Welcome, friend! We’re so glad you popped in to take a peek at our family’s updated “Holy Days on the Homestead” traditions as we look forward to Resurrection Sunday. We hope you will find something joyous and profound to place inside your family’s Easter basket today!
7 Favorite Festivities to Celebrate Our Risen Savior!
What parent is there among us who does not desire a fun and happy Easter for her children? We Christian parents, however, should also desire for our families a meaningful, transforming, joyous, even “holy day.” First and foremost, our Easter celebrations should shout HE IS RISEN, indeed!
Fun is fleeting, but the truth fulfills forever. Our family believes in creating truly unforgettable holidays where tears and laughter can go hand in hand. This means we must be selective in which traditions we keep, and even more mindful about which traditions we create; anchoring every festivity in the hope and triumph of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ!
#1 ~Celebrate “Seder”~
“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.” -Exodus 12:14
A few year’s ago, our family had our first Seder dinner —a new (for us) yet ancient tradition of commemorating Passover. The Seder dinner is such a reverent way to enter into Holy Week and I am grateful to my sister for encouraging me to do it, as well as to my fellow blogging friend “Fruitful Sprouts” for her beautifully-rendered Seder dinner cards and prompts pictured above! This a fabulous free resource for a lovely Seder tradition.
I cannot encourage you enough, dear friend: practice this holy day with your little ones (or big ones)! They will never forget the ceremony, the somber scriptures, the celebratory singing, and the symbolism throughout. Let us remember, together, how our God delivered the Israelites from slavery and foreshadowed the eternal deliverance that was to come through His Son! (I’m getting fired up already just writing about this.)
If you are inspired to start a Seder dinner tradition in your home, you can download the FREE PDF here: 🍷Host a Seder Dinner Cards🌿 (Thank you, Fruitful Sprouts!)
#2. ~Read the Easter Story~
“Tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart ev’ry word;
tell me the story most precious,
sweetest that ever was heard.”
Our favorite childrens’ Bibles to read the Easter story from:
- The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones (see our review here)
- Egermeier’s Bible Storybook (see our review here)
- The Children’s Bible by Golden Press (see our review here)
- The Action Bible by Sergio Cariello (see our ten-year-old son’s review here)
*Also, we highly recommend listening to “The Imagination Station” part 1 and 2 on the Adventures in Odyssey app! It’s truly wonderful.
#3. ~Grow a Resurrection Garden~
There is no Easter centerpiece that shouts “HE IS RISEN” quite the way a Resurrection Garden does!
This is such a beautiful and intentional activity to do with kids leading up to Easter. It’s sure to become a favorite activity of the spring season for your family, plus it only takes ten minutes to make!
Check out our tutorial here: 🐣How to Grow a Resurrection Garden for Easter Sunday✝️
#4. “Tell me the Story of Jesus!” Egg Carton Craft
For a child there is nothing more magical than a story brought to life, whether through a puppet show, a game of make-believe, or even a collection of little, everyday treasures you can hold in the palm of your hand.
I have never, ever forgotten this humble egg carton from my childhood turned into a sort of 3D, Easter-Story Pop-Up Nest. Your kids will love making this craft and using it to tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection leading up to Easter Sunday!
PSSST. It’s also a great activity for a Sunday School class.
Get our tutorial & free printable here: “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” ✝️Egg-Carton-Craft Guide🐣
#5. “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”
While unapologetically fun, Easter candy can also provide a powerful taste of our Savior’s resurrection. We Christian parents can explain to our children that Jesus took on the bitterness of death when He paid the price for our sins on the cross. Consider giving your children a taste of something bitter such as a coffee bean or some unsweetened chocolate as you discuss together. Then, explain that Jesus conquered death when he rose from the tomb on the third day and that now we can experience the sweetness of salvation and eternal life with Him!
Invite your child to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalms 34:8) as you make candy together.
These delicious jewel-tone gummies can be made with the kids in just 30 minutes and boast only 3 ingredients (of which added sugar is not one)! And these to-live-for Chocolate Date “Snickers” are made with only four impressively healthy ingredients. Of course, you could also just give your kiddos a spoonful of honey and call it a day. 😆
Get the recipes and full tutorials here: 🍬HOMEMADE EASTER CANDY TUTORIAL🍭
#6. ~Make Baby Animal Bunting~
We love bunting. Almost every occasion and holiday in our home is honored with its own strand. And while hanging festive garlands is really just for fun, we strive to decorate with our kids intentionally leading up to “holy days.” Even a garland can be hung for the glory of God and in celebration of His son.
There is lovely Easter Sunday symbolism in the baby animals of spring; every baby animal is an opportunity to explain God’s mercy, hope, and love to our children.
Here are a few to discuss with your kids:
- A new chick popping out of its shell is a reminder of the resurrection. The shell is the tomb, the chick is the new life being born again.
- Every little perfect lamb we see is a reflection of our Savior, the perfect, spotless sacrifice for our sins.
- Bunnies jump for joy in the newness of spring; like them we can jump for joy in the hope of our salvation!
Click here for 🦔Baby Animal Bunting for Spring!🐤
#7. ~Sing the “Grace” at the Easter Feast~
What if our Easter table centerpieces centered on Him? What if our place settings set the tone for what our celebration is truly about? What if they even proclaimed His name and invited us into worship and praise?
“O sing a song of Calvary,
Its glory and dismay;
Of him who hung upon the tree,
And took our sins away:
For he who died on Calvary
Is risen from the grave,
And Christ, our Lord, by heav’n adored,
Is mighty now to save.”
Print our Easter Hymn Table Settings here:
Thanks so much for reading, friends. May you and your family have a blessed, joyous Easter season as we look forward to shouting together, “He is risen, indeed!”
Love, ~Candace Arden
