Celebrating Easter: Sunday school topics for

Kids attend Sunday school, which may be a part of Easter celebration. (Photo by CDC from Unsplash)

Easter represents the triumph of life over death and the promise of eternal salvation. For kids, however, it can be challenging to grasp the significance of this holiday, and this is where Sunday school comes in!

By providing fun and interactive lessons, Sunday school teachers like you can help kids understand the Easter story in a way that resonates with them.

This article will explore some of the best Sunday school topics so you can help kids at your church celebrate the true meaning of Easter.

God’s Act of Love

Teaching kids about Easter should begin with the story of man's rebellion in the Garden of Eden from the book of Genesis.

God's love for Adam and Eve and hoped they would obey Him, but they chose to eat from the tree of good and evil. This betrayal hurt God deeply, but He had to uphold the law and be a just judge.

However, God also loved mankind and did not want the death of the human race. He sent Jesus, His Son, to die in man's place and pay for their sins. Jesus' resurrection allows people to fulfill their destiny as God's companions.

Each one must choose to do so willingly. To those who do, Jesus, in heaven, prepares a place for those who choose to love Him.

For an interactive Sunday school lesson, you could ask a kid to hold a book at arm's length and then choose to release it. This allows you to demonstrate to them that choices have consequences.

You can then repeat the demonstration with an adult volunteer sitting where the book will fall, emphasizing that their choices can hurt others.

Next, have three kids volunteer and act out the story of Adam, Eve, and the snake, using an apple as your visual aid.

After the mini-play, use the book drop demonstration to explain that when people disobey God, it brings negative consequences into their lives, separating them from God.

However, God loves each one and has provided a way for them to be reconciled with Him.

Jesus’s Crucifixion

Showcasing Jesus's Crucifixion aims to help the kids create a relationship with their Lord and Savior and understand His love for them. However, it can be difficult for young minds to comprehend the concept of Jesus' death.

To lighten the mood, you can read the story of Jesus' crucifixion. While doing so, they can build his tomb with building blocks and clay.

Afterward, they can roll the stone away themselves to symbolize Jesus' resurrection.

Another activity is to have the kids sit in a circle and write down bad or sinful things on post-it notes, placing them on themselves. Explain that everyone deserves their kind of punishment for their actions.

In the Old Testament, people sacrificed animals in place of their wrongdoing. Instead of sacrificing an animal, have the kids put their post-its on you to show why Jesus came and died for their sins.

Consequently, explain that God always had the plan to save people, and Jesus' death was not a random event.

Jesus is Risen

The topic "Jesus Is Risen" for Sunday school focuses on the miraculous aspect of Easter. It explains that three days after Jesus' death, he was resurrected. In turn, he became the first person to experience resurrection.

The lesson allows you to highlight that when people die, their spirits remain alive. They will be reunited with their bodies through resurrection someday.

With this, you can remind the kids that although their resurrection may not happen after three days like Jesus, it is an event that will happen to everyone.

Then, ask them to repeat the word "resurrected" and explain its meaning. Emphasize the positive aspect of Easter, which is the belief that all people, including loved ones, will be resurrected and live again after death, thanks to Jesus.

To add excitement to the lesson, incorporate fun and celebratory gifts that relate to Easter. Give the kids a gift package or bag with a tag that says, "Do not open until Easter."

You may ask them how they would feel about receiving a present that they couldn't open until Easter. Once a few of them have voiced out their answer, you can proceed to explain that Easter is the conclusion of the story that starts at Christmas and that Jesus was born to take on their sins and die for them.

Emphasize that Jesus did nothing wrong and that he was punished for their sins, and His resurrection gave Him victory over sin and Satan.

Miracles of Easter

There are many miracles associated with Easter. The first and biggest miracle is the resurrection of Jesus, who rose from the dead after three days.

Another miracle is the amount of love shown by Jesus, who willingly suffered for the sins of mankind.

Next, the third miracle is the moving of the huge rock that sealed the cave where Jesus was buried without any human touch.

The fourth miracle is the appearance of two angels where Jesus was buried.

Following this, the fifth miracle is when Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, who initially thought he was a stranger until he said her name.

The miracles make Easter special and better than any candy, Easter Bunny, or egg hunting. Moreover, teaching kids about these miracles tells them that Jesus is greater than all.

