Holy Week and Easter for Under 5s

The stations were set up around the church and the children and carers travelled around the church, looking at each station. The children were given a bag to collect the story items.

1 Palm Sunday

Words:

Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The people shouted "Hosannah" and put palm leaves on the road. They welcomed him as their king.

Items needed:

model of Jerusalem; Jesus on a donkey; palms; cloaks; "Hosanna" sign; crown - labelled "What kind of king is Jesus?"

To collect:

paper palm leaf

2 In the temple

Words:

Jesus went to the temple and taught the people. He said that the poor woman who gave a small coin gave more than the rich man who gave a whole bag of coins, because the woman gave everything she had.

Items needed:

model of temple (can be made with blocks); box or bag of coins

To collect:

plastic coin

3 A gift of perfume

Words:

A lady brought Jesus a special present of perfume. She poured it over him. Jesus said thank you for helping him to get ready.

Items needed:

ornate jar on cloth

To collect:

rose petal

4 The servant king

Words:

Jesus washed his friends' feet. He wanted to show them how to help other people. He was a King, but he was also a servant.

Items needed:

towel; water; soap; jug; bowl

To collect:

piece of towelling

5 Last supper

Words:

Jesus had his last meal with his friends. He said thank you to God and shared the bread and wine with them. He said that whenever they remembered him with bread and wine he would be with them.

Items needed:

cloth, cushions, wooden plate, silver chalice, pitta breads

To collect:

picture of chalice and paten

6 In the garden

Words:

Jesus went with his friends to the garden to pray to God. The soldiers came and took him away.

Items needed:

picture of praying Jesus, play trees and flowers on flowery green cloth

To collect:

flower

7 Peter

Words:

Peter followed Jesus and the soldiers, and waited outside when they took Jesus in. Peter pretended that he did not know Jesus, and the cock crowed three times.

Items needed:

toy cockerel

To collect:

coloured feather

8 The soldiers

Words:

The soldiers dressed Jesus in a scarlet robe and put a crown of thorns on his head. They mocked him, and called him the King of the Jews.

Items needed:

crown of thorns; red cloak

To collect:

piece of red cloth

9 The cross

Words:

On Friday the soldiers took Jesus outside the city walls and put him on a wooden cross. That afternoon, Jesus died. They sky turned black and Jesus was taken down from the cross.

Items needed:

cross

To collect:

small foam crosses

10 The burial

Words:

They buried Jesus in a cave, and rolled a great stone over the opening.

Items needed:

stones arranged as a cave

To collect:

stone

11 The empty tomb

Words:

When the women came to the tomb on Sunday morning, the stone was rolled away and the cave was empty. The angels said that Jesus was alive again.

Items needed:

figures of women and angels

To collect:

angel cut out or shimmer stone

12 Resurrection

Words:

Mary met Jesus in the garden. He was alive again! She ran to tell all his friends the good news. At Easter time, we eat eggs to remind us of new life. Chicks hatching out of eggs help us to remember Jesus rising from the tomb.

Items needed:

chicks and eggs; risen Christ

To collect:

Easter egg cutout, plastic egg

At the end the children were given a copy of the story and list of items they had collected so they could tell the story again at home.