Many teachers are making plans to tell the resurrection story on Easter Sunday.  Whether at Easter or any other time here are some ideas that will help you share what is the most important event in the Bible.

“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.”
Romans 6:9, NIV

1. Learn about the Burial and Resurrection of Jesus so you will understand the story and feel comfortable sharing it with a child.
2. Gather your family together for quality time  and learn about the Burial and Resurrection in this Family Bible Time lesson
3. Download and view a slideshow and pictures from http://www.freebibleimages.org/photos/jesus-alive/
4. Sing songs together from the church hymnal about the resurrection.  Search for songs on YouTube:
   • Low in the Grave He Lay
   • Christ the Lord is Risen Today
   • Rabboni!
   • He Lives
   • Lord I Lift Your Name on High
5. Visit a mature older Christian and ask them to share why the Resurrection is important to them.
6. Black out the windows of your classroom to make it dark like the tomb.  Quietly tell the story of the resurrection by the light of a candle or by torch/flashlight
7. Place a dark cloth over a small table to form a “tomb”. Ask someone to be the body inside. Place a cardboard rock at the entrance. Let the children see the body inside and then put the stone in place. “The body” crawls out the back and the children remove the stone to see an empty tomb. Young ones love this obvious re-enactment.
8. Choose words related to the resurrection story and tape them onto stones.  Before class begins hide the stones so that children can hunt for them.  As the children collect the stone discuss the meaning of the words.  Here are some words you might use:
   • Death
   • Burial
   • Resurrection
   • Cross
   • Tomb
   • Forgiveness
9. After telling about the Resurrection guide a child in praying thanks to God.
10. Read a book about Easter.
11. Use these instructions for The Story of the Cross to learn a simple way to tell the story using one sheet of paper.
12. Responsive Drawing:  Guide older children in reading today’s scripture references.  Then have them draw about what they have read.  Use a blank piece of paper or print this worksheet: The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus_Drawing Response
13. Responsive Writing:  Guide older children in reading today’s scripture references.  Then have them draw about what they have read.  Use a blank piece of paper or print this worksheet: The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus_Writing Response
14. Ask younger children to draw the story of the resurrection.
15. Make use of plastic eggs on sale at Easter time.  Use these instructions for “Resurrection Eggs” to re-tell the story of the resurrection.
16. Make a tomb craft from a paper plate.  Cut a paper plate in half, paint if desired, and then staple the top rims together.  To make the body of Christ cut a simple body shape from cardboard, wrap with one layer of toilet paper and dampen with water from a spray bottle, repeat layers and let dry.  The stone is just crumpled brown paper.  In one class we had the children each make a tomb and then put the body inside.  During the week I moved the stones and removed the bodies.  The next week we were going to be studying about the resurrection.  When the children arrived that day they immediately went to the tombs they had made and were shocked to find the body missing.  I let them search and conjecture for awhile before leading into the story of how the women came to the tomb to find Jesus’ body missing.  The children could totally relate to how the women must have felt.  At the end of class I returned the “bodies” so that the children could take the craft home and recreate the event for their families.
17. Write the individual words of Romans 6:9  on a whiteboard or chalkboard.  Say the verse together. Erase one word or phrase and say the verse again. Say it over and over, eliminating one word or phrase each time.  Soon, the children will have it memorised.
18. Write the individual words of Romans 6:9 on pieces of paper and then mix them up.  Children can unscramble the verse  and practice repeating it to memorise it.
19. Print and use a colouring page or puzzle from one of these online resources.
    • Colouring page and puzzle worksheets (Resurrection) at   https://calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/Curriculum/Original/Curriculum/CURR238.PDF
    • Colouring page and puzzle worksheets (Peter and John visiting the tomb) at http://calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/Curriculum/Original/Curriculum/CURR239.PDF
    • Colouring page at http://www.sermons4kids.com/easter-sunday-colorpg.htm
    • Colouring page at http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/clrpg015.html
20. Cook bread rolls that share the story of the resurrection: Cooking craft: Short youtube video on how to make Resurrection Rolls to tell the story- from CullensABCs at http://youtu.be/louAYkJPETQ
21. Make a mobile using these instructions at http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/jesus-rose-from-the-dead-moblie.php
22. Make a miniature garden using instructions at http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/garden-with-tomb.php
23. Make a salt dough tomb using instructions from one of these online resources:
    • http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/easter-tomb-salt-dough.php
    • http://nolongerconforming.blogspot.co.nz/2010/04/empty-tomb-craft.html
24.  Try out some of the ideas on the Pinterest Board: Life of Christ (late ministry)
25. More puzzles and worksheets to print:
    • Worksheets and Puzzles: A printable (Easter) booklet containing a number of puzzles at http://sundayschoolresources.co.uk/activities.php
    • A children’s sermon and activities at https://sermons4kids.com/surprise.html
    • Wordsearch puzzle (1) from http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/wrdsrch6.html
    • Wordsearch puzzle (2) from http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/wordsearch-resurrection.html

This post is an update of one published 22 March 2015.

