How do you teach little children about the story of Easter? After all, their little hearts and minds are too innocent to understand death and, more specifically, the gruesome details of Jesus’ death. They are yet to learn the reality of the world and that everything is not sunshine and rainbows. Yesterday, my seven-year-old asked me – “What does crucifixion mean?” and while I gave her a quick and simple answer, it deserves a more extended response – one with depth in faith, reality, courage, and sacrifice.
When kids are five and younger, do they have to know about the crucifixion? It depends on your child’s maturity and the manner in which you share this story. If your child has the understanding and maturity, then, by all means, read the entire story from a Children’s Bible. But if they are not ready to learn the whole story, build up with each year starting from 3 years old.
Easter Books
You can find so many books that tell the story by age. Here are a few that we love using.
- The Story of Easter by the Little Golden Books
- Berenstein Bear and the Easter Story by Mike and Jan Berenstein
- The Easter Fix by Steph Williams
- A Very Happy Easter by Tim Thornborough
- The Bible (This can be a Children’s Bible too).
Sharing the Easter story by age
- When talking to your 3 or 4-year-old, focus on the fact that Jesus died but he ROSE AGAIN and we knew that because he told his disciples. Little kids can be fearful of the idea of death. But if you teach them that death is only the beginning of what God promised (eternal life in heaven and that heaven is a place of reunion where they can meet everyone they love), it helps ease some of their fears.
- With my 3.5-year-old, I talk about how the coming of Jesus fulfilled a prophecy (you can use the word promise). It was a promise that God made to save humankind (us) and bring us back into eternal fellowship with him. I read about the cross in stories with him and he does not dwell on the details. Many Children’s Bibles focus on the connection to Jesus through each story starting in the Old Testament and those are great ways to talk about it.
- With my 7-year old who has a keen interest in the Bible, she wants to know all the details. She has read her Bible once and is rereading it. At this age, sharing the story of Jesus’ life in more detail and all that he did before his death is a good build-up to the cross. It helps lay the foundation. I have a Bible that only tells stories of Jesus (see image below) and my kid loves this Bible too. Remember that every child is different and will grow in faith at different times.
To conclude, there is no specific time to share the story of Easter and Christmas. It is ok to read books any day of the year so that these stories stay in their minds and they understand that these are significant events in the Christian Faith.
I hope you found this helpful in teaching your child about Easter. Leave a comment to share what you do in your home.
