Bible Story: The Story of Easter Sunday
Scripture: Matthew 28
Target Age Group: Kindergarten – 5th grade
Learning Context: Children’s Church or Sunday School
Target Time Frame: 40 minutes
Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of the story by recalling the Easter story.
Items Needed (all downloads included in the PDF above)
- Playdough, blocks
- Resurrection Eggs, Resurrection Eggs Story Booklet (PDF download), we also have a video craft project for making Resurrection Eggs.
- 1 paper plate per child, black crayons, brown crayons, one picture of an angel (PDF download) per child, ½ sheet brown construction paper per child, stapler, scissors, glue, masking tape, marker
- One Easter Bingo Card (PDF download) per child, scissors, glue, construction paper, jelly beans (or something to mark the boards with), basket
Worship: Use Easter Songs (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.
Teaching Plan: Easter Sunday
Welcome Activity: Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition from their parents.
Playdough and Blocks – help the children to build a “tomb” (maybe that looks like a bridge) with the blocks and then roll up a “stone” with playdough…the children can pretend to roll the stone away from the tomb
Worship: Easter Songs
Bible Lesson Introduction
Talk with the children about what they think of when you say “Easter”. Accept any answer – church-related or not. You will give them the true meaning of Easter throughout the class today.
Bible Lesson
“We will be doing the Bible story a little different today. We are going to be using Resurrection Eggs and you are all going to help me tell the story of Easter.”
Give each child a resurrection egg. Make sure that they keep it closed until it is their turn. If you have more than 12 children, either partner them up or get another package of resurrection eggs.
Read through the Resurrection Eggs Story Book with the children. As you get to each page, have the child holding the corresponding egg open it up and show the class what’s inside.
Bible Lesson Activities
Activity: The Angel Rolled Away the Stone
You can have the paper plates already cut for the children, depending on the age of the children.
- Cut the paper plates in half
- Cut a “doorway” out of one half of all of the plates
- Have the children color the half of the paper plate with the “doorway” brown
- Have the children color the other half of the paper plate black
- As the children are coloring, walk around and make sure that each child’s name gets written on both pieces of their tomb
- Staple the two pieces together making sure that the black can be seen through the “doorway”
- Have the children glue the angel inside of the door
- Have the children crumple up the brown construction paper
- Tape the construction paper “stone” to the outside of the tomb
- As the children are finishing their project, talk with them about what they are making and about the story they just learned about Easter
Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Matthew 28:6
He: point to heaven
Is not here: shake head “No”
He: point to heaven
Has risen: raise hands and arms up to heaven
Just as He said: shake head “Yes”
Matthew 28: hold up ten fingers 2x and then 8 fingers
6: hold up 6 fingers
Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.
Activity: Easter Bingo
Give each child an Easter Bingo Board. Have them cut eat square out – they will be making their own cards.
Give each child a piece of construction paper and have them fold it in half 4 times – this should make 16 squares. Have them cut it so that their board is 3×3 instead of 4×4.
Have the children glue their bingo pieces anywhere on their board. This way each child’s board is different.
Cut up one bingo card for you to use as pieces to call from.
Put the Easter Bingo Cards in the basket.
The “He Has Risen!” spot is a free spot for all of the children.
Choose 1 Easter Bingo Card, say what it is and show the picture
- Have the children find it on their cards
- As they are finding the item – talk about what the item it and what it has to do with Easter
- Stone – there was a stone blocking the door of Jesus’ tomb
- Angel – the angel rolled the stone away
- Cross – Jesus died on the cross for us
- 3 days – Jesus rose again after 3 days
- Crown of thorns – Jesus wore a crown of thorns on His head
- Bread – Jesus had the Last Supper with His disciples
- Nails – they nailed Jesus to the cross
- Resurrection – He lives in heaven!
Continue playing until someone has three pictures in a row filled.
Evaluation:
Have the children recall the Easter story. Guide them to tell it in the correct order.