For a fun activity afterward, you can hide unfilled eggs in your church or Sunday school room. Once the kids locate them, ask them to share one thing they adore about Easter for every egg discovered.

Chain Reaction

For a lesson on chain reaction, you can begin with a recap of the events after Jesus' tomb was found empty. Explain how the disciples were filled with feelings of nervousness, terror, sadness, and uncertainty about their future.

However, Jesus appeared to the disciples and brought peace, which helped restore their faith.

Afterward, encourage the kids to arrange a sequence of dominoes in a line and let them fall one by one, creating a chain reaction. This demonstrates how the love of Jesus can spread and have a ripple effect on the world.

You can emphasize this point by showing them how putting Mentos into a bottle of Coke creates an explosion of bubbles, just like how they should feel excited to share the news of Jesus with others.

Thomas, the Doubting Disciple

The story of Thomas, the doubter, continues the Bible story of Jesus’s resurrection by explaining that when Jesus first appeared to the other disciples, Thomas was not present among them.

He doubted and said that unless he saw the nail marks in Jesus’ hands, he would not believe.

However, Christ comes back to the disciples again, with Thomas present in the room. Jesus shows up in a way that makes it clear beyond doubt that He is present and alive. He meets Thomas, who is doubtful, in person and addresses his concerns, allowing him to overcome his doubts.

(Photo by Kelly Sikkema from Unsplash)

To make the lesson fun, you can have the kids create bookmarks. They can help them cut and hole punch the bookmarks, glue them to cardstock if necessary, and attach a string. You can also provide paper for them to create a caption for their bookmark.

Peter’s Denial

The Easter story also involves the narrative of Peter, a courageous fisherman who pledged to follow Jesus, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

Still, Jesus prophesied to Peter that on the night of his arrest, he would deny him three times. Despite Peter's initial disbelief, he eventually did deny Jesus, which left him devastated.

Nevertheless, it was not the end of Peter's journey.

To begin the lesson, you can lead a game of "Simon Says" with a twist. Every action must be performed three times, mimicking the three times that Jesus asked Peter a question.

Jesus Forgives

The story of Peter continues after Jesus' death, as Peter goes back to being a fisherman. One day, Peter and a few other disciples were out fishing in the Sea of Galilee, but they had no luck all night.

Jesus appeared and told them to put their nets on the other side of the boat, and miraculously they caught more fish than they could hold. Peter realized it was Jesus and swam to shore to be with him.

Jesus cooked them breakfast and had a conversation with Peter, giving him another chance to affirm his love three times after having denied Christ three times before.

As an activity, the kids can search for pictures of fish around the room and use Ziploc bag "nets" to collect them. They can then sort the fish according to various characteristics.

Fishers of Men

Kids can learn about "fishers of men," specifically how Jesus restored Peter and gave him the important task of spreading the Gospel to others. Peter became a key figure in the early church and was instrumental in sharing his faith and proclaiming Christ.

The lesson emphasizes that God can turn anyone's story around, no matter how far they feel they have fallen or how much they have sinned.

You can then encourage the kids to bring their mistakes and failures to the Lord and see what amazing things He can do.

(Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels)

As a fun activity, you can play "going fishing." With a plastic fishing rod and magnet or clothespin, let the kids take turns to catch tiny prizes in a container.

Faith

The Easter story has a transformational impact on those who receive it by faith, with significant implications about sin, salvation, and a relationship with God. An activity to exemplify faith is to play a game of "Do you trust me?"

For this game, the kids are required to obey instructions without being aware of the prize, which showcases their trust in the assurance of a wonderful reward. They can then take turns reading Hebrews Chapter 11.

It lays the ground for your discussion on what faith means in the Bible and how it requires trust and hope in something valuable, even in the face of difficulty. Ultimately, the promise of God offers hope for a better future beyond this earthly life.

(Photo by Nothing Ahead from Pexels)

By providing Sunday school topics that are engaging, informative, and age-appropriate, you can help kids at your church better understand the significance of Easter and strengthen their faith in God.

Also, pairing Sunday school lessons with crafts or interactive activities is some of the ways to teach kids about the true meaning of Easter and inspire them to live a life of love, gratitude, and service.