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The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is a special time in our family. Last year I had a blast including my granddaughters on these significant days. The challenge? Sharing the Easter story for Toddlers in an age-appropriate way.
Have Older Grandkids Too? Read: 8-Day Guide to Celebrating Holy Week With Your Grandkids
That’s why Amanda and I teamed up to create some adorable Holy Week pictures that were just perfect to use with the girls. I simply printed them, cut them out, and glued them to popsicle sticks so everyone had their own set. You could also just cut out the pictures and use them as is.
I also created four “story cards” I’ll be using to tell the events of Holy Week in an age-appropriate way. You can find the pictures and cards in the shop!
In This Post
Tips for Connecting
I thought I would share some tips I created for myself as I looked ahead to the week before Easter. You may find them helpful too!
1.Don’t get hung up on the specific day.
It might work for the grandkids to have a quick connect time on Palm Sunday, or it could happen on Saturday or early in the week. Just get to the days (we did 4) at some point.
2. It’s ok if they get a little off track.
While the events between Palm Sunday and Easter are worthy of treating seriously, toddlers are young, their attention spans are not always long, and sometimes Easter eggs might just make their way into the Last Supper.
3. Invite them to take turns telling the story as well!
Our time together was not just me ‘teaching’ the story. We had interactive moments, and they also had a turn to tell the story! That is another reason I sent the “puppets” their way and did not just keep them for myself.
4. Tie the last few days together…maybe?
Because toddlers are so young I did “A Sad Day” and “A Happy Day” on the same day. At first I wasn’t completely sure about that but after talking it over with my daughter she thought that was best for the kids. So that’s what we went with and it worked great!
What to Say When Connecting the Easter Story for Toddlers- 12 Talking Points
We connected four times during the week to talk about four of the Holy Week Days. I used the following talking points to assist our conversation.
We included the actual Bible passage below, but when using it with young children, you should heavily summarize it. I also used these story cards to help with this. They kept things focused and the stories were easy to share.
You could probably also find a coloring page to go with each day, as something to do while you chat.
Palm Sunday
Matthew 21: 1-11
Talk about:
- Celebrations
- Riding a donkey!
- Spreading coats on a road.
- Using branches as ‘#1 fan’ signage.
The Last Supper
Matthew 26:17-30
Talk about:
- Getting ready for a special meal.
- Who you would invite to a special meal?
- Bread and juice
A Sad Day
Matthew 26: 47-55, 27:11-26, and 27:32-65
- When people make you sad.
- This is a sad day……but it is going to get better!
A Happy Day
Matthew 28:1-10
- Have you ever been surprised?
- What was one of your best days?
- Who would you tell your amazing news to?
Read: 8-Day Guide to Celebrating Holy Week With Your Grandkids
I believe that was the first of many years that we will have an opportunity to experience these significant days together. I am looking forward to sharing this story again, and hearing their sweet little voices tell the story as well.
I’m sure there will be some wonderful memories made as we spend these moments together!