Easter Fun & Faith: How to Turn Up Your Family’s Celebration This Year

There’s something about the way we celebrate in America.

It can be over-the-top in color, creativity, flair – and often in scope. Others may accuse us of sometimes overdoing things a bit, but it’s how we roll in the land of the free, home of the brave.

We won’t apologize for our massive balloons careening down 6^th Avenue on Thanksgiving morning as enthusiastic volunteers grip ropes with all they’ve got as an unexpected wind gust threatens disaster. It’s the perfect mix of festiveness, with just a hint of danger. God bless America.

From coast to coast, we have elves on shelves and homes with six Christmas trees on display inside as 10,000 twinkling lights adorn the roof, trees, and every bush. We do things big. It’s part of our cultural heritage – our signature approach. The American way.

Not sorry.

Easter, as with several of our holidays, has a sacred element alongside its secular aspects. Both have a place to bring family together for fun, food, surprises, and, in this case, the holy commemoration of our Savior’s defeat of death. The ultimate success story.

Many of our traditions also had origins overseas, brought to our shores by immigrants throughout our nation’s history. Because of the German “Tannenbaum,” Christmas trees are a central element of that holiday season. German immigrants had a hand in how we celebrate Easter, too.

 In the old country, he was called Osterhase, translated as Easter hare, and children made nests so that the magical rabbit could “lay” colored eggs. Americans shined up that original idea, with baskets instead of nests and the Easter Bunny, which has a nicer ring, don’t you think?  

Then, taking things to the next level, we improved it even more by introducing candy into the mix – in a big way. In the US, we satisfy our cravings for jellybeans, chocolate eggs and bunnies – and, of course, Peeps – to the tune of more than five billion dollars each year.

Again, not sorry.

At the White House, the Easter Egg Roll is an annual event that was officially started by President Rutherford B. Hayes back in 1878. In those early days, hundreds gathered for the joyful event. Since then, there have been several breaks in the yearly tradition due to war, White House remodeling, and, most recently, the COVID pandemic. Last year, the President and First Lady welcomed a whopping 40,000 people to the festivities.

For Christians, Easter marks our most important holy celebration of the year. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus. It’s our most buoyant time of worship and a vital reminder of the act that provided a way for us to reconnect with God so that we can now enjoy a relationship with our Creator forever.

On Easter Sunday, churches swell with attendees who may not come all year, but return on that special Sunday each year. It’s special family time with new outfits, lots of activities – and, quite often, a feast that brings relatives together to enjoy one another, the brightness of Spring, and the joy of our children around the many traditions that make this holiday in America like none other.

We wanted to give you a few ideas to help turn up the fun and faith for your family celebration this year.

Eggs, Bunnies, & Adventure

Even doing the traditional things – like Easter baskets laden with candy and toys, egg hunts, and the vinegary experience of hand-dyeing and decorating eggs is a pretty full plate. Here are a few more things that might spice things up a little.

1. Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt – take your egg hunt to the extreme by making a series of clues, then tucking them into plastic eggs that will one-by-one guide your kids and family members on an adventure. Don’t forget to have some treasure or a prize to be discovered at the end!
2. Planting Jellybeans – Using small clay pots and a little soil, allow your little ones to “plant” jellybeans like seeds. Leave them overnight and replace them with lollipops that appear to have grown while they slept. A fun discovery for Easter morning!
3. Egg Drop Challenge – Especially fun as kids get a little older, from 8 or so into the teen years. Challenge everyone to build a contraption to protect an egg as they anticipate dropping it from a high place (a deck, a window, whatever’s handy). They might use foam, cardboard, or a makeshift parachute – and then, when everyone’s ready, see if any of the eggs survive the drop.
4. Peep Parachute Drop – Similar to the egg drop, allow everyone to construct a parachute to see if you can send a Peep gently floating to the ground when dropped from a high spot. (For both of these “drop” challenges, check out ideas online for how you might approach them.)
5. Start Something New – Whether it’s one of these ideas, breaking out an Easter tree for the first time, having a cookie-decorating contest, or trying a new game or activity. There are thousands of ideas online to help you pick out just the right upgrade for this year. Take a look at Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram, where plenty of parents share unique ideas that might wow your family! Pro tip: Try a search with your age group in mind. If you have toddlers and preschoolers, you’ll find plenty of ideas that might bring an exciting new twist this Easter!

