Ways to Teach your Kids about Holy Week

Holy Week is almost upon us, which means Lent is almost over and Easter is almost here! When Lent began, many of us adults probably found ourselves thinking about what we could do to be better persons or looking for ways to add more meaning to our lives.  We may have even attended a recollection or retreat so we could reflect more on the true meaning of Easter.

As parents, we probably also tried to prepare our families for the Lenten season, as best as we could. Now that Holy Week and Easter are just around the corner, it’s also time to teach our children about these significant occasions in the Church calendar (this applies not only to Catholics but also to Christians of other denominations as well).

Here is how you can explain Holy Week and Easter to your kids:

Days before Palm Sunday, explain the significance of each day of Holy Week to them.

• Tell them that the entire week, starting with Palm Sunday and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, is a time to remember the passion and death of Jesus, and that Easter Sunday is a day of great rejoicing.
• Use terms that are age-appropriate to your kids. It may help to make a simple chart or drawing to further illustrate your explanation.
• You can also say that counting down the days to Easter Sunday is similar to counting down the days to Christmas. Focus more on the beauty and joy of Easter, rather than Jesus’ suffering and death, so that the kids will feel like they have something to look forward to.
• For sample explanations (with illustrations) of the events of Holy Week, you can use the resources available from ICC Religious Education by clicking here.

Again, before Holy Week actually starts, teach your children about the Bible passages that correspond to the events of Holy Week.  

• If your kids are still young, use a children's Bible that has pictures and simplifies the stories. I was able to buy most of my kids’ children’s Bibles and Bible storybooks at secondhand bookstores like Books for Less and Booksale.
• Remember, all four gospels tell the story of the Passion and Resurrection. The ones written by Matthew, Mark and Luke are similar, relating the main sequence of events. The Gospel of John also has the main events, but emphasizes Jesus' conversation with His disciples during the Last Supper and also contains the spiritual message of the Passion.
• Here are some links to websites that contain free online children’s Bible stories, which may be helpful for your Holy Week preparation:
  i. The Christian Place for Catholic Kids
  ii. Bible for Children
  iii. Bible Stories for Kids from Essex.com
  iv. Children’s Bible Stories

READ: Mga Bawal, Tradisyon, At Iba Pang Pamahiin Tuwing Holy Week

Plan, organize and implement different events and activities

Plan events that you and your children can do during Holy Week to help them (and you!) personally experience what they have learned from your explanation of Holy Week and Easter. You can also reinforce the Bible passages and stories about Holy Week and Easter in this way.

Here are just a few examples of activities you can do:

• On Palm Sunday, have the kids participate in the mass by waving palms. You can also refer to Catholic Icing for suggested Palm Sunday crafts and ideas for kids.
• On Holy Wednesday, let your kids write a prayer or letter to Jesus, expressing their desire to be more united to him during Holy Week. Help your younger kids do this by writing the words down for them or asking them to trace over the words you have written.
• On Holy Thursday, explain to your kids the symbolism behind the washing of the feet (i.e. Jesus came to serve and not to be served; to show His love for us). You may want to do your own “washing of the feet” activity in your own home. You can even go on a Visita Iglesia online, right in the comfort of your own homes!
• Additional crafts/activities for Holy Thursday include:
  i. Praying Hands craft
  ii. The Last Supper diorama craft (The post is in Spanish but you can translate it into English using Google Translate.)
  iii. Last Supper craft based on Leonardo da Vinci’s painting
• On Good Friday, take your kids to another liturgical ceremony commemorating the Passion of Christ, the Seven Last Words of Jesus and The Veneration of The Cross services. You can also pray the Stations of the Cross with them, either in your local parish or at home.
  
  For Good Friday crafts and activities, here are some helpful resources:
  i. Printable Stations of the Cross for Kids
  ii. Stations of the Cross Eggs
  iii. DIY Candle Stations of the Cross
  iv. Stations of the Cross resources from The Catholic Toolbox
• On Holy Saturday, take time as a family to reflect about the importance of having Jesus with us and to prepare for the joys of Easter Sunday. Try not to have any rowdy or noisy activities during this day, as a sign of solemn (yet still joyful!) waiting for Jesus’ Resurrection.
• On Easter Sunday, have a big Easter celebration in honor of Jesus’ Resurrection. The sad reality is many Catholics and Christians make a bigger fuss over Christmas than Easter, which is actually the biggest feast in the Church calendar. Make a big deal over your family’s Easter celebration by considering one (or all!) of these ideas:
  i. Have an Easter party — similar to a Christmas party — blow some balloons, make simple Easter party hats, prepare party food (it need not be extravagant!), and, of course, have an Easter egg hunt!
  ii. Make Resurrection Eggs (similar to the Stations of the Cross Eggs)
  iii. Bake Easter Story cookies or Resurrection Rolls
  iv. Make a Resurrection Set and use it to “tell” the Easter Story (my kids love this!)
  v. Easter resources from The Catholic Toolbox

Lastly, don’t forget to harness the power of technology to relay your message about Holy Week and Easter to your kids.

• There are some videos about Holy Week and Easter on YouTube that you can watch with your children. Here are links to a few of them:
  i. The Holy Week Animation
  ii. Lego Holy Week
  iii. The Easter Story for Children – He is Risen
  iv. The Greatest Adventure – Stories from the Bible – The Easter Story Part 1
  v. The True Easter Story
• If you’re feeling ambitious, you may even want to create your own video or powerpoint presentation about Holy Week and Easter. Make it interactive by letting your kids join in the production – either as actors/actresses, scriptwriters, storytellers and so on.

Additional resources:
Holy Week and Easter Resources from Catholic Culture.org
Holy Week – The Road to Easter Activity
Holy Week Resources from Children’s Ministry.com

References:
http://www.ehow.com/how_8100051_teach-children-holy-week.html
http://www.iccreligiouseducation.com/easter.cfm?subpage=266683
Other references are cited as links.

Photo by submarginals from flickr creative commons