I’ll be honest. One year, I did the Bunny with the kids when they were little. I was influenced by the idea that it represented childhood fantasies and imaginations. As a young Christian mom, I have always focused on the need to raise my kids to know God first at the forefront of my mind. I’m glad I took the time to make that a priority because if not, the traditions of the world would have had more significant influence over my kids than the fact that God is more important than it all.
So, where did the Easter bunny and Easter egg come from, and how did we get to the point where a bunny hops around the world distributing candy? After reading a *few articles about it, all I will say is that it comes from pagan traditions and beliefs. From there on, it evolved until it became a symbol of Easter celebrations.
While we don’t believe in or do the Easter bunny in our home, I’m sad to say that when I asked my kids what Easter was all about, my little ones could only think about the candy and the Easter egg hunt. I get it. Children are young and lack the wisdom and understanding to differentiate between what gives them deep joy and pleasure in that instant versus what it means for Jesus to die on the cross for them.
The good news is that it can be rectified and here’s how we do it in our home.
How to teach your child that Easter is about Jesus’ resurrection
1. First and Foremost – Teach the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Make Jesus the center of this holy week. I have written a seven-day devotional for families to learn together about what Easter is all about. Let’s teach our kids what happened during this week and how it led to the most divine moment in humankind’s history: the moment when Christ died on the cross for our sins so we could all be set free and live in eternity with him one day. Easter is the pinnacle of our faith, and we need our children to embrace and understand it as much, if not more, than Christmas. Children also need to hear it over and over again so don’t stop at Easter.
2. Read Children’s Books about Easter, including the Bible
Children retain images and stories in their mind when read to repeatedly. There are a lot of really well written books that talk about the Easter story. Here are just a few, if you are looking to buy some for your family. Don’t forget that the Bible is always the best book to teach God’s word and there are some wonderful Children’s Bibles that captivate and teach biblical truths.
While there are a great many books you can read, here are a few books we own and love.
- The Easter Story
- The Berenstain Bear Easter Story
- The donkey who carried the King
- The garden, curtain, and cross
- A very Happy Easter
3. Do what convicts you and keep the traditions that matter
If you are wondering what to do with all those traditions you have been following, I’m here to say – do what convicts you the most. The Bunny is a symbol like Santa, and only you can decide whether this symbol is relevant to the celebration of Easter. We do neither Santa nor the Bunny, but we love hiding the easter eggs in our yard. We have recently filled them with coupons, coins, and other fun items to make it a fun hunt for all. As long as the traditions do not take away from the true meaning of Easter, create those family memories. As long as the emphasis of Easter is not on the candy and eggs, go ahead and have some family fun. Here are some ways to weave in a reminder about the Easter story.
4. Ways to incorporate the Easter message in the hunt
- One year, I wrote the story of Easter on paper and placed it in the eggs for the kids to find. We then opened the eggs and ordered the storyline together. That was before I knew that you could buy these prefilled eggs.
- I bought this set four years ago and have used it at home several times and recently to teach in my Sunday School class as well. Check this link out.
- You can place memory verses to remind them of what happened on Easter. Here’s a link to a mom blog with some scripture verses you can print.
- Teach kids to share and be kind during the Easter Egg Hunt learning to put others ahead of themselves.
- This year I created some fun coupons to stuff into the Easter egg that allows for us to bond as a family. It is a great way to make the experience unique and more meaningful. You can purchase them from my Etsy shop for $1.50 with this coupon code 50OFF at checkout.
I hope this blog inspired and encouraged you to help you better teach your children about Easter. May your Easter be filled with much joy and fond memories this year. Have a blessed week and a blessed Easter Sunday.
Links to history about easter eggs and bunnies.
- https://www.gotquestions.org/easter-bunny-eggs.html
- https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter#easter-eggs
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-ancient-origins-of-the-easter-bunny-180979915/
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