Buckner Children & Family Services issued the following announcement on April 08.
In effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, most of us may be practicing social distancing or sheltering-in-place this Easter. While our usual holiday celebrations may look a little different this year, the Easter message remains the same.
At Easter, we celebrate how Christ died and was resurrected from the grave to save us, his children, from death as sinners. As adults, we understand the gruesome reality of what Jesus had to endure on the cross, but death and life can be hard topics to approach with children.
Most importantly, children need to know that at the core of the Easter message is the unwavering love of Christ. It was love that prompted Jesus to take our place on the cross so we could spend eternity with him.
As a parent, guardian or loved one, you can determine the readiness of your child to hear the detailed Easter story. No matter how you tell the story, remember to focus on the hope of the resurrection and the theme of love that runs throughout the Easter message.
Here are four age-appropriate ideas while sheltering-in-place to help share the Easter story with your child.
Watch a movie and afterward discuss the themes, ideas and concepts shown in the film:
Preschool: VeggieTales An Easter Carol or VeggieTales Twas the Night Before Easter
Middle school: Jesus of Nazareth or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
High School: The Passion of Christ
Read the Easter story and discuss it as a family:
Preschool: Read the story from your favorite child’s Bible. Let your little ones follow along with the photos and answer any questions they may have.
Middle school and high school: Read from Mark 14 and John 19-20. If you want to break up the readings, read a portion of the story each day leading up to Easter. Take time to discuss the story with your teenagers and give them freedom to ask questions.
Engage your child while sharing the Easter story by making a resurrection garden. Use items you have around the house and set it out as a reminder that Christ has risen from the grave.
Make your Easter egg hunt an interactive story-telling by placing different objects in Resurrection eggs that help tell the true message of Easter.
Want to have a little fun with an indoor egg hunt? Get these glow in the dark Easter eggs, hide them around the house and turn off the lights. After the hunt, turn the lights back on to open the eggs and share the Easter story.
No matter which way you choose to celebrate this year, we hope you're able to embrace the quieter time with your family. We pray this Easter is a special one for you and your loved ones.
Original source can be found here.