Easter is a fun and happy holiday! After all, this is the day we celebrate Jesus Christ’s ultimate triumph over death. For children, Easter can mean going on Easter egg hunts and getting candies. These are not harmful; however, we need to make sure that while they have fun, children should also understand the real meaning of Easter.
It is very important to stay focused on Jesus during this holiday, and it’s equally as important to raise our kids knowing that Easter is about him.
This shouldn’t pose a big problem today because there are many relevant games that we can do with our children on Easter. These games aim to not only engage children in enjoyable activities but also help them realize what we are celebrating. I chose games that can be done both at home and in church, and here are some of my favorites:
- Cross Walk - This is a simple game that young children, as long as they know how to read, can play. Paper crosses are placed in a circle on the floor, and one of the crosses contains a Bible verse (the blogger aptly suggests Matthew 28:6). Then, music is played, and children walk around the circle while dancing to the music. When the music stops, the child who stops right on the cross with the Bible verse should read it aloud and will be given a treat. I think this is a nice way to memorize a verse!
This game is posted at http://mamabeefromthehive.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/easter-party-preschool-style.html.
- Resurrection Eggs Easter Scavenger Hunt - Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? I believe this particular scavenger hunt is designed to be played by older children and even adults. This is because the clues to the items that need to be found are Bible verses. For example, the clue for bread is Matthew 26:26. But young children can also participate by looking for the eggs while the older ones figure out the clue.
This game is posted at http://www.diva-girl-parties-and-stuff.com/resurrection-eggs.html.
- Bible Verse Balloon Race - This sounds like a fun game that doesn’t need a lot of preparation! Kids of all ages will enjoy this, but balloon-popping may be scary for toddlers, so be a little careful. Anyway, all you need to do is print two copies of a Bible verse and cut it per word. Insert each word into a balloon, and divide the children into two teams. Let play a race and retrieve the balloons and then make them figure out the verse correctly. The first one who does wins!
Read the specifics of the mechanics here: http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-verse-balloon-race/
- Easter Story Trivia Game - This is also another game designed to be played by older children who already know Bible trivia. The format is regular question-and-answer to make it easier to play, but I think you can tweak it according to your heart’s desire. The questions are divided into five categories - People, Places, Numbers, Crucifixion, and Hodge Podge - and the point value increases with the difficulty of the questions.
Visit this link to download the download the trivia game: http://www.hiphomeschoolmoms.com/2014/04/printable-easter-story-trivia-game/
- Gift Exchange Left and Right Game - Are you exchanging gifts on Easter? If so, I suggest that, instead of doing it the traditional way, you spice it up by using this game. We actually do a similar game during Christmas, and it never fails to make the activity more enjoyable!
A printable guide is available here: http://www.python-printable-games.com/easter-game.html#axzz3SGcPcSXF.
- Donkey Relay Race - This last game is actually created to celebrate Palm Sunday, but I decided to still include it because it is such a fun game that young children can play. What’s best is that it still focuses on Jesus and brings to life his meaningful entry into Jerusalem. The game basically entails dividing children into two teams, giving one child for each team a stick donkey, while the other kids help “Jesus” move toward the road by using a limited amount of palm leaves or cloaks. There’s also another variation of the relay race without the donkey.
You can read the specific mechanics of the games here: http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/palm-sunday-bible-crafts-sunday-school.html#relay.
There are so many more Easter game ideas that you can find all over the internet, but I hope the list above has given you a head start on deciding how to celebrate Easter this year. I hope you have a fun and meaningful celebration!