Easter Week: An Interactive Story for Children

An Easter Week Interactive Story: Teach your children about the events that led to Jesus’ death on the Cross and how He rose again in triumph.

 The Children Knew Jesus

All the Jews in the whole country came to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.

Some arrived as much as a week ahead, so they could cleanse themselves before they entered the temple for the yearly feast.

So the streets were crammed full of people that day when Jesus came riding into town on a donkey.

And guess who knew who Jesus was? Really knew him and understood what he stood for?

The children!

All the people, adults and children, stood in the street and cried “Hosanna!” when Jesus came to town.

They waved palm branches and laid their coats on the road for Jesus to ride over.

Then, the adults went on their way, doing what adults do.

But the children?

They danced and shouted around the temple the whole time, until the priests and the scribes couldn’t stand it and tried to shoo them off.

“Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David! Save us! Save us, Jesus! Jesus is here to save us!”

The children believed Jesus was the Savior.

They believed he had the power of Hosanna for all people.

And so, they celebrated Jesus in Jerusalem.

Yet, surely they were afraid and wept when the soldiers and priests and scribes were unkind to Jesus and whipped him until he bled.

The children didn’t want to see Jesus hanging on the cross. They felt his pain and surely it confused them.

But still… still…

They knew in their hearts that the Easter Story is about Hosanna, being saved, and rising again to go to Heaven someday!

And they danced and shouted and waved palm branches.

Easter Week, A Children’s Interactive Story

Note: Some children may be sensitive to the graphic nature of the crucifixion. Use a parents discretion about which pictures to show and which parts of the story to read.

How to Present the Easter Week Interactive Story

1. Print on legal size paper, back to back, for each child. Fold into thirds, accordion style, with Number 1 on the top. When you open the first flap, you’ll see 2, 3, and 4, then flip over for 5 and 6.
2. Read the stories for the children as they look at the pictures.
3. Print on two pages and cut each page into stories. Use them as flash cards to see if they can place the story in chronological order by pictures after you’ve read them.
4. Enlarge each picture into a whole page presentation. Hang them on the wall. Or hold each page up for your children to see the larger picture as you read the story.
5. Use the accompanying “Key” printable. Prepare places in your home according to the key, and do a sort of scavenger hunt. Give them a key card, and when they find number 1, read them that part of the story. Then let them find number 2, and so on.

Easter Week Scavenger Hunt Key

Use this download as a “key” for your children to learn the Easter Week Story in the order the events happened. Fill in our contact form and request “Children’s Easter Week Interactive Story download.”

Prepare clues for them to “find” and then read the story that goes with the clue. Explain what the clue represents in the story.

These are the suggested clues:

1. Palm leaf. (Tell about the people waving palm branches.)
2. Something bad tasting wrapped up like a chocolate kiss. (The kiss that betrayed Jesus.)
3. A thorny branch. (The crown of thorns or the whips that scourged Jesus.)
4. A white cloth and whole spices. (Jesus’ grave clothes.)
5. A gift wrapped box, which is empty. (The best gift is Jesus in the heart. Empty tomb means he has risen and can live in our hearts.)
6. A shiny heart shaped helium balloon. (Symbolizes Jesus’ ascension.)

Don’t be afraid to create your own clues and make the Scavenger Key to go with your ideas.

Easter is a solemn, heart-searing event.

But it is also a story of triumph.

Share the joy of resurrection with your children.