written by Laura Sassi
In my new board book, Bunny Finds Easter, Bunny is on a quest to find out if Easter is all about chocolate eggs and jelly beans or if it might just be about a little bit more. As the story unfolds, Bunny encounters many of the fun traditions surrounding Easter but it’s not until she arrives at church and they sing an Easter song that she realizes JESUS is the reason we celebrate Easter. Amidst all the fun of jelly beans and easter bunnies, it can be hard for little ones to understand that Easter is about Jesus. With that in mind, here are five fun ways to point toddlers and preschoolers to Jesus at Easter.
Read some faith-filled Easter board books (and picture books too!) With simple text and engaging illustrations, an Easter-themed board book that touches on the real meaning of Easter is a cozy, fun way to spark conversation with little ones that Easter is about Jesus and His great love for us – a love shown through the atoning grace of the cross, the joy of His resurrection, and the gift of new life we have in Him.
Do some Easter baking. Little ones love baking and eating sweet treats. That’s why Bunny nibbles hot cross buns in my book Bunny Finds Easter. According to tradition, hot cross buns were first baked by monks in the 12th century with a cross marked in the dough to commemorate Good Friday. They are relatively easy to make and a delicious reminder of Jesus and the cross. Resurrection rolls are another fun and meaningful baking option that can be used to point little ones to Jesus at Easter. You can find many recipes online for baking and enjoying either or both of these baked items with your little ones.
Use jelly beans to point to Jesus. As you and your children nibble Easter jelly beans, us them as a sweet reminder of Jesus’s love for them and the world. Before sampling each color, think about how that color might remind us of Jesus. For example, yellow can remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. Green can remind us of the new life we have in Him. Purple, the color of royalty, can remind us that He is our loving King. Red can remind us that he died and rose again for us, and so on.
Include Jesus in the Easter basket. Fill your children’s Easter baskets with colorful, engaging items that remind them of Jesus. Consider having a faith-based Easter board book serve as the centerpiece. Round it out with small items such as candies, stickers, and other little toys etc. that are in some way connected to Jesus and Easter. Examples: a little lamb (we are His sheep), a glow-in-the-dark cross, chocolate hearts (because Jesus loves us), little chicks and bunnies (to represent new life in Christ) etc.
Sing some “Jesus loves you!” songs. Songs learned, even as a young child, can have a lasting faith impact on the human soul. Just think of the songs you remember from your childhood and beyond. Do any of them speak of Jesus? If so, they can be a special way to introduce Jesus to your little ones at Easter and throughout the year. Some Easter-y favorites that we love at our house (that are good for little ones too) include: He Lives, Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace and more.
Laura Sassi has a passion for telling stories in prose and rhyme. She is the author of multiple books for young children including the best-selling Goodnight Ark, which was a 2015 Christian Book Award Finalist and Love Is Kind, which was a 2020 Anna Dewdney Read Together Award Honor Book. Her Easter board book Bunny Finds Easter just released with Zonderkidz. Laura writes daily from her home in New Jersey and finds special joy in sharing uplifting messages of joy and love at school visits, church gatherings and other events.
Find Laura online here: