Happy Easter, everyone! The Season of Easter is seven weeks long – which can feel beautiful for many of us. After all, we yearn to hear the promise of the resurrection over and over again. On the one hand, seven weeks isn’t nearly enough time. But to the kids in your congregation? Seven weeks is a marathon!
In my context, the season of Easter coincides with warmer days, the start of spring sports, and the escalating demands of the end of the school year. Families are so, so busy. It’s not surprising if attendance dips after Easter. But how do we celebrate with the kids and families who are at church during the Season of Easter? How do we keep it special for those who regularly attend worship? Here are a couple ideas to continue the celebration of Easter throughout the seven-week season:
Hide butterflies around your church. Not only do kids love butterflies (hello spring!) but butterflies have been used throughout Christian art and history as a symbol of resurrection. The butterfly can teach us so much about new life, transformation, patience, spiritual growth, and so much more. These can be hidden in the Sanctuary, giving kids something to look for and look at during worship. You can also hide butterflies in community spaces (for example: where snacks or meals are served.) Depending on your context: you could even hide butterflies outside! The invitation to look for butterflies could be done during a children’s sermon, or a blurb in the bulletin. ("You are invited to look for butterflies as we celebrate the season of Easter and remember the promise of the Resurrection not just on one Sunday but throughout the spring, throughout the year, and throughout our lives!") Let me be clear: you do not need to move the butterflies each week. (Unless, of course, you want to? You could hide just one butterfly, and move it each week, if that sounds fun to you.) Or you can hide the bunch of butterflies all at once, and leave them for the entire Season of Easter. You could even have middle school or high school students engaged in this project. They could make, decorate, and even hide the butterflies for you! I know in my context, the Confirmation students would love to climb a ladder to make sure some butterflies are up on our high ceilings. (Something that I wouldn’t have the time and energy to do, but the kids would love it!)
Set up a special Easter display table. Display with books about Easter and spring, coloring pages for Easter and spring, and even Easter and spring themed toys. Like a nativity scene creche at Christmas time, you can display an Easter Creche. I’ve seen Easter Creches that are plastic, like kids’ toys. I have also seen wooden sets that are more abstract, but still clearly convey the Bible Story in a way that kids can touch, hold, engage, and move around.
- If you’d like to add to your collection great books about Easter, here are a few of our favorites…
Invite kids to play with a plastic flower building toy. Kids can build lilies, flowers, gardens, bouquets… There are so many Christian education connects to this one toy. This toy could be a reminder of the Garden of Gethsemane. It could be a reminder of the flowers many churches display on Easter morning. This toy could be a reminder of the promise of new life and springtime. This sensory/stim toy is one that you can purchase and use year after year to help kids celebrate the full Season of Easter. And it is a toy that is engaging for a wide age group. From toddlers and preschoolers, up through elementary school… even adults like to play with this set!
I hope these ideas help you extend the celebration of Easter with the kids in your church. Happy Easter everyone!