As a Christian preschool teacher, Easter is one of the most important holidays to teach to kids and sometimes it is the most challenging. How do you explain the importance of Easter to preschoolers? Can they even grasp the importance of the holiday in their preschool grasp of a mind?
The answer of course is yes and no. Preschoolers can learn the story, memorize scripture and see the story come to life before their eyes. However, it is doubtful they will see the same significance as we do as adults to the story.
However, our role as the teacher is to set the foundation in which they can build upon as they grow. I think it is easy to stress and place pressure on ourselves during this time because we want so much for our children to grow up Godly. The truth is while it is our responsibility to teach them about God, we also have the power of God in us to lighten the load. That being said, I wanted to share a few quotes with fellow teachers and parents so that you see how important this Godly foundation is for our children.
"Research regarding all facets of moral and spiritual development-whether related to worldview, beliefs or behavior-shows that such development starts as early as age two." –George Barna
"By age nine, most children have their spiritual moorings in place." –George Barna
So what we do in the classroom, isn't lost. We are sowing the seed. I take this as an important role in my life as a teacher.
How do we teach them the greatest story in the Bible? Here are some activities that I have used in the past.
Resurrection Eggs
These are perhaps the greatest teaching tool ever invented. At the preschool age, it gives them the ability to memorize the story. I have seen teachers use these as an entire Easter program. Each kid was given an item out of the egg and would come forth and tell the part of the story that coincided. It gives them a concrete example to remember the story.
Resurrection Rolls
These are a great sticky way to tell the story of Christ. You will need refrigerated crescent rolls, divided into triangles, large marshmallows, cinnamon/sugar mix, foil sprayed with cooking spray and a cookie sheet. Give each child a triangle and one large marshmallow. Demonstrate how to roll the marshmallow up in the crescent roll beginning at the little pointy end and ending at the bottom of the triangle. Pinch any gaps closed tight. Then help them sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the top. Have each child work on a square of foil with their name written in permanent marker on the foil. Then place on the cookie sheet. Bake for nine to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. While waiting for the rolls to bake, use the resurrection eggs or your favorite Children's Bible and tell the story. Explain that when you were making your treats, you rolled the marshmallow up inside the dough and sealed the dough tight. After Jesus died on the cross, he was put inside a cave and the door was sealed tight. But on the third day, Jesus came back to life, He left that cave and when his friends came to see him, they found the cave empty. "Let's go get the rolls you made and see if they changed too." The rolls will be hollow because the marshmallow melted. While the children enjoy the rolls, explain that knowing Jesus is alive and he loves us feels so good, like the rolls taste good and sweet.
Make the Story Come Alive
Get some volunteers to act out the story for the kids. If that is not available make puppets out of craft sticks and coloring sheets to tell the story. You can also have the kids act out appropriate parts of the story. Last year, I had my kids act out Palm Sunday. They took turns pretending to be king while the others waved palms and shouted Hosanna. The next week we pretended to be Jesus' friends and ran around the room shouting Jesus is Alive. Giving them a role in the story makes it more real and gives them an active role in learning it.
Find some good books
The great thing about Easter is there are so many great books available. I take this week to saturate them with the story in as many ways as possible throughout the day. If we are doing one of those cutesy bunny are projects, I might say, "Cole, we are so blessed that Jesus is Alive and he gave us eyes to see such beautiful artwork." One book that has helped me over the years is "Easter if For me" by Christine Tangvald. The book really makes Easter relevant to a preschooler and it is told on their level. I urge you to find an age appropriate storybook or Bible to tell the story at the preschoolers level.
These are just a few ideas to get you thinking. You know your students best and know what they would like. Visit your local Christian store and see what all they offer. The possibilities are endless. Also, if you have something that works in your class or I have left off, please share it in the comments.
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