Holy Week Lessons

I usually post about what we're learning about on Mondays, but I thought that if I do that this week, it would be too late for any of you to use these ideas for your Littles.

And since learning about what Jesus did for us all is SO important, I'll break my schedule and show you what we're up to!

We are spending time every day learning about what Jesus was doing during this week.

I put up our Holy Week Chart again and we did all the activities again.

(bad pictures, rainy day here in Georgia)

Each day we read the Scripture then I paraphrase it for her to better understand it.  I do think it's important for her to hear it and see me read it out of the Bible so she knows it is Scripture, but I also want her to actually understand it.

Palm Sunday we read, then made palm leaves and marched around reciting the verse.  She remembered this one from last Easter.

Monday and Tuesday were about the temple.  First Jesus clearing it, then Him teaching in it.

Wednesday (today) we talked about prayer and how awesome it is that we can talk to Jesus anytime we want.

Thursday will be about communion, Jesus praying in the Garden, and Judas betraying Jesus.  I'm planning to focus on how Jesus was so sad to be seperated from God, but that He knew it was necessary to save the rest of us.

Friday we talk about the Cross and about forgiveness.  This year we're going to spend time talking about how she can be quicker to forgive when someone wrongs her.

Saturday is about the tomb.  I'm going to find a big rock and have her try to push it to illustrate how only God could have rolled the stone away from the tomb.

And, of course, on Sunday we will celebrate the empty tomb!

Andrew and I focus a lot on this part of the story since that's where the victory is.  We know the Cross is important to, but this is the part we celebrate!

Last year we tried to make Resurrection Cookies but they just didn't turn out.

The lesson of the empty tomb was totally lost when our cookies had no hallow center!

So this year I went with Resurrection Rolls.

These were very easy and fast.

Roll a marshmallow (represents Jesus and His purity) in melted butter and dip it in cinnamon and sugar.  Talk about how Jesus's body was anointed with oil and spices.

Then wrap the marshmallow inside the Cresent Roll.  The roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Make sure you seal all the creases really well.  Tell them about how the tomb was sealed.

Then place them in the oven (at 350 degrees) for 10 minutes.  Pretend the oven is the tomb and that 3 days passes while you wait.  We talked about how hard it is to wait for something special.

When the rolls have cooled let them unwrap the Cresent Roll.

It's empty!!  Just like the tomb!! 

These are just a couple of ideas that you're kids might enjoy.

I personally think it's so important for young children to hear about what Jesus did for THEM!  Children have a faith that is unmatched and if they can grasp this now, it will stick with them forever.

Although, I will confess, Josie cried really hard when she opened her roll and the marshmallow was gone.  In fact she kept telling me, "I needed to eat my Jesus."

The concept may have been lost just a little!