Easter is one of the biggest celebrations that will happen at your church each year which means it is a great to to host family Easter activities. It’s a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the hope it brings to the world. It’s also a time to bring families together in worship, fun, and community. For churches, Easter offers a unique opportunity to create meaningful and memorable experiences for families while sharing the message of Jesus’ love.
5 Family Easter Activities You Can Host At Your Church
If you’re looking for ways to engage families and have an Easter celebration at your church, here are five creative and impactful ideas to celebrate Easter at your church. Whether your congregation is large or small, these activities can help bring families closer to one another—and to the true meaning of Easter.
1. Organize an Easter Egg Hunt Activity with a Purpose
Easter egg hunts are a classic family tradition, and they can be a fantastic way to welcome families to your church.
Here are some ideas to make your Easter egg hunt more impactful:
- Tell the Easter story through eggs: Fill eggs with small items that represent parts of the Easter story, such as a cross, a crown of thorns, or a tiny stone for the empty tomb. Include a short explanation for each symbol, and encourage families to discuss them as they hunt.
- Include Bible verses or encouragement notes: Write or print short Bible verses or encouraging notes to include in the eggs alongside the candy.
- Offer age-specific hunts: To make the event fun for everyone, create separate egg hunts for different age groups. This ensures that older kids can enjoy a challenge while younger ones can participate at their own pace.
- Sensory-friendly options: For children with sensory sensitivities, provide a quiet and less chaotic environment. Use brightly colored eggs and allow families to hunt at their own pace.
After the hunt, invite families to stay for refreshments and a short gathering that ties the activity back to the resurrection story. Use this time to introduce families to your church’s children’s programs or upcoming events.
2. Family Easter Activity Prayer Walk
For families looking to reflect on the meaning of Easter, a prayer walk is an excellent way to connect with the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Transform your church campus or a local park into a self-guided prayer walk with interactive stations that allow families to experience the Easter story together.
Here’s how you can structure the prayer walk:
- Station 1: The Last Supper
Set up a table with bread and juice to symbolize the Last Supper. Provide a short reading or audio recording of the Scripture passage (Luke 22:14–20) and invite families to reflect on the significance of Jesus sharing a meal with His disciples. - Station 2: The Garden of Gethsemane
Create a quiet space with plants or greenery to represent the garden. Include a reading of Matthew 26:36–46 and encourage families to pray together, asking God for strength during challenging times. - Station 3: The Cross
Place a wooden cross at this station and offer families small pieces of paper and pens to write down sins, burdens, or fears. Provide a basket where they can leave their papers, symbolizing leaving their struggles at the cross. - Station 4: The Empty Tomb
Decorate this station with an open tomb and an angel figure. Read Matthew 28:1–10 and invite families to celebrate the hope and joy of the resurrection.
To enhance the experience, provide a guide with prompts and prayers for each station. This prayer walk allows families to slow down, reflect, and experience the Easter story in a meaningful and personal way.
To make this activity age appropriate, you could include phase prompts at each station, letting families know how to do the activity with preschoolers, elementary-aged kids or middle or high school students. This will help kids and teenagers have an experience that is broken down for them to engage with and understand.
3. Host a Family Craft and Storytime Activity
For families with young children, a craft and storytime event can be a delightful and meaningful way to celebrate Easter. This activity combines creativity, hands-on fun, and an opportunity to share the Easter story in a way that’s engaging for kids and parents alike.
Here’s how you can structure the event:
Craft Time
Set up stations where families can work on Easter-themed crafts together. Include options like:
- Resurrection gardens: Provide small pots, soil, grass seeds, and miniature crosses for families to create their own resurrection gardens. These can serve as a visual reminder of the empty tomb and new life in Jesus.
- Easter egg painting: Offer wooden or plastic eggs that kids can paint and decorate with stickers, glitter, and markers.
- Cross crafts: Use popsicle sticks, beads, or foam to create decorative crosses that families can hang in their homes.
- Prayer jars: Provide jars, paper slips, and markers for families to write down prayers of gratitude or requests, which they can continue to add to after Easter.
Storytime
After the crafts, gather families for a storytelling session focused on the Easter story. Use props, graphics, or illustrated storybooks to make the narrative come alive for children. A few tips for impactful storytelling:
- Keep the story interactive by asking questions or letting kids guess what happens next.
- Incorporate songs or short rhymes that emphasize key parts of the story.
- Use visuals like pictures or a short video to illustrate the resurrection story.
Snacks and Fellowship
Wrap up the event with Easter-themed snacks like bunny-shaped cookies, cupcakes with crosses, or fruit platters. This provides an opportunity for families to connect with each other.
By offering a craft and storytime event, you create a welcoming environment where families can engage in meaningful conversations, have intentional time together as a family, and grow in their understanding of the Easter message. This is a great alternative event for families with young children who may not sit through a service or full event.
4. Plan a Serve Together Project
Easter is not only a time for celebration but also an opportunity to live out the message of Jesus’ love through acts of service. Organizing a family-friendly service project allows families to connect with one another while making a difference in the community.
Here are a few ideas for a service project:
- Easter care packages: Families can assemble care packages filled with hygiene items, non-perishable snacks, and handwritten notes of encouragement. Distribute these packages to shelters or individuals in need.
- Cards for seniors: Provide art supplies and encourage families to create Easter cards for residents of local nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
- Food drive: Partner with a local food bank to collect non-perishable items. Challenge families to bring donations and sort them together during the event.
- Neighborhood cleanup: Equip families with gloves and trash bags to clean up a local park or neighborhood as a way to give back to the community.
By serving together, families can tangibly demonstrate Jesus’ love to others. This creates a lasting impact on both the community and their own hearts.
5. Host an Easter Jam Event
If you’re looking for an exciting, high-energy way to celebrate Easter, look no further than Easter Jam! This family experience is designed to bring joy, laughter, and connection while sharing the powerful story of Easter in a fun and engaging way.
Here’s what makes Easter Jam so special:
- Games and activities: Easter Jam is filled with interactive games that get families laughing and working together. These activities are perfect for all ages and make for an unforgettable experience.
- Creative storytelling: The Easter story is shared in a dynamic way that captures the attention of kids and adults alike. Through visuals, props, and relatable messaging, families can better understand the hope of Jesus’ resurrection.
- Music and worship: Uplifting music is a core part of Easter Jam, with songs that inspire joy and celebration. Consider involving your children’s choir or worship band.
- Community building: Easter Jam provides a space for families to connect with one another and with your church. It’s an egg-cellent opportunity to invite first-time guests and make them feel at home.
You can download a free Easter Jam event kit here. This event kits includes everything you need to plan and execute an unforgettable event. Your families will be so egg-cited to attend!
Easter is a time of renewal, celebration, and hope. By offering unique and meaningful family Easter activities, your church can help families connect with the true meaning of Easter while creating memories and space for them to connect not only with their family but with others.
Whether it’s gathering for an egg hunt, reflecting on the resurrection through a prayer walk, or sharing laughter at Easter Jam, these family Easter activities offer something for everyone. As your church plans its Easter events, remember that the ultimate goal is to share the message of God’s love and the hope found in Jesus’ resurrection.
Ready to host Easter Jam at your church? Download the free event kit here and start planning today!