Ever since my oldest was about 3 years old we have celebrated Easter all week leading up to Easter Sunday. This helps us celebrate the Easter season {much like the Christmas season} rather just Easter on one day. It also helps to keep the appropriate focus on Jesus Christ and His Atonement and Resurrection.
“There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The baby Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.” Gordon B. Hinckley
Each child has this little chart to fill out as the week progresses. There are scriptures to be read every day. While no one is certain exactly which day each event occurred, these are the traditionally held beliefs according to the Gospel of Mark. To download the chart and pictures click on the link below.
Celebrate Easter All Week – The Last Week of Christ’s Life
Here are some additional activities to do each day with your family. The activities will be updated as I finish them with my own children. The bible videos were all recently released at The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos. They were created to inspire and help strengthen faith in Jesus Christ. Any words that are spoken are quoted directly from the King James version of the Bible.
Palm Sunday:
Bible Video: The Lord’s Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem
Donkey Craft
Monday:
Jesus Clears the Temple of the Money Changers.
Craft: Sugar Cube Temples
Trace your child’s body on butcher paper. Let them cut out pictures of good things for their body from magazines and glue them on their body’s outline. Pictures could include food to eat, exercise, bathing, reading, education, etc.
Tuesday:
Scribes question the authority of Jesus. He teaches many parables.
Jesus answers the question, “Which is the greatest commandment?”
Bible Video: Christ’s Authority is Questioned
Bible Video: The Greatest Commandment
Bible Video: Jesus Teaches About the Widow’s Mites
Love One Another Activity
Ten Commandment {Greatest Commandment} Activity
Wednesday:
It is traditionally called Spy Wednesday because of the betrayal of Judas for 30 pieces of silver.The scriptures are silent as to what Jesus did on this day. More discussion of parables can be done such as The Ten Virgins.
Bible Video: The Ten Virgins
Bible Video: The Parable of the Talents
Craft: Homemade Clay Oil Lamps
Thursday:
The Last Supper and The Garden of Gethsemane
Bible Video: The Last Supper
Bible Video: Jesus Warns Peter and Offers the Intercessory Prayer
Bible Video: The Savior Suffers In Gethsemane
Sacrament Worksheet and Booklet
Friday:
The trial, Crucifixion, and burial of Jesus.
Bible Video: Jesus Is Tried by Caiaphas, Peter Denies Knowing Him
Bible Video: Jesus is Condemned Before Pilate
Bible Video: Jesus is Scourged and Crucified
Bible Video: Jesus Is Laid in a Tomb
Craft: Stained Glass Cross and Hot Cross Buns
Art Study
Saturday:
Missionary work in the spirit world
Sunday:
The Empty Tomb and Resurrection
Bible Video: Jesus Is Resurrected
Bible Video: He Is Risen
Bible Video: To This End Was I Born
Craft: The Empty Tomb
Hand Print Lilies
Hello
I enjoyed your post about Celebrate Easter All Week – The Last Week of Christ’s Life.
I am going to include it on my blog.
Thanks
Nick
I have been listening to your Lamb of God CD a great deal lately… it’s my way of focusing on it as I seem to always be in my vehicle. 🙂
We’ve got ours playing too! It’s just beautiful.
I love this! Thank you.
I shared a link to this blog post on my Facebook page.
I hope you don’t mind, but I have just been ♥-ing this print out that you made.
My daughter and I have been doing this every night and it’s been such a huge blessing to focus on what Easter is really about. It’s also been very educational for me.
Thank you for putting this together and sharing your incredible talents with the world!
This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing. I am going to do the activities with my kids, and modify it for sharing time on Sunday.
Thank you so much for the great idea. We actually used it as our “sunday lesson” while we were on vacation in Holland Easter Sunday. The kids loved it !
Thank you so much for that great idea. We actually used it as our “sunday lesson” while beeing on vacation in Holland, Easter Sunday. The kids loved it.
Thankyou so much for this. It’s awesome! There is a bible video about Jesus clearing the temple, you may want to add it to Monday.
This is just what I was looking for! Thank you for sharing your time and talents with us. I am eagerly looking forward to studying the true meaning of Easter with my family this week. Also, I have enjoyed your blog for a few years now. I find it very inspirational and uplifting, and you have strenthened my testimony, my knowledge, and my resolve to do better!
What a lovely idea. Sharing with my kids to share with their own children.