The header image is the copyright of the www.LumoProject.com (Big Book Media) and distributed for free download, under license exclusively by FreeBibleimages for teaching purposes only.  All rights reserved.

One of my favourite memories from my recent trip to the ancient city of Corinth, Greece was listening to a group of children singing songs.  I think their parents must have brought them along to look at the ruins and the museum that day.  It was a hot day so it appeared that they had stopped in the shade to have a rest.  Hearing these young Greek children sing and observing them becoming increasingly shy as the song went on reminded me once again that children are everywhere in this world.   Children were in Corinth on the day of my visit and children were in Corinth when Paul was there so long ago.

Paul stayed in Corinth for 1 1/2 years.  During his time there he supported himself by working with another couple in his same trade of tent making.  The couple’s names were Priscilla and Acquila.  Paul taught the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles.  He taught in the synagogue and the synagogue leader, among others were baptised.

Angry Jews brought Paul before the judgement seat of the Roman proconsul, Gallio, and asked the proconsul to punish Paul for converting Jews.  Paul ended up being released because Gallio saw this as a religious matter and not a governmental one.  You can read about Paul’s time in Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila. in Acts 18:1-18

In the photo below, and behind where the group is standing, is the “bema” or raised platform from which Gallio would have judged Paul.

I’ll leave you with some final photos from Corinth.  Both are from inside the Corinth Museum.  The first photo is of toy furniture and the second a stone doll.  Both are in the Corinth museum.  Yes, there were kids in Corinth even long ago!

Here I am today in Berea, Greece which is now known as Veria. We viewed a mosaic which was made to commemorate the Apostle Paul’s visit as recorded in the Bible.

Below one mosaic were some ancient steps that were part of the raised area where people used to gather to hear important people talk. Perhaps he spoke there but we do know he spoke in the synagogue.

I thought about the Jews in Berea heard the message of Christ from Paul and were willing to examine what he said. No wonder they are referred to in Acts 17:10-15 as the Noble Bereans!

As I was looking at the mosaics and a statue an artist formed of Paul, I could hear children playing in the coutyard next door. I wonder if children were nearby when Paul was speaking.

As my trip through Greece continues We make a stop in ancient Philippi.

First we went down to the likely location of the first meeting of Paul and Lydia. Their conversation led to the baptism of Lydia and her entire household ( Acts 16:11-15).

Throughout the trip I’ve had my ears open for what children might find interesting. Today such a thought came up when discussing the fact that Lydia was a business woman who sold purple cloth. Our guide shared one gross tidbit that I know the boys in my Bible classes would find interesting. The local method of the day for making purple dye was to crush a particular kind of seashell and mix it with human feces. Yuck!

Perhaps something to share next time you teach the Bible lesson “Lydia Becomes a Christian“.

After going to the river we toured the nearby ruins of the ancient city. We viewed the market area where Lydia might have sold her wares.

In this same city Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail. An earthquake later made the gates of the jail swing open and the chains on prisoners simply fall off. This led to the jailer becoming a Christian. You can read all about it in Acts 16:16-40 and the Bible lesson is at Jailer Becomes a Christian.

The photos above show jail cells at Philippi.

Happy teaching!

God has blessed me with an opportunity to travel through Greece over the next week. Along the way I’ll try to send some pictures and thoughts you might like to share with the children you teach.

Today I’m in Athens and typing this from the top of Mars Hill (the Areopagus).

There are ruins of temples in many places. Seeing all the temples around makes me really appreciate the Apostle Paul and how he stood on Mars Hill and shared the Good News of Christ with philosophers. You can read about that event here.

The steps leading up to the top of the rock have been worn smooth because of the millions of people who have climbed them over the years. I snapped a picture of my daughter-in-law, Olivia, climbing these treacherous steps today. These would have been the same stairs Paul would have climbed!

I think kids would enjoy scrambling over the huge rocks and picking the little yellow flowers growing between them.

I watched two little Arabic-speaking girls crying out “Abba, Abba” in worried voices to their dad as he leaned over a dangerous edge gathering two of the little flowers to give to them. They were all smiles when he was safely back with them and gave them the flowers.