No Bunny Loves You Like Jesus

Easter is one of the most important holidays for Christian believers. Celebrating the resurrection of our Savior and the atonement of our sins is an exciting time for us.

But, it is hard to explain this amazing story to children, especially when there is a bunny hopping around in their minds. The Easter Bunny who brings candy and treats distracts children (and adults) from why this holiday is important.

Spring is a time of rebirth and filled with color and beauty. The commercialization of Easter plays off this; and in some ways, you can use this distraction to teach your kids about the real meaning of Easter.

My children are hearing more and more about how the Easter Bunny will be visiting their friends. Not wanting them to feel left out or that they are missing out on something fun I do Easter a little differently for them. I want them to be excited about Easter! I want them to be excited about our sins forgiven and Jesus being reborn.

Use color representations.

Show your kids an arrangement of Jelly Beans and explain what each color can mean. I usually explain that white means purity and godliness. Black means darkness, while red means Jesus’ blood, which heals us and saves us. Yellow means sunshine and the promise of a new day. Green represents new life and purple means royalty. You can even create fun games using the jelly bean colors that will help them remember what each color means.

Have an Easter egg hunt.

Place different color jelly beans in eggs. Each color can be a different number of points. For instance, black would be the lowest points and white can be the highest number representing God’s grace.

Make “rebirth” baskets.

Place a new Bible along with chocolates in the baskets. I avoid highlighting the Easter Bunny. As a small child, I was given baby animals, such as ducks or chicks. So I may even get them a new pet fish this year. I want them to see that Easter is a time for new beginnings, rebirths and the love we are given as followers of Christ.

Create scripture eggs.

Another fun activity for your children is to have them make scripture eggs. Place Bible verses inside plastic eggs. Each verse can have a clue on the back for a scavenger hunt leading to a prize. This will also help them learn the story of Resurrection Sunday as they read the Bible verses about it. If you do not want to use Bible verses, you can write out the story of the Resurrection and place a passage about it in each egg. The clues on the back can lead your children through the story and get them excited about the holiday for the right reason.

I have nothing against cute little bunnies, but I am determined to not allow any bunny to overshadow the reason for this season – Jesus!

What are some ways you teach your children about Easter?

I wish you all a happy Easter and hope you have a blessed day!