Reading Time: 4 min 56 sec
One of my most favorite memories growing up is visiting my grandparents’ house and participating in a massive scavenger hunt to find my very own Easter basket. Even though the basket was pretty much always hidden in the dryer, it was an amazing time of fun, excitement, and it ended with a basketful of chocolate!
As a follower of Jesus’ the celebration of Easter is the most important day of the year. Jesus death and resurrection are foundational to our faith. If Easter is so important, what are we communicating to our children when we condense it down to fancy outfits, beautiful eggs, and tons of candy?
I am not saying banish your Easter traditions. Instead, what I am saying is that what if we intentionally moved the focus from candy to Jesus? Can you imagine our children experiencing Jesus’ over the top love for them as they come to appreciate his sacrifice on the cross in a whole new way?
Children go deeper in their faith, and own their faith through experiential learning. By watching you, experiencing life in a family and church context, they are being told each day what is really important. Easter is a huge opportunity to pour into the spiritual lives of our children. So how do we do that?
Intentionally invite Jesus into what you are already doing. Instead of giving an Easter basket or gift, full to the brim with chocolate, what if you included some items that would turn your child’s eyes towards Jesus? Instead of hurrying past Lent without much of a thought, what if you took some time to journey through an Easter devotional or watched a video of Jesus’ death and resurrection together as a family? These small steps make a POWERFUL impact on the lives of your children.
Today, we are going to be talking about twelve amazing resources that you can use to help turn your family’s eyes towards the true meaning of Easter this year!
1. Devotionals
2. Toys
3. Books
4. Journals
5. Art
6. DVD’s
1. Good Dirt: Lent, Holy Week & Eastertide
This is the BEST devotional I have found yet for kids during Easter. The devotional is very doable for each day (it’s about a half a page). The devotional covers Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide and is written from an evangelical perspective.
I really appreciate how each devotional is broken into four sections:
– Till (Prayer)
– Plant (Meditate on Scripture)
– Water (Reflect)
– Weed (Examine)
As you travel through lent, this is a great resource to serve as the foundational piece of your day.
2. Jesus Doll
My children LOVE this doll! They sleep with it every night and it serves as a tangible reminder that Jesus is always with them. One of my children told me, “I know I don’t have to be afraid (of the dark) because I hold my Jesus doll and remember that Jesus is in the room with me.” This doll is perfect for a young-elementary child because it is not huge and will be easy to carry around.
3. The Jesus Storybook Bible
This is a phenomenal paraphrased Bible for kids. The text is age appropriate, the illustrations are captivating, and the overarching story focuses on God’s never ending, never giving up, always and forever love for his kids. I have read what feels like HUNDREDS of Bibles (okay, a little overdramatic here) and I haven’t found one yet that comes close.
4. A Picture of Jesus
This is huge! When you place a special picture of Jesus with a child or a lamb in your child’s room it is a daily reminder that Jesus is always with them. It is also a huge reinforcement that Jesus is priority in the life of your family. For years, we have asked our children, Who is that that lamb that Jesus is holding? And they shout out, that’s me!
5. The Boy And The Ocean
“God’s love is like the ocean, my little boy,” she said. “It’s always here. It’s always deep. It never ends. God’s love is special.”
Oh my word, hands down, probably my favorite Christian picture book. The illustrations are beautiful, the words are life-changing, and what an amazing book to pull out at bedtime. The story draws parallels between Gods creation and his vast love for his children. I love how Max Lucado, portrays parents who include God in everyday life. Both boys and girls will love this book.
6. God's Great Love For You by Rick Warren
This book is all about Gods overwhelming love for his kids told in such an imaginative way. Written by Rick Warren, the book shows a young girl on different adventures discovering God lavish love. The illustrations are adorable and though the book can be read to girls and boys, the book is specifically geared towards young girls.
7. Journal - Writing To God: Kids Edition
This book is an amazing and creative resource full of journal prompts that guide children in learning how to talk to God. This book has 35 different prayer journal exercises and it covers prayer topics on events that happen during the day, emotions, praise, thanks, pain, and using their five senses. Your child comes to find out that you can speak to God about EVERYTHING, and has actually practiced doing just that throughout the book. Love it
8. Journal - Praying in Color - Kid's Edition
Have you ever heard “But I don’t want to pray? I don’t know what to say? I’m embarrassed to pray out loud?” This is a revolutionary resource for children (and adults) who want to try another way to spend time with God. The author, Sybil Macbeth gently leads children in understanding what prayer is, common prayer problems, how to pray, and step by step of how to pray using art. This has been an amazing resource for children and students who have felt inadequate or have had a hard time concentrating when it comes to prayer. Love it!
9. Journal - The Bible Doodle Book
This doodle book has 100 unfinished drawings and stickers for children to complete. I love it because the children can use the prompts to help them complete the drawings. You can use the drawings/prompts as a complement to your daily family devotions. A creative way to engage with the Bible!
10. Journal
Choose a journal (with no lines) for your child to write or draw prayers that can be especially for this Lenten season. After a lot of searching, the best journals seem to be found at your local craft store. Let me know if you find a great journal somewhere else!
11. DVD - The Animated Passion Trilogy
This is a great visual retelling of the Easter story for preschool-elementary age kids. Something about a video allows the children to really experience the life of Jesus in a whole new way.
12. DVD - Matthew: Visual Bible DVD
This is a wonderful movie for older elementary children who are emotionally ready to watch the crucifixion and resurrection. It is not as graphic as the Messiah but I would still preview it ahead of time to make sure your kids are ready for it.
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