2. Easter Ideas for Kids Church: Palm Sunday Prayer Leaves
Kids can make these leafy magnets to place on the refrigerator. They’re reminders to pray for and invite a guest to church on Easter Sunday.
You’ll need:
- Green craft foam sheets,
- scissors,
- self-adhesive magnetic strips, and
- black permanent markers
Have kids cut out palm leaf shapes from green craft foam. Tell kids that at Easter, friends who don’t usually attend church might accept an invitation. Have kids write the name of a person or family they’d like to invite to Easter services on one side of the leaf. On the other side, secure a magnetic strip so the leaves can be displayed on refrigerators. They’ll be daily reminders to pray that people accept the invitations and open their hearts to the Good News of Easter.
3. Easter Ideas for Kids Church: Nailed
It is finished. Good Friday was the darkest day in history. The soldiers took Jesus before Pontius Pilate, who ordered that he be crucified. On a hill between two sinners, Jesus died on a cross so we could have eternal life. Help kids discover the reality of laying their sins at the cross. Teach them about God’s good gifts of forgiveness and grace.
Help kids understand that Jesus took all our sins to the cross. And because of Good Friday, we can be forgiven.
You’ll need:
- Hammers,
- nails,
- pens,
- scrap paper, and
- a wooden cross
Place the cross and several hammers at the front of your room. Read aloud Mark 15:16-20. Give each person a piece of scrap paper, a pen, and a nail. If possible, dim the room lights.
Read aloud Mark 15:21-32. Tell kids to spread out and think about what happened on Good Friday. Then have kids each write down something they need to ask forgiveness for.
After enough time, read aloud Mark 15:33-41. Tell kids to silently pray, giving their sin to Jesus to take to the cross.
Instruct small-group leaders to wait outside. After kids all exit the room, gather together for a time of prayer. Thank Jesus for making the ultimate sacrifice so we can live with him forever.