Faith, Fun, and Easter’s True Meaning

In your Easter plan, don’t forget the centrality of faith. Sometimes, the candy, color, and whimsy of this holiday can distract from the gravity and joy that are foundational to Easter. Remembering the resurrection of Christ doesn’t need to steal the fun your kids anticipate this season. Illustrating the story with engaging activities is a great way to facilitate conversations about Jesus’ life and death – and most importantly – how he came back to life. Here are a few ways to explore that story as a family:

1. Empty Tomb Diorama – Gather rocks and greenery, and anything your kids will need to create a replica of the empty tomb. You can use cardboard, paper plates, fabric, foam, flowers, glue, and pretty much anything you and your children think might work to create the scene. Think of the rounded tomb, perhaps a flowerpot on its side, with moss covering it outside, and a round stone sitting next to it. Some even like to put the three crosses from the crucifixion in the background. Help your kids be creative and use that display as a centerpiece for your Easter celebration. Then, teach your little ones how to explain the story of that scene to family and friends. As you plan, don’t forget the wealth of visual inspiration you can find online.
2. DIY Resurrection Eggs – Some families like to marry the idea of Easter eggs with the Christian emphasis of the celebration. You can buy Resurrection Eggs already at Walmart, Oriental Trading, and a local Christian retailer if you have one in your area. You can also make them more personal by creating your own. It’s easy. Grab a dozen colorful plastic eggs and put a token in each to help tell the story of Resurrection Sunday. Include the following in each egg:
   • Leaf/or a tiny toy donkey – to tell about Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem as people waved palm branches in celebration
   • A Coin – it signifies the silver Judas received when he betrayed Jesus
   • Bread or a tiny cup – then, describe the Last Supper
   • A Flower – to remember Jesus’ night of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane
   • A Piece of rope or leather – to explain that Jesus was arrested and beaten
   • Thorns – to talk about the crown of thorns Jesus wore
   • Dice – remembering that the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ tunic
   • Nail – to help explain the crucifixion
   • Sponge with a little vinegar – for when that was offered to Jesus on the cross
   • Toothpick/stick – to talk about the spear that the soldiers used to pierce His side
   • A small white cloth – symbolizing the wrapping of Jesus’ body
   • NOTHING – the last egg should be empty, symbolizing the tomb after the resurrection.

If you don’t have some of these items, you can easily substitute them with other symbols, like spices, because the women took spices with them on the morning they discovered Him gone. Or, you could use a stone to talk about the one that sealed the tomb, or a piece of wood to symbolize the cross. Be as creative as you’d like. Sensory storytelling is a powerful way to help children begin to grasp this greatest miracle in human history!

3. Life of Jesus Charades

Write Bible passages on strips of paper, each for a different event from Jesus’ life, then fold each and put them in a bowl. You can play individually or, if you have enough family members, make teams of two. Take turns selecting a passage, then act out different scenes and miracles from Jesus’ ministry. As one team creates a scene without speaking, the other has to guess what’s being portrayed. You might heal a man born blind by mimicking pressing mud into your partner’s eyes, as in the story in John 9:1-7. Or you could act out the scene where Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. If you’re playing the part of Jesus, be sure to practice crying beforehand. Remember? That’s the story with the shortest Bible verse ever, John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” Those tears came right before he worked that mighty miracle!

Charades are always an opportunity for laughter and fun – and in this version, learning a bit more about the Bible.

As moms, we are often the creative force behind the traditions that find a place in our families for generations. Think about these – or other ideas you may have to make this Easter one they’ll remember all their lives. Here at Moms for America, we’d like to wish you a happy, fun-filled, and very meaningful Easter!

Podcast Note: Don’t miss the powerful episode with Leon Benjamin, pastor and founder of New Life Harvest Church and a national faith leader. He shares insights on faith, the role of Israel in the biblical story, and what he sees as a growing spiritual renewal across America – especially among families seeking a stronger foundation.

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