How I Take My Kids Through Holy Week
Simple activities and ideas to deepen the meaning of Easter by taking a journey towards it
Greetings Glory Carriers!
I posted yesterday on the richness of Holy Week. Today, I want to share briefly what I do to help my kids enter into a meaningful journey during Holy Week.
It is one thing to understand and appreciate Holy Week as an adult. We may cherish certain Bible readings, take more time to pray, attend services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. But it is quite another thing to involve our kids.
And sometimes we can opt out of doing anything spiritually meaningful because we feel like we don’t know what to do, or even if we attempt to do something, maybe it won’t be good enough. I know because I have been there! But as one mentor encouraged me,
“Doing something is better than doing nothing.”
That couldn’t apply more to this special and Holy Week in the Christian calendar. My hope is that this post will give parents or grandparents a few ideas of what doing ‘something’ could look like - however simple or imperfect it may be!
So how do we begin to introduce our kids to the richness and meaning behind the events leading up to Easter, while also making it fun and special?
Going Beyond Easter Bunnies and Chocolate
For me as a kid, Easter was about Jesus, I knew that. We went to church in our new floral print dresses and everyone seemed happy and cheerful, for spring was usually (or at least almost) in full bloom (something to celebrate since I grew up in a very cold climate!). We hunted for Easter eggs. We enjoyed sweet treats in our Easter baskets. And we ate gobs and gobs of chocolate.
So I have sweet memories of Easter. I really do. But if I am honest, it wasn’t much more than a special cultural and commercial holiday devoid of deeper spiritual meaning. To me, that is sad because now I know there is so much more.
How Do We Introduce Our Kids to the ‘So Much More’?
For me, we don’t have to completely ditch the cute bunnies, baskets and chocolate eggs. These can be sweet, special and fun traditions that can incorporate to enhance, rather than overshadow the Easter celebration. But there are simple activities and practices we can do during the week leading up to Easter that will add spiritual depth and meaning to the celebration of the resurrection, which for Christians, is what our faith rests upon.
Take a moment to review this crucial passage from the Apostle Paul as he was facing opposition to the claim of a bodily resurrection in Christ:
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
(1 Corinthians 15:12-19)
If everything rests on Christ being raised from the dead (which it does!), then we must help our children understand and appreciate the journey - involving specific events - that led to His death. We must help them understand the significance of His rising and what it means for us today!
Doing Something is Better Than Nothing
It doesn’t have to be complicated. And we don’t have to be expert Bible teachers to help bring the meaning behind the message during Holy Week. Remember: doing something is better than nothing!
I am not a particularly ‘crafty’ person, so sometimes I am tempted to feel inadequate when it comes to creating special activities for my children. But over the years, we have seemed to find our way in a simple approach that meets our goal of doing something rather than nothing. Here are six ways we enjoy taking our kids through Holy Week that have become anticipated staples in our home over the years:
Go on a Journey Together. Holy Week is comprised of specific events leading up to the arrest and death of Jesus. We can create a journey of traveling with Jesus through these crucial events in a way that brings them alive. Going on this journey can help us all understand and appreciate even more the power and meaning of His resurrection.
I like having a visual for my kids to see the journey we are on for the week. Here is a map I print every year that shows very simply the days of the week and the corresponding Scripture they can read or you can read together. I have them color the rock each day, so they can have the sense of traveling together towards our Easter celebration. Today, my five-year-old said, “Only six more days mom!” This shows me that he is tracking where we are and where we are headed. Score.;)
Present Coloring Pages. In addition to the map, I go online and print a collection of free printable coloring pages for my kids to distribute throughout the week. Half are devoted to themes of Holy Week and actual events of Jesus leading up to His crucifixion.
And half are fun scenes of bunnies, baskets and eggs because, well, that is what we have come to know Easter as too! I tell my kids that the eggs represent New Life that Jesus brings.
We give the kids new sets of markers and we enjoy a week of coloring our way through the journey towards Easter. Each child has a folder with the pages in them to keep track of for the week and at the end of the week we create a mural on the wall by hanging and admiring the colorful artwork they created that represents the journey of Holy Week we’ve been on.
As our kids grow, different age-appropriate measures will need to be taken. For now, with my kids ages 8, 7, 5 and 2 - this is still working, but each year we will adapt as needed. You can access some of the pages below and enjoy finding your own. All it requires is a simple google search: ‘Easter printable coloring pages’ or ‘Holy Week printable coloring pages.’
Read Aloud Bible Readings. It is important to read about the various events from the Bible. If your kids are old enough, you can read through Luke 22-23 over the course of the week. I like to read the story in its entirety in the beginning of the week, and then use the Holy Week map above and follow the specific readings for each day. You can also use a children’s Bible if your children will digest the narrative better through pictures.
Watch Superbook and Other Faith-Based Films. I am always amazed when my kids spout off (impressive) biblical knowledge and I ask where they learned it (because I know it didn’t come from me!), they often say, “Superbook!” This has been a go-to show for my elementary-aged kids (which we also require to take up part of their Sunday afternoon TV time) and they are like sponges soaking up its contents.
For Holy Week, we watch the episodes that bring to life the events leading up to the resurrection. For Season 1, you can view episodes 10 & 12; and for Season 2, you can view episode 11. You can also type into Youtube key words and find full episodes for free. Other faith-based animated movies we will be viewing this week:
If your kids push back on these kinds of shows and movies, you can remind them with something like: “This is a Holy Week and so we set aside time to watch things that will teach us about the life and death of Jesus. A Holy Week calls us to act and live differently than every other week - so this is how we are doing that.”
I believe as parents we are responsible for setting the tone and rules. With that said, I always give my kids the option: “If you don’t want to watch, you can do something else. But this is what will be on the TV tonight.” They’ve pushed back, but I don’t think they’ve ever opted out!
5. Seek Out a Stations of the Cross Experience. Where we live, there is a ‘stations of the cross’ step by step journey set up at one of the outdoor malls, where you can follow the steps of Jesus and read descriptions of each bible passage that highlights the scene. We tend to do this on ‘Maundy Thursday’1 when local businesses and restaurants are closed. It is one of the benefits of living in a Catholic country! But you may google ‘stations of the cross’ in your local town and see what comes up - even if you are protestant and Catholic options come up, it might be worth a visit as the Catholic community seems to be better at creating this interactive experience!
6. Participate in Thursday and Friday Services. We take our kids to the Maundy Thursday service where there is an Agape meal with our community, followed by a special foot washing service. We also take them to our Good Friday service, where we hear reflections on the ‘Seven Last Words’ of Jesus on the cross. If your local church does not have these kinds of service, consider visiting another church who does.
These are a few simple ways of infusing your Holy Week with meaning, so that when Easter does come, you and your family can celebrate with extra gusto, rejoicing in the Good News of the Resurrection. It is the culmination of the week-long journey you’ve taken to understand and appreciate the events leading up to it!
For His Glory This Holy Week from My Heart and Home to Yours,
Ali
Photo of the Week
Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, is the fifth day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the gospels. Maundy" comes from the Latin word mandatum, or commandment, reflecting Jesus' words "I give you a new commandment."