How to Help Young Families Have a Happy Easter!

We love Easter Sunday! But for parents of young children, Easter brings a change of routine and some extra stress. Here are seven ways your church can set young families up for success this Easter.

What do you envision when you think of Easter Sunday? You may see flowers, choirs, and a beautiful day of celebration. Now, imagine you are a parent of young children. What might Easter Sunday look like for you? Picture the devoted dad who feeds and wrangles kids at home while his pianist wife arrives at church early for worship team practice. Or see the single mom luring crying kids away from Easter baskets and into the car. Or notice anxious parents “shushing” kids who are more excited about egg hunts than sitting quietly in a church service on this special day.

As you plan a special Easter celebration for your church family this year, please don’t forget about children and their families in your church. How can you set them up for success and remove the barriers that keep them from joyfully celebrating our risen Savior?

7 Thoughtful Ways to Serve Young Families at Your Church This Easter

Have we got ideas for you! These suggestions work especially well in small churches whose familiar relationships allow leaders to hand select and empower kids in unique ways. But regardless of your church size, try one or several ways to include families more intentionally in your church’s Easter celebration.

1. Serve Easter breakfast.

Recruit a team to serve breakfast before your first Easter service. Include kid-friendly items like pancakes, muffins, and fruit. It doesn’t need to be a big feast—just enough so parents have one less thing to do at home to get kids ready for church that day. Be sure to set up tables where families can sit and eat, rather than mingle and munch.

2. Welcome kids with an Easter gift!

If kids attend worship service, rather than separate children’s programming, surprise them with something special, just for them. Purchase jumbo plastic Easter eggs and fill them with a fidget toy and a treat like fruit snacks or crackers. Kids will enjoy their surprise as they settle in with their families.

3. Sing songs kids know.

If kids recognize the songs, they’ll be more likely to join in and sing. Whatever the song, encourage clapping and movement that allow kids to engage their bodies in worship. You could even invite kids on an Easter Parade during a special song! Recruit a child-loving volunteer to lead kids around your worship space as you sing an upbeat song.

4. Ask children to participate in the Easter service.

Whether it’s through lighting candles, reading Scripture, or singing a special song, invite kids to participate in meaningful ways. Those who participate will feel special, and kids in the audience will enjoy watching a peer do something special.

5. Equip your pastor to preach for kids, too.

Offer to share a few sermon ideas and illustrations kids will recognize and tune in for. Ask if you can pre-watch any audio or video parts of the service to make sure things are appropriate for kids of all ages. (This is especially helpful for Good Friday services.) If needed, inform parents ahead of time so they can prepare their children for the experience, or choose to make it a good time for a bathroom break.

6. Keep your Easter service short and sweet.

You may have an overflow of incredible, creative, and meaningful moments—that together add up to a long service. So be mindful of the short attention spans in the room (including those of adults, too), keep things moving, and be mindful of time. Remember, your goal is not to put on a good show—it’s to help people celebrate and connect with Jesus.

7. Thank them for coming.

Personally acknowledge what it took for them to be there and offer words of encouragement and grace. You’ll be amazed at how much it means for parents to hear the words “You’re doing a good job” and “Your children are so blessed to have you as their parents.”

These ideas may not seem like a big deal—but they’ll communicate a lot to parents with young children. They’ll see that your church understands them, cares about their needs, and welcomes them to participate more easily in the life of your church. You’ll help more happy families have a happy Easter!

Bonus idea!

Share Easter resources for families to view at home! Lifetree Kids YouTube channel has a great selection of Easter videos and music for families to stream at home.

Need more ideas for families during the holidays? Check out Team Family, a brand-new resources coming Summer 2024!