Last Minute Easter Week Family Activities {With a Bible Reading Plan}

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wooden cross decoration next to a black decorated cube shelf

Every year I do special Easter activities with my children.

Some years I begin a month in advance, and for 30-40 days we read passages from the Gospels and prophets having to do with the final days of Christ’s ministry, his trial, his death, and resurrection.

I will combine this with special activities. They love this.

Some years our schedule is so busy, we simply reflect together in the month leading up to Easter, and save our special reading and activities for Holy Week.

This year we’re doing the latter.

I began doing this with my children several years ago with the effort to tie the Christmas story and Easter story together in one cohesive story of Jesus.

My children are older now.

I have a pre-teen and a teenager (Where, O where, did time go??) and so I have adjusted the activities to fit their age.

I thought I’d share them with you today, in case you’re looking for a one-week, last minute idea that you can do with your children, that requires very little preparation.

To start, this year I had my children go out to our wood pile and find two pieces of wood to nail together to make a cross.

I decorated it simply with some lights.

We’ll be using that this week for our activities.

Monday:

Read Luke 22:39-54

Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. Have them place their hand on the paper, with the tips of their fingers on the fold, fingers together, like a praying hand, and cut it out – leaving the very tips of their fingers uncut so that it opens like a card from the bottom to the top.

On the inside of their hand, have them write a prayer to Jesus. Encourage them to share with him their most private prayer and encourage them that no one but Jesus will read it.

If they like, they can staple their hand together to keep it private.

Then, have them take a nail or thumb-tack, and place it on the cross.

Tuesday

Luke 22:54-23:12

Have your children make a crown of thorns. They can be creative with this: using clay, playdough/salt dough, chenille wire, paper – whatever they wish.

My children have always used clay or salt dough, sticking toothpicks broken in half in the dough to create the thorns.

They can make one large one and hang it around the head of the cross, or make their own and hang it on a nail on the cross.

Lego and popsicle stick crown of thorns on a decorated Easter tree — We have a popsicle stick and Lego crown of thorns

Lego and popsicle stick Jesus figure on a decorated Easter table — And a wooden spoon and Lego Jesus

Wednesday

Isaiah 50:6, 53:1-12, Amos 8:9, Zechariah 11:12-13

Today we’ll be reading some passages from the prophets, who foretold Jesus’ life and death.

I want to drive home the fact that these prophets foretold these events hundreds of years before they happened, and how Jesus fulfilled each one.

For the activity, we will make a scroll. Again, let them get creative with this. They can use popsicle sticks or pencils and paper; a toilet paper roll, simply roll paper from the top and create a hanger – let their imaginations go.

Also, you can search Pinterest for ideas.

Have them choose one of the prophecies you read today to write on the scroll and then hang it from the cross.

Lego scroll on a decorated Easter tree — A Lego scroll

paper scroll on a decorated Easter tree — A popsicle stick and paper scroll with a Bible verse written on it

Thursday

Psalm 22:1, 7-8, 14-18; 31:5, 69:21

Today we’ll be doing two activities.

1. The first activity is to make something to represent Jesus.

You may create something out of salt dough or clay, chenille wire, or paper.

Let your children be creative with this. You’ll set this aside to use tomorrow.

2. The second activity is to cut a drop of blood out of paper. You can do this out of white paper and let them color (maybe use water colors), or cut it out of red paper – depending on how much time you have.

On the drop of blood, have them write “Thank you Jesus for…..” and let them finish the sentence.

Hang this on the cross using a nail or thumb tack.

Decorated Easter cross with paper drops of blood on which a thanksgiving prayer is written

Friday

Luke 23:13-56

Today we will make a tomb to put under or next to the cross.

You can make it using a shoe box, paper plate, paper mache, let your children get creative. You may choose to make one tomb for everyone or each make their own.

Have them decorate the tomb however they wish.

Once the tomb is complete, have them place Jesus (the craft from yesterday) in the tomb, and either find a rock or something to represent a rock to cover the opening of the tomb.

A shoebox tomb with a Lego stone covering the opening

Saturday

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Today make Resurrection Rolls. You can put them in the refrigerator overnight and bake them the next morning, just be sure to bring the to room temperature before your bake them.

After your children go to bed, move the stone from the opening of their tomb, remove Jesus and hide him.

Drive home the gift of salvation by hiding him together with a special gift.

Sunday

Luke 24:1-12, 36-49

You can really drive home the truth that we don’t find Jesus, He finds us with this special activity.

After your children sit down to their special breakfast of Resurrection Rolls, take their Jesus craft attached to a special gift, and bring it to them.

Then, read to them the passage for today