How to Prepare Your Heart at Any Age
Easter is one of the most joyful celebrations of the year. It’s a season filled with bright flowers, egg hunts, family meals, and sweet treats. But at the center of it all is something far greater: the resurrection of Jesus and the hope it brings.
While the busyness of spring can easily take over our calendars, creating a few simple traditions can help refocus our hearts on the true meaning of Easter. These Christian Easter activities don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the most meaningful ones are often the simplest.
Here are several meaningful ways to prepare your heart for Easter this year.
Use Resurrection Story Eggs
Resurrection eggs are a simple and hands-on way to walk through the Easter story. Each of the colored eggs contains a small object that represents a part of the story, from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the empty tomb.
You can purchase a set or create your own at home using plastic eggs and small symbolic items.
As you pull out each object (a small leaf for Palm Sunday, a coin to represent Judas’ betrayal, a piece of cloth for the burial cloth, etc), you can read a part of Scripture or even just talk about that part of the Easter story.
Some families open one egg each day leading into Easter, and others like to take turns opening them in one sitting as a family devotional. This works beautifully with children, but it’s meaningful for adults too because it encourages us to slow down and reflect on the story step by step.
Read the Resurrection Story from Each Gospel
One meaningful way to reflect on Easter is to read the resurrection story from each of the four Gospel accounts. Each Gospel shares the same miraculous event, but with different details and perspectives that enrich the story.
You can read each for a week leading up to Easter, or one per day during the week before Easter. The resurrection accounts can be found in:
After reading, take a few minutes to talk about what stood out, what surprised you, or what it reveals about Jesus. Even young children can share simple observations.
If you want to challenge older elementary kids or teens, have them rewrite the story in their own words to help them to remember what they’ve read.
Host a Resurrection Story Egg Hunt
If your family loves Easter egg hunts, this is a creative way to incorporate more Christ-centered Easter traditions. Instead of filling eggs only with candy or jelly beans, place short Bible verses from the resurrection story inside the eggs. After hiding them, let the kids search for the eggs as usual. Once all the eggs are found:
- Open each egg.
- Read the verses together.
- Work together to put the story in the correct order.
This activity turns a familiar tradition into an engaging way for kids to learn and remember the Easter story
Create a Family Gratitude Prayer
Another simple way to prepare for Easter is to spend a few minutes each day thanking God for what the resurrection means. You could:
- Write prayers in a journal
- Pray together at dinner
- Have each family member share one thing they’re grateful for
This helps shift the focus from the busyness of the season to the hope and joy that we have because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Start an “Empty Tomb” Reflection
Sometimes the simplest symbols say the most. Place a small empty bowl, jar, or decorative egg somewhere visible in your home as a reminder of the empty tomb. Throughout the week leading up to Easter, take a moment when you see it to reflect on what the resurrection means:
- Hope after hardship
- Life after death
- Light after darkness
Even a quiet moment of reflection can help keep the true meaning of Easter at the forefront of your mind.
End the Week by Celebrating Easter
After spending time reflecting on the Easter story, make Easter Sunday a true celebration. This might include:
- A special breakfast
- Easter baskets with a new devotional
- A joyful church-service-music and worship at home
- Sharing what everyone learned during the week
The resurrection is the ultimate reason for celebration, and ending the week with joy helps bring everything together.
Easter Traditions don’t have to be elaborate to be meaningful.
Often, the small, intentional practices we repeat year after year are the ones that shape our hearts the most.
Whether you’re opening resurrection eggs, reading Scripture together, or simply pausing for a moment of reflection, these traditions can help bring the true meaning of Easter into focus for children and adults alike.
Often, the most powerful reminder of all is the simplest one: The tomb is empty, and hope is alive.
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This blog was written by the Mission Hills Church Communications Ministry.
