Easy Meaningful Christ-Centered Easter Activities for Families
Brightly colored eggs, coconut cake, peeps, pastel dresses, girls in white hats & gloves! Are these the images that come to your mind when you think of Easter? Most of us have grown up with fond memories of Easter, but not necessarily of Christ-centered Easter activities that reinforce what Easter is really all about! These Christ-centered Easter activities can help families focus on the true meaning of this special holiday.
Christ-centered Easter activities are a wonderful way to celebrate the Christ-centered meaning of Easter. By incorporating Christ-centered elements into your Easter traditions, you can help your family focus on the true significance of this holy day.
While the Christ-centered aspects of Easter are the most important, enjoying the fun and festive elements of the holiday can also be part of a meaningful celebration.
As you explore various Christ-centered Easter activities, remember the importance of imparting these lessons to your children.
Incorporating Christ-centered activities into your Easter traditions is a wonderful way to teach your children the true meaning of the holiday and help them grow in their faith.
Consider planning some Christ-centered Easter activities for your family this year to deepen your understanding of the resurrection.
Celebrating Christ-centered Easter activities can be a powerful way to help your family remember the significance of Resurrection Sunday and the life-changing events it represents.
These Christ-centered Easter activities can foster meaningful discussions about faith and values during this celebration.
Incorporating Christ-centered Easter activities into your traditions can create lasting memories centered around faith.
I think it’s perfectly fine to enjoy many of the activities that Easter brings! Egg hunts & bunny shaped treats make this time of year fun & exciting!
These Christ-centered Easter activities and ideas can help your family focus on the true meaning of the holiday and create lasting memories.
However, I do think as Christians parents, it is important for us to teach our children the truths of God’s Word! Today, we have SO MANY ideas & activities that are also meaningful. Things that we can do with our children that will enjoy while learning more about Jesus.
My hope is that you will find an activity, song or book that will help your family soak in God’s amazing love over the days & weeks leading up to Resurrection Sunday, the day that changed EVERYTHING for all of us who believe on the name of Jesus!
Christ-Centered Easter Activities & Ideas
Resurrection Rolls are a wonderful Christ-centered activity that allows children to visually understand the significance of the empty tomb.
Food
Resurrection Rolls
Hot Cross Buns are a traditional Christ-centered Easter food that can be a meaningful part of your family’s celebrations.
A few years ago, I heard about this idea for rolls that were hollow, or empty, inside! What a great, tangible way for kids to visualize the empty tomb for themselves! These homemade resurrection rolls from JoyFoodSunshine.com are a beautiful representation of the empty tomb, and your kids will enjoy making & eating them! Notice that there is a cross on the top of these rolls, similar to hot cross buns!
Hot Cross Buns
Let’s discover unforgettable Christ-centered Easter activities that everyone can enjoy!
Resurrection Cookies are another Christ-centered activity that helps children understand the empty tomb and the significance of Jesus’ resurrection.
These activities will make your Easter experience more special and spiritually enriching through Christ-centered Easter activities.
Speaking of hot cross buns, here is a great recipe for this traditional Easter food from Older Mommy Still Yummy! I have never eaten a hot cross bun, but after reading a little about the sweet dough with mixed dried fruit, this may be a treat that my family gets to try this year! Traditions says that an Anglican monk made these pastries on Good Friday and gave them away to the poor!
Resurrection Tomb Cupcakes are a Christ-centered treat that can be a fun way to celebrate the empty tomb with your family.
Resurrection Cookies
These Resurrection cookies from Around My Family Table are simple meringue cookies that are hollow on the inside. Another teachable moment where you can demonstrate, for your children, the empty tomb!
Every family can benefit from engaging in Christ-centered Easter activities that emphasize the values of love and faith.
The Jesus Tree is a wonderful Christ-centered activity that allows your family to reflect on what Jesus has done for you.
Resurrection Cupcakes
Resurrection Eggs are a classic Christ-centered activity that helps children understand the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Creating a Resurrection Garden is a beautiful Christ-centered activity that can serve as a visual reminder of the empty tomb.
Centsablemomma has a neat way to decorate cupcakes for Easter. Her Resurrection Tomb cupcakes are very pretty, and with the help of store-bought donuts & marshmallows should be rather simple to make!
Family Activities
Jesus Tree
Participating in a Messianic Passover Seder Meal is a powerful Christ-centered way to connect the events of Easter to their historical roots.
Becky Kiser in Sacred Holidays mentions that she makes a “Jesus Tree”. Instead of an Easter egg tree that you may see in some places, this is a tree made from a few simple branches. Becky leaves a few note cards, a sharpie & some string near her Jesus tree & encourages her family & friends to join her in writing something on the cards that tells what Jesus has done for/means to them!
