Easter Craft Ideas for Children
Along with Easter games, Easter-themed arts and crafts are also a hit with children during the holiday. Most crafts are enjoyable to make, and it’s good to know that most crafts also tend to be relevant and meaningful.
I emphasize again the need to focus on Jesus when celebrating Easter. It’s all about him, and children are never too young to understand what Easter is truly about. Doing meaningful activities will help them learn the Easter story and commit it to heart. Like games, there are also a lot of ideas all over the internet, but let me share with you some of our favorites which can be done at home and in church:
- “Forgiveness in Jesus” - Children expect to receive lots of treats during this day, but we can also help them use these treats to turn them into something meaningful. Basically, what children need to do is an edible craft made out of graham crackers, frosting, and candy. It may sound too sweet, but the ultimate lesson is God’s sweetest salvation.
- Empty Tomb or Resurrection Rolls - I am always looking for teachable moments, and I’m sure many of you also are. Unless the church has a kitchen, though, I admit this is an activity that most will be able to do at home. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that simple baking can be a great activity to do to teach children how people from the New Testament learned that Jesus rose from the dead. Of course, the buns afterward are a yummy bonus!
- Jelly Bean Cross - Here’s another fun craft to do with sweet treats! Basically, what you need are a cross (either store-bought or a homemade cardboard one) and a handful of jelly beans for each child. The craft itself is really simple, but what makes this activity interesting is that each color of jelly bean stands for a different Easter-related topic. This is a really good way to help young children learn the Easter story!
- Fingerprint Cross - This is one of my most favorite crafts in this list because of its endearing meaning, not to mention the simplicity and how it promotes unity. First, it is a very simple craft that only needs paper and paints of different colors. Ideally, each child in church or at home would have a unique paint color; however, if this is not achievable, I think it’s also nice to combine colors to form new ones. Then, children would dip their fingers in paint and press them on the paper so that their fingerprints form a cross. The message? Christ died for each one of us.
- Easter Object Lesson - This one is more of a science lesson and less of an artwork but I believe this is worth sharing because it also shares a wonderful lesson. In fact, this simple activity does not only teach the Easter story but also make the message of salvation easy to grasp – and amazing! You need to try this with children at home or in church and watch their eyes grow wide in awe while learning the extent of God’s salvation.
- “Paid in Full” - This is another relatively easy activity that can be done with children of all ages. What you basically need are crosses and coins; the original blogger suggests painting the cross with metallic paint, and while this makes the artwork nicer, I think it’s okay to leave the cross as it is. The point is to have the children design the crosses with coins. The ultimate message is that Jesus paid for our sins in full by dying on the cross.
- Easter Garden - The final craft on this list may sound intimidating, but it can actually be done with young children. The materials, which include a basin, a clay planter, rocks, soil, and moss, are available in gardening stores. All you need to do is arrange the materials to form a little hill with three crosses. While doing this, you can teach children the story of Crucifixion and Resurrection.
- Memory Cross Crafts and Easter Gospel Tracts - We've made some truly remarkable cards that will help kids remember the Easter story and what He did for us. Many of them make a craft project that children will not only love, but love to keep.
Again, it is my hope that this list of Easter arts and crafts gives you an idea of how to celebrate the holiday meaningfully. Do you know more Easter craft ideas? Feel free to share!