We are all running out of non-screen activities for kids, right? Pinterest to the rescue! I’ve rounded up some hands-on activities for kids to do to celebrate each of the significant days in Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
Unless you are Catholic, Maundy Thursday may not be a familiar term to you; it wasn’t terribly familiar to me until recently.
Maundy means command. In this context, it refers to the discussion occurring between Jesus and the disciples at the conclusion of the Last Supper: ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you one love another: just as I have loved you’ (John 13: 34).
So on Maundy Thursday, we remember the Last Supper, and we meditate on this final commandment to love one another using Jesus’ service of washing the disciples’ feet as a model.
If you have a basin or foot bath, you could recognize Maundy Thursday by having your family members wash each other’s feet in a humble act of service.
For my boys, we are going to be making a LEGO Last Supper from our massive tub of random leftover legos.
Sure, some of the LEGO disciples may have ninja masks or superhero capes, but while the boys build, I can teach them about the twelve disciples and about the symbols of the bread and the wine.
Becky Emerick’s blog is where I found the LEGO Last Supper image and idea. She also had her kids assemble a LEGO Garden of Gesthemane, Judas’ betrayal, the crucifixion, and the empty tomb. You’re only as limited as the amount of LEGO bricks you have. And in this house, there seems to be an infinite amount.
Good Friday is a day of remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion.
An inexpensive and easy way to involve the kids in this remembrance is to have them assemble small crosses out of sticks they collect in the yard.
Using small shears, I’ll help the boys snip the sticks to the right lengths, and then we’ll tie them together with string or ribbon.
In Lorraine’s blog post, she adds a verse tag to the crosses:
She typed hers out, but I’m thinking a handwritten verse on unbleached paper would look cool, too!
Holy Saturday is a day for remembering the the tomb that was found empty without Jesus’ body.
I have been wanting to try these empty tomb rolls for years, but never actually gave them a try. This is the year!
They are a simple marshmallow baked in crescent roll dough, and when heated, the marshmallow will melt or “disappear,” leaving the dough with an empty hole like Jesus’ tomb.
Fun, tasty, and simple. The kids are going to love this one.
You can find the recipe on Christy Denny’s food blog.
Easter Sunday is known for new spring clothes, chocolate bunnies, and egg hunts— all of which are celebratory.
But making time to tell the kids the Easter story is more important than all of the above.
We have been using magnetic biblical cutouts to go through the Bible stories with our kids using these supplies I wrote up in a post (click here):
But there are so many ways to recount the story of Jesus’ resurrection.
The Berenstain Bears tell the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection in this familiar, illustrated setting. And because Amazon shipping is delayed these days, you can get this story on kindle for 99 cents.
So, what about you? How will you and your kids commemorate Holy Week? Any traditions or activities on the docket? Let me know in the comments!
with His love,
Adelaide
