Instructions for Holy Week activities for children and families

In the following pages we have gathered ideas for children and families to enjoy together through this Holy Week.  Each day has a passage to read, feel free to choose a version of the Bible that you and your family find easy to read and access together. 

There is reference to a page of The Lent Family Creative Journal with an activity to do that links to the passage. This can be downloaded as a whole document or individual pages here.

Holy Week in a Box uses simple objects tucked into a small box, along with scripture, to tell the story of Holy Week. Each item in the box is a symbol, representing a piece of the gospel narrative: from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, through the Last Supper, betrayal, burial, and finally the empty tomb on Easter morning.

You will need: small box, wooden figure, paper palms, 3 coins, marker pen, pipe cleaner, piece of cloth.

Our top tips to make the most of this time are:

1. Find a time in the day that works for you.
2. Don’t expect it to be a silent and reverential time; it will be messy! Children will say and do unexpected things so try to go with the flow.
3. Encourage everyone to contribute. Don’t let it become a time when the adults do all the talking and children are expected to listen.
4. Be flexible. Don’t try to keep to a strict plan, and do something different now and again.
5. Be adaptable. As children grow let the time together evolve in new ways, involve everyone and recognise that everyone’s thoughts and ideas matter. What works for a family with young children isn’t going to be fit for those with teenagers.
6. Explore using different resources if that proves a helpful place to start.
7. Use the day’s events to explore where you’ve each met with God or seen him at work. Let these things encourage and build one another up.
8. Let the Christian seasons of the year provide a path for your family worship time, for instance in the run-up to Christmas or Easter (as we’re doing now).
9. Be ready to see things differently. Our life experience will always colour how we see or experience God; enjoy getting to know how others in your family find this.
10. Watch the time. Some days everyone will gladly hang round together, have a lot to say and fill the time with purpose.  Other days there’ll be fidgeting, interruptions and distractions, so don’t be so determined to see it through that everyone is left frustrated or resentful.

(taken from p.135 of ‘The Essential Guide to Family Ministry’ by Gail Adcock, published by BRF)

Credits

We’re enormously grateful to Engage Worship for providing a wealth of resources to use for worship at this time. Do take a look at their website for the full range of what they have made available.

The version of Holy Week in a Box that we have used was adapted by the Rev. Mary Hawes. An additional version can be found here.