“If you stop at the crucifixion, your child misses the glorious resurrection. If you start at the resurrection, your child misses Christ’s payment on the cross for our sins.” — “I Love to Tell the Story” by Jeff Land (HomeLife, March 2013)

Yesterday I saw this great post about discipling kids in the midst of hectic lives. The author suggests practical ways to teach kids about Jesus using the head, heart, and hands. With Easter just around the corner, now is the perfect time to put these into practice with some hands-on activities that illustrate the resurrection for kids in tangible ways.

Resurrection Eggs

You can do this activity with your kids over the 12 days leading up to Easter or as one longer activity. To start, print this Resurrection Eggs printable: HomeLife Resurrection Eggs Printable

You’ll need an empty egg carton, 12 plastic eggs (Target’s dollar section has these as do most dollar stores), a permanent marker, a Bible, plus these 12 items:

1. palm branch – a small branch, leaf, or clipping

2. silver coins – nickels, dimes, or play money

3. bread – a small piece of bread, a cracker, or a crouton

4. whip – a piece of rope, baker’s twine, or yarn

5. purple cloth – a piece of ribbon or a square cut from an old T-shirt

6. thorns – from a rose or bush, or you can break a toothpick into small pieces

7. cross – whatever you have on hand, such as a sticker, jewelry pendant, or you can make one with toothpicks or sticks

8. nails

9. sign – write on a piece of paper “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS”

10. spices – whole (not ground) spices, such as cloves or nutmeg

11. stone

12. empty – Jesus is risen!

Get creative and use what you have on hand.

Let your kids decorate a cover for the egg carton. (The resurrection eggs printable above has one your kids can color.) Label your plastic eggs 1 to 12. Using the printable, cut out the 12 Scripture readings to go along with each item. Then fill each egg with the appropriate item and corresponding Scripture. Have your Bible ready for more in-depth discussion.

Want to do this activity but are short on time? You can find a resurrection eggs kit here: http://www.lifeway.com/Product/resurrection-eggs-p005430542

Resurrection Cookies

This activity appeared in HomeLife’s April 1995 issue, and it’s been a favorite ever since. Try it with your kids the night before Easter. HomeLife Resurrection Cookies

Resurrection Rolls

These tasty sweet rolls make a great Easter morning breakfast, and you probably already have these ingredients on hand! HomeLife Resurrection Rolls

Easter is the most important holiday for a Christ-follower. Don’t let it slip by without being intentional to teach your kids the good news.

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Dawn Hollomon is a minister’s wife, mom to a preschooler and a teenager adopted from Ethiopia, and the editor of HomeLife magazine.