What an awesome idea!!! This may be one of my new favorite Christ-centered Easter activities that I have heard of!
Resurrection Eggs
If you aren’t familiar with FamilyLife, you are really missing out on an awesome ministry! This organization has some wonderful resources for families including these Resurrection Eggs! You get a set of 12 eggs, and each one of them has a tiny object that is symbolic of the story of Jesus along with a booklet that explains each symbol & the context of it in the story of Jesus! My favorite is the white egg (spoiler alert…. IT’S EMPTY!!!).
Resurrection Garden
An Agape Feast is a meaningful Christ-centered tradition that can help your family focus on worship and reflection during the Easter season.
This is one of my all-time favorite Christ-centered Easter activities that my family has started in the past few years! A resurrection garden is made from soil & grass seed, a small pot (laid on it’s side to make the open tomb) & a plant saucer. After gently watering the soil for several days small sprigs of grass will start to grow. You can then add rocks & 3 crosses made from twigs to your garden. It is truly beautiful!!! Check out the tutorial here!
Encouraging your children to create their own Christ-centered Easter scenes is a wonderful way to engage them in the story of Jesus.
Messianic Passover Seder Meal
Easter Coloring Sheets with Christ-centered imagery and scriptures can be a great way to teach your children about the significance of Easter.
The Passover Seder is a meal when the Jews celebrate how the firstborn were delivered by the blood of a lamb, and then escaped from Egypt. Nowadays, some Christian churches will also have a meal commemorating the Seder. You may find some of these special events at churches or synagogues in your area. With a little research, you could even have a Seder-like meal at home with your family, explaining to your children why each part of the meal was chosen.
Foot Washing/Hand Washing
Foot washing is a traditional part of many church communion services. It is done in remembrance of how Jesus washed the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper.
The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox suggest “washing hands” of your family members as a way to serve each other as Jesus did when He was on earth. Bring a bowl of water, soap & a towel to the table on night before supper & practice this special act of humility.
Agape Feast
During this season, be sure to include Christ-centered Easter activities that focus on worship and reflection.
Using Resurrection Eggs as part of an Christ-centered Easter Advent is a wonderful way to build anticipation and understanding leading up to Easter.
Consider how each Christ-centered Easter activity can be a lesson in love, sacrifice, and hope.
Reading from Christ-centered resources like The Jesus Storybook Bible during an Easter Advent can help your family focus on the true meaning of the holiday.
When I was growing up, our church occasionally had a special meal called an “Agape Feast”. This was a time of quiet reflection & worship. Our tables would be set up in the form of a cross with white tablecloths, candles & greenery, or simple flowers.
Incorporating Christ-centered activities into your Easter Advent can create meaningful family traditions and memories.
The service would involve singing, scripture reading, & testimonies. Fruit, crackers, cheese, muffins & other simple foods were served. Your family could have an Agape Feast of your own if you chose. This could be a special time of worship & sharing that may allow your children to talk openly about what Jesus means to them without the pressure of being in front of a lot of other people.
Kid’s DIY Easter Scenes
Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson is a powerful Christ-centered album that tells the story of Jesus from Abraham to the Resurrection.
Jessica Smartt gives this great idea in her book, Memory Making Mom! Have your kids tell the Story of Jesus using Legos, Playdough, or other small objects! I love that this gets kids to plug in & really think about the story of Jesus!
Easter Coloring Sheets
Reading about Jesus can be part of your Christ-centered Easter activities, allowing for deeper understanding.
The music of Keith and Kristyn Getty is filled with Christ-centered lyrics and themes that can be a meaningful part of your Easter celebrations.
If your kids love to color (I have one son who LOVES to color!), check out my free printable Easter Coloring Sheets! They have scripture & can provide a wonderful opportunity for you to talk to your children about the life & death of Jesus!
The song Arise My Love by Newsong is a beautiful Christ-centered Easter anthem that celebrates the resurrection.
Explore the impact of engaging in Christ-centered Easter activities on your children’s understanding of faith.
Integrate Christ-centered Easter activities that inspire creativity and connection with the faith.
Reflect on the meaning of Easter through interactive Christ-centered Easter activities that engage everyone.
Create an environment where Christ-centered Easter activities can flourish and bring joy to your family.
Man of Sorrows by Hillsong is another powerful Christ-centered worship song that focuses on the meaning of the cross.
