But before you dive into all that, the context of Easter is so important. 

Here are some easy ways to explain the importance of Easter to your child.

1. Start at the beginning.

The Bible is essentially God’s great love story for us. So before we can really talk about the victory of the cross, we need to understand why Jesus had to die. You can really tie the story of Easter all the way back to Creation, where God created Adam and Eve and gave them specific guidelines for how they were to live.

When Eve disobeyed, sin entered the world, and along with it came the pain and suffering that we still deal with today. Share with your kids about how God intended the world to be and why we, as people, needed a Savior. Although death was the punishment for sin, eternal life is the gift that we’re given because of what Jesus did on Easter.

Depending on the age of your kids, I love using a resource like The Beginner’s Bible for these conversations because it helps kids see the Bible as one complete story from beginning to end. They also have a great video on the story of Easter that can help you kick off the Easter season. 

2. Don’t be afraid to talk about sin.

To really understand the true meaning of Easter, it’s important that our kids know and understand the seriousness of sin. This is one of those foundational truths of the Bible and humanity that we can’t skip over. Explain to your child that sin is everything that we do or can do that separates us further from God.

The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) 

What we deserve is death and to be separated from God. But instead, what God gives is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive—eternity and a life with God, forever wrapped in God’s love. This was only possible because Jesus, God’s Son, took our place and gave up His life in place of ours to cover our sins. 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” – Romans 3:23–24

3. Share the story.

There are so many different parts to the Easter story, including Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Because of this, I love the idea of spreading out your Easter talks a bit. Maybe choose a special time of day—at the breakfast table or as part of your bedtime story—to discuss one of the events leading up to Easter during the week.

Here are a few quick notes that may be helpful during your time together! 

Palm Sunday: The journey begins with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem amidst cheers and palm branches, known as Palm Sunday. This event signifies the start of Holy Week, where Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples before his betrayal by Judas Iscariot.

Good Friday: This is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion and death on the cross, a solemn day of remembrance for Christians worldwide. The sacrifice made on this day serves as a reminder of God’s unconditional love for humanity.

Resurrection Sunday: Resurrection Day dawns with the miraculous event of Jesus rising from the dead, leaving an empty tomb, conquering sin, and offering salvation to all who believe. This joyous occasion celebrates new beginnings and eternal life through Christ’s resurrection.

4. Talk about why we celebrate

Easter Sunday highlights the good news of the gospel! The resurrection of Jesus Christ means that our sins have been forgiven. Everything that we owe has been washed away. And when we accept and believe what Jesus has done for us and that He is the Son of God, we receive the gift of forgiveness and life forever with God. This is all good news worth celebrating! 

Whether you have very young children or older ones, make sure to talk about the fact that Easter is the best news we could ever receive. It’s a party unlike any other because Jesus’ death means that we can have life forever with God. Depending on your kids’ ages, you can even ask them how they would like to celebrate and add some of that to your Easter traditions.

Activities and Crafts to Teach Kids About the True Meaning of Easter

One thing I’m learning is that it is possible to make Easter with your kids biblical and fun at the same time! There are all sorts of fun activities and ideas online to help you teach your kids about the true meaning of Easter. And by incorporating crafts and projects at home, we’ll be able to even better help our kids understand the significance of this season beyond just bunnies and chocolates. Here are a few of my favorite ideas to help get you started!

Resurrection Eggs

One creative activity to consider is making resurrection eggs! These are plastic eggs, like those you use for Easter egg hunts. Except instead of candy, these eggs are filled with small items that represent different parts of the Easter story, such as a cross, a stone, or a piece of cloth.

By opening each egg and discussing its significance, our kids can learn and talk about the events leading up to Easter Sunday. I know some parents will have their kids open one per day leading up to Easter. Others choose to hide these eggs like an Easter egg hunt. The choice is up to you! (Not feeling up for making your own Resurrection Eggs? These ones from Family Life come ready to go!)

Create an Easter Garden

If you’ve got nice weather in the days leading up to Easter, I love this idea. Create an Easter garden with your kids, setting up a miniature garden with soil, grass seeds, small rocks, and toy figures representing Jesus, Mary, and other characters from the biblical story. As the grass grows over time, kids can witness the transformation from darkness to new life, mirroring the resurrection theme. Don’t have time to watch grass seeds grow? You can also pick up moss from your local craft store like this. 

Easter Scavenger Hunt

To get even more interactive, try organizing an Easter scavenger hunt with clues related to different aspects of the Easter story! This game won’t just keep your kids entertained; it also encourages them to learn about key events such as Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem or his Last Supper with his disciples. There are tons of great Easter scavenger hunt instructions online to get you started with creative ideas and clues. I really liked this one from Creative Bible Study because it includes Scripture passages with every item from the scavenger hunt! 

By incorporating an activity like one of these into your Easter celebrations, you can make learning about this important holiday both enjoyable and more meaningful for your kids. We’ll definitely be doing Resurrection Eggs this year, and I might add in a scavenger hunt if we have time. Which one are you thinking about trying out with your family?

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Easter serves as a reminder of hope, new life, and the love of God for all of us, His children. It symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and life over death. In our world today, we need this good news more than ever!

So let’s lean in and make it a priority to share this good news with our kids, no matter what their ages are. I’m praying for you and your family in this Easter season that God will use this time to help you have important conversations and point your kids to the hope of the gospel. Happy Easter, friends!