Hands-On Holy Week Activities: Easy Activities to Focus on Jesus!

Are you looking for simple, hands-on ways to teach your kids about Holy Week?

As busy moms, we want to make Easter meaningful, but finding fun and faith-filled activities can be a challenge. That’s why I’ve gathered four easy, hands-on Holy Week activities to help your family focus on Jesus from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday!

✅ Palm Sunday Parade – Make palm branches & shout "Hosanna!"
✅ The Last Supper Meal – Take communion & talk about Jesus’ sacrifice.
✅ The Darkness of Good Friday – A simple but powerful object lesson.
✅ Resurrection Rolls Activity – A visual way to explain the empty tomb!

🎉 Bonus: Download my free Holy Week Bible Reading Plan to guide your family through Easter.

Plus, sign up for my free class, "3 Steps to Prepare Your Heart for Easter!"

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Show Notes:

Hands-On Holy Week Activities for Your Family

Hey everyone, Kerry Beck here with Homeschool Coffee Break, where we help you stop the overwhelm as a homeschooling mom so you can actually take a break. We’re in the middle of a series about preparing our hearts for Easter, and today, we’re talking about hands-on Holy Week activities you can do as a family.

Let’s be honest, moms. The struggle is real. You are busy. It’s hard to find meaningful ways to teach your kids about Easter, and you don’t have to do it alone. Today, I’m sharing simple activities that will walk you through Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday. You don’t have to do them all—just pick one or two that work for your family!

Palm Sunday Parade at Home

Palm Sunday is when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, showing that He is our King! You can find this in Matthew 21. Here’s a simple activity to bring it to life for your kids:

Make palm branches out of construction paper or cut down a small branch from outside and pretend it’s a palm branch.
Have a parade! Let your kids shout “Hosanna! Hosanna!” as they lay down their coats or towels, just like the people did for Jesus.
Read the Bible passage together as a family and talk about what it means to worship Jesus as King.
Let your kids narrate the story back to you—either verbally or by writing it down.

One of my grandkids, when she was about 2 or 3, knew the word “Hosanna” because we talked about it every year. Even the youngest kids can learn how to worship God!

The Last Supper Meal

On Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus shared a special meal with His disciples before the cross. This is found in Luke 22:14-20. You can bring this moment to life in a way that fits your family:

Go all out and have a Passover meal with traditional elements, or keep it simple with bread and grape juice.
Read the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper and talk about how communion reminds us of His sacrifice.
Ask your kids: “What does it mean that Jesus gave His body and blood for us?”
As a homeschool activity, have your kids write a paragraph explaining the Lord’s Supper.

You don’t have to make it complicated. A simple meal, some discussion, and reading Scripture together can make a huge impact!

The Darkness of Good Friday

Good Friday is one of the most important parts of the Easter story. You can read about it in Luke 23:44-46. Here are a few ways to make it tangible for your kids:

Turn off all the lights in your living room to represent the darkness when Jesus died.
Light a candle or flashlight to slowly bring back the light, showing how Jesus is the light of the world.
Read the crucifixion story together and pause for reflection.
Ask your kids: “Why did Jesus have to die?” and connect it to salvation.
Let your kids explain the Gospel to a sibling, friend, or grandparent.

You could even go deeper and talk about what was happening in the sky—there was darkness, an earthquake, and a blood moon. Watching a video about these events could make it even more real for your kids.

Resurrection Rolls Activity

Resurrection Sunday is my favorite! Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb—He is ALIVE! You can find this in Matthew 28:5-6. One of my family’s favorite traditions is making Resurrection Rolls the night before Easter:

Take crescent roll dough and wrap it around a marshmallow.
Roll it in melted butter and cinnamon sugar.
Bake it, and when it’s done, the marshmallow has disappeared, leaving an empty roll!
Use this as a visual lesson on the empty tomb and the joy of Jesus’ resurrection.

This is one of the easiest, most hands-on ways to help kids understand the meaning of Easter. Plus, it’s a delicious breakfast!

Holy Week Is About Walking with Jesus

You don’t have to do all of these activities—just pick one that fits your family this year. Holy Week is about walking with Jesus together, not about perfection.

If you’d like a free Holy Week Bible Reading Plan, I’ve got one for you! It will guide your family through Scripture readings each day. Plus, I also have a free class, “3 Steps to Prepare Your Heart for Easter.” You can sign up right here.

I hope this encourages you and gives you practical ways to focus on Jesus this Easter! If this episode was helpful, share it with a friend who wants to keep their family’s heart on Christ this season.

See you next time!

I can't wait to help you stop the overwhelm in your homeschool