Easter Advent | Fun Easter Activities
I have a love for Advent Calendars (as I mentioned before!), so an Easter Advent is a winner in my book! There are so many things that you could do to lead up to Easter. Here are just a few!
- Use Resurrection Eggs to guide your nightly family devotions. This would give you 12 nights, save the white egg until Saturday night before Easter or Easter night (or morning!).
- Use The Jesus Storybook Bible to read the story of Jesus to your children each night leading up to Easter.
- Print Scripture Cards & read one each night before Easter. Discuss what the verse means & the context.
- Do 1 fun activity with your children from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Make resurrection rolls, go to a Good Friday Service, do an act of kindness, etc.
Christ-Centered Easter Music
Plan acts of service as part of your Christ-centered Easter activities to embody the spirit of giving.
There is so much great Christian music that is uplifting & speaks the deep truths of Jesus’ sacrifice for us! Here are just a few of my favorites!
Following the Christ-centered example of serving and showing kindness to others can be a meaningful way to celebrate Easter.
Going to services can complement your Christ-centered Easter activities and create a truly special day.
Behold, The Lamb of God – Andrew Peterson
This was actually written as a Christmas album that tells the story of Jesus starting from Abraham forward! This is one of my favorite albums of all time & I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it performed live several times, once at the Ryman Auditorium!
The final song, Behold the Lamb is a perfect Easter song, but be sure to let your kids hear all of the songs so they can get the full picture of the scripture leading up to Jesus’ birth! He even sings the “Begats” from Matthew!
See, What A Morning, Christ Is Risen He Is Risen Indeed, & Come People of the Risen King- Keith & Kristyn Getty
If you aren’t familiar with this couple & their music, you need to hear EVERYTHING! The Getty’s music is not only beautiful but is filled with deep meaning! I could have listed SO MANY of their songs here, such as their popular, In Christ Alone.
There are so many are just so inspiring and TRUTH-FILLED that you really should listen to them all!! Here is another favorite, but it’s not exactly an Easter Song!
Arise My Love by Newsong
Just listen to this one, is AMAZING!!
Man of Sorrows by Hillsong
This is a song that I just heard last year, but it has an awesome message! And hearing my little fellas singing “Oh the Rugged Cross, My Salvation!” is just beautiful!!!
Books
Attending a Christ-centered Good Friday or Sunrise service as a family can be a powerful way to commemorate the significance of Easter.
Jesus Storybook Bible
Remember to share your favorite Christ-centered Easter activities with others to inspire them as well!
This is a great kids Bible that draws the connection between each story & Jesus’ life!
Creating Christ-centered Easter traditions and memories can help your children grow in their faith and understanding of the true meaning of this holy day.
Tale of 3 Trees
This story may be my very favorite children’s book ever! It is an absolutely beautiful story of how 3 trees grew to realize their dreams but not exactly like they expected!
Benjamin’s Box
Sharing your family’s Christ-centered Easter activities and traditions in the comments below could inspire others to incorporate more meaningful elements into their celebrations.
This book follows a boy as he meets Jesus & comes to believe in Him as his Savior. This book can be used in conjunction with the Family Life Resurrection Eggs.
Acts of Service
Jesus is the best example of showing love & kindness to others, even those that many people didn’t feel deserved acknowledgment! Follow in His footsteps by reaching out to people in His name.
Spend Good Friday doing random acts of kindness!
Here are a few ideas:
- Go to a coffee shop and give the cashier $20 to pay for the next several customer’s orders! Sit back & watch incognito!
- Go to a car wash & offer to wash people’s cars for them!
- Take a box (or 2) of freezer pops to the jungle gym & hand them out to the kids (& parents) while they play!
- Leave a (sealed) treat & note (maybe with Scripture) on people’s cars in the grocery store parking lot!
- Serve at a soup kitchen.
- Help deliver meals to seniors for your local Meals on Wheels.
Good Friday or Sunrise Church Service
Easter is such a special time for us as Christians! Going to a Sunrise or Good Friday service as a family to hear the easter story can be an especially meaningful tradition! Look around your community for special services such as passion plays or Good Friday services.
Easter Traditions | Leaving a Lasting Memory!
When your children are grown, what do you want them to remember about this special holiday? Only the brightly colored eggs? Or do you want them to remember how their parents lovingly shared the beautiful story of God, loving us so much that He sent His Only Son to die for sinners… dying for you & me!
Take a little time this Easter season to create a tradition! One that has meaning & will take root in your child’s heart! It may very well one day, help guide your grandchildren to faith in Jesus!
Do you have any Christ-centered Easter activities or traditions that your family enjoys? Please share any in the comments below!
