The celebration of Easter is all about love, forgiveness, newness and…death.

During this holiday, we focus on Jesus’s persecution and his resurrection.

Why?

Because it was so significant.

Jesus was tortured.

Horribly.

Then he died on a cross.

He was resurrected from a tomb and rose up into Heaven.

This is where He has prepared a place for us to join Him when our time has come.

I understand the meaning of Jesus’s story this way.

Because I am a 40-some-year-old woman.

But my little 3-year-old and 6-year-old do not.

The tragedy of Jesus’s last days on earth is certainly not PG nor PG-13 rated.

I don’t want to have to expose them to the death and torcher that Jesus endured.

At least, not right now.

I realized that this was a problem as I was reading them children’s stories about Easter.

Every book that I looked at to try to teach them about Easter talked about Jesus’s death.

If I decided to skip over the “death” part while reading it to them, well…

My 6-year-old son would realize that I skipped some pages.

So, this got me thinking…

How can we teach our little ones about Easter without exposing them to the traumatic parts?

Here are some ideas that I have found to be helpful:

1. What Do You Want Your Child to Know?

Obviously, we don’t just want to center Easter around the Easter Bunny.

There is more to this special holiday than just a bunny dropping eggs and candy.

What would you like your child to know given their age?

If your child is older, he may be able to understand more.

But if you have little ones, like I do, you may just want to keep it very simple.

Still center it around Jesus, of course.

I decided to tell my children about how Jesus went up to Heaven on this holiday.

To be with God.

And that He is building a nice house for all of us when it is time to come and join Him.

I told my children that we celebrate how much Jesus loves us on this day.

And that seemed to be enough to satisfy our little lesson.

For now.

As they grow older, I will want to share more with them.

You may want to take your child’s age and maturity into consideration before teaching about Easter.

Think about what you would like them to know and then take it from there.

Remember, the younger they are, the simpler you may want to keep it.

2. Skip the Books

You may or may not want to do this.

But I am finding that it is best for me not to read Easter books regarding Jesus to my children.

At least, the ones that discuss the true meaning of Easter.

My son is able to read, so I can’t just “skip” over the death scene.

If you have children who cannot read yet, you may be able to skip the parts where Jesus is tortured and killed.

Clue those pages in when they are a little older.

3. Make Up Your Own Books Instead

I love to write.

If you enjoy creative writing like I do, then you may enjoy doing this in place of reading books.

You can write a story for your own child about Easter.

Or better yet…

Sit down together and write stories!

You can each write a book about what Easter means to you.

Or you can make up one story together.

In it, you can mention about how Jesus was a teacher.

You can talk about how He enjoyed a final meal with this friends and family before traveling to Heaven.

You can even talk about how sad everyone was to see Him go, but that we will all see Him someday again.

Highlight the parts that you’d like your child to know about Easter.

Then get some crayons and markers and draw pictures to go with your story!

Keep it in a special place and vow to read it together every year!

4. Make Crafts to Honor the Holiday

I know that it is a lot of fun to sit and make crafts with bunnies and spring chicks.

And you should.

Easter is about new life and all of the beauty that God has made here.

But you can also focus on crafts that represent Jesus in the Easter scene.

Try to find crafts that will focus on the true meaning, but not the tragic parts.

Crafts are a great tool to help children learn!

Making and creating are also fantastic ways to spend time together – and that means more than anything!

For some random activities on Easter-related things to do, click here!

5. Skip Service, if You See Fit

Don’t let the tradition of going to Easter services or Sunday school/Bible Study force you to attend.

Yes, tradition is tradition.

But if you’d rather not take your child to services, then simply don’t.

It’s okay.

It is not going to make you any less of a Christian or a good parent.

Sometimes, I think that traditions tend to make us follow like sheep and we can be made to feel less if we don’t engage.

It is okay to not engage if you are not comfortable.

Ask yourself this:

Is God going to love you and your child any less because you did not attend Easter services?

No.

He is not.

Now, I am not bashing Easter services.

I think that they are a wonderful way to reflect and to learn.

But they tend to focus on Jesus’s death and the torcher that He endured.

To our adult ears, we can handle it.

But to a child’s…

I don’t know.

Now, I am not telling you to take your child to services or to not.

I am simply telling you that it is okay not to, if that is what you feel is best for your child.

In a world of traditions, where we may be called out on for not following with the crowd…

I am telling you that it is okay to simply not always follow…

And to simply do what is best for you and your child.

6. Spend Time

Jesus spent much of his time with other people.

Why?

Because each person who crossed His path was so important to Him.

He loved to spend time with everyone!

He did not care who each person was or what they looked like.

Jesus loved everyone as they were!

He gave his undivided attention and unconditional love to everybody.

Let’s focus on doing the same!

I think that one of the best ways to honor the holiday is to do what Jesus did.

Spend time with friends and family.

Even spend time with people who you do not favor.

Teach your child that this is how Jesus loved us.

And that we are capable of doing the same.

Haven’t talked to Aunt Dee Dee in awhile?

Well, give her a call and set up a visit!

Let your child see that our love for others can be just as powerful as Jesus’s love for us!

7. Give

We do alot of giving around Christmas.

Why do we not do as much giving around Easter?

Jesus gave His life for us.

Let’s give some of ourselves to others, as well!

This is a great way to show your child the true meaning of Easter!

You can honor the Easter holiday by volunteering for an organization that helps others.

Or you can do something special for your neighbors.

Have a friend who is struggling with buying food for his family?

Take your child shopping and make up a basket of food to help your friend in need.

Have an elderly family member who has trouble with physical movement and would like to get out and take a walk?

Give some of your time and take that family member out for a walk in the fresh air with your child!

There are so many little needs that people have every day.

It is easy to overlook them because we are so focused on our own lives.

What little things can we do to help others and to give a bit of ourselves?

8. Hold on to What Matters

There are so many things in our lives that just don’t matter.

This is a great time to take inventory on your life.

What is important to you?

What isn’t?

How can you change your life to make it inhabit the valuable pieces of your world?

Take your child on this journey with you.

Sit down together and make a list of everything that is truly important to you both.

Then make a vow to do more of those important things together.

Is sitting with your child and doing Legos important to you both?

Vow to do Legos every Friday night!

No matter what!

Is snuggling important to you and your child?

Make a vow to cut out the polka lessons on Wednesdays (if that’s not that important) and snuggle instead!

We tend to get into a routine of running around about things that don’t really matter all that much.

Make more room for the things that really do matter.

Take a look at what you can cut out of your life.

Then replace it with new, fresh and meaningful things!

Just as Jesus has highlighted newness to our lives.

A Scare-Free Easter

And there you have it!

A much more meaningful and less intense Easter for you and your child.

By engaging in the above, you and your child can still honor the Easter holiday.

Deciding what you’d like your child to know about Easter is first and foremost.

Then making choices that will still teach your child about the holiday, but in a child-friendly way is key.

There is nothing wrong with skating on the outskirts of tradition, if that is something that you are comfortable with.

Remember, Jesus loves everyone!

And Jesus loves you and your child –

No matter how you two decide to honor the Easter season.

 

Have you read any kid-friendly Easter books about Jesus?

If so, I’d love some ideas!

Please share in the comment section below!