Use this lesson outline to teach preschoolers and early elementary students about Jesus’s resurrection. It’s perfect as an Easter Sunday School lesson.
Editor’s Note: This lesson was adapted from Route 52.
You can combine this elementary lesson with others in the series:
Scriptures: Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1-9
Lesson Aims
Materials
Before Class
Key Verse Activities
Easter Eggs-amples
Key Verse: “Go and make followers. . . . Teach them to obey.” Matthew 25:19, 20, ICB
Materials: Peeled, boiled eggs and their crushed eggshells (colored or white), blue dessert-size paper plates, green crayons or markers, glue, large paper clips, masking tape
ASK: How can eggs remind us of Jesus’ resurrection? (They look like a tomb and something alive comes out of them.)
SAY: Chicks come out of farm eggs alive and Jesus came out of His tomb alive. Chicks won’t come out of these eggs, but let’s look at what’s inside. Pull out a yolk. Yolks are shaped like our world, aren’t they? Jesus said He wants us to go into all the world and tell everyone about Him. These plates are round like the earth, too. Let’s color in the land areas green.
Next, help the children make a cross shape out of glue. They can stick on pieces of crushed eggshell.
Tape a paper clip to the back of the plate so you can hang up your picture at home. SAY: The cross on this plate reminds us to tell the world to follow Jesus.
Cross the Globe Game
Materials: globe or map, removable tape or removable square note papers, pen
SAY: The Bible says that Jesus told His followers to go into all the world and tell the good news about Him, teaching people to obey Him. He wants everyone in every country to know Him. Let’s find the names of some countries on this map (or globe). I’ll name a country and give you some time to find that country and put a cross on it. You can help one another.
As each cross is put in place, repeat the memory verse, inserting the name of the country. For example, “Go and make followers in Mexico. Teach them to obey.”
Share the Bible Story
Materials: globe or map, removable tape or removable square note papers, pen
Encourage children to talk about happy endings. Tell about happy endings in movies and stories.
SAY: Today we will be reading a story with a very special happy ending. The story is special because it is true. The ending is special because it is true. Listen to find out how the happy ending helps each one of us.
Ask the children to listen closely as you read through the Bible verses: Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1-9
ASK:
- Who can tell about the happy ending? (Jesus lived again; He rose from the dead.)
- Why is this happy story for us?
- What good news could you tell now that you’ve heard this story? (Jesus is still living in Heaven with God; He can forgive our sins; we can live with Him forever in Heaven.)
Activity
Materials: Assortment of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc.), cheesecloth, twist tie
Take out the spice ball and show it to the class. Tell the class that the spice ball smells something like the spices that the women brought for Jesus’ body. Let everyone smell the spice ball.
Explain the game. Players stand in a circle and pass the spice ball from one to another while the music is playing. When the music stops, the child holding the spices is asked a question. The child can answer or choose someone to answer.
- What can Jesus do because He is the Son of God? (resurrect, forgive, heal, etc.)
- What day of the week did the women go to Jesus’ tomb? (the first day of the week, Sunday)
- Name a woman who went to Jesus’ tomb. (Mary Magdalene)
- What did the women bring to Jesus’ tomb? (sweet-smelling spices)
- When the women came to the tomb, what did they find? (The tomb was empty.)
- Whom did Mary tell that the tomb was empty? (Peter and John)
- Somebody came to the other two women and told them not to be afraid. Who were they? (two angels)
- What else did the angels tell the women? (Jesus had risen!)
- Two men came running to Jesus’ tomb. Who were they? (Peter and John)
- What did John believe about Jesus when he saw the empty tomb? (Jesus is alive!)
Snack Time!
Materials: Regular size refrigerator biscuits (two for each child), large marshmallows (one for each child), 1/2 cup cinnamon and sugar mixture, pie pan, aluminum foil and cookie sheets
Make sure each child has washed hands. Give each child two biscuits and a marshmallow. Show them how to completely wrap the biscuits around a marshmallow, carefully sealing all the edges. Let the children roll each biscuit in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
Place on a foil lined cookie sheet to bake (10 minutes at 425 degrees). Let them cool on the cookie sheet. Find an edge and poke a small hole for the opening of the empty tomb. (Marshmallow will melt during baking leaving a hollow space inside.)
Options: Serve surprise buns, gingersnap cookies, or heart-shaped cookies and milk instead.
End the lesson by praying with your kids about the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection.
Check out this children’s ministry resource. ↓
Check out this children’s ministry resource. ↓
