Palm Sunday will be here in a couple of days and with it, comes one of our annual traditions of making our yearly resurrection garden. It’s a beautiful little garden/craft that helps us to remember the reason for the season. While we still love our yearly egg hunts, egg dyeing, and Easter bunny, J loves seeing the story unfold through his own little garden. Plus it’s a great teaching tool for even the littlest of littles.

A resurrection garden requires just a few materials…

Materials List

• A shallow flower pot and saucer
• A small terra cotta pot or a small round container
• Potting soil
• Rocks of assorted shapes and sizes (J loves going out and collecting rocks for his)
• Moss or fast growing grass seeds
• Three small wooden crosses (I made ours with some small sticks and wire)
• A small donkey
• A small scrap of white fabric rolled up into sort of a burrito shape.

The first step is to add a few small rocks into the bottom of your flower pot. Next, fill up your pot about halfway with potting soil. Add your small terra cotta pot on its side, to the middle of your larger flower pot.

Then take your assortment of rocks and some more potting soil, and arrange them around your small pot to create the tomb. Spread a thin layer of soil over the top and plant your moss or seeds.

*Planting moss is extremely easy. Just take your moss and lay it on top of the potting soil and lightly press to ensure contact. Then lightly water it regularly. If your moss starts to turn brown, make sure to give it a good drink and it should green right back up. J loves to mist his garden with his little spray bottle every chance he gets.

Now your resurrection garden is ready for the story to unfold…

When you are done building your garden, tell the story of how Jesus came into Jerusalem long ago riding a donkey. Suggested Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 Place your donkey near the tomb and water your garden with a spray bottle. This is to represent Jesus weeping over the city because they would not let him save them.

“They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus. They laid their coats on the donkeys, and Jesus sat on them. Many people spread their coats on the road before Jesus. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. All the people were shouting, “Praise to the Son of David! God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Psalm 118:26 Praise to God in heaven!””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21:7-9‬ ‭ICB‬‬

Throughout the week, water your garden daily and remind them that Jesus cried because he loved us so much, but we wanted to do things our own way, as Adam did. Continue to tell the story of Easter. Suggested Reading: Monday read Matthew 21:12-22 and Tuesday read Matthew 21:23-46.

On Wednesday, tell the story of how Judas betrayed Jesus. Suggested Reading: Matthew 26:1-16. Remove the donkey Wednesday evening after your children are in bed.

On Thursday, tell the story of how Jesus and his disciples partook of Passover and his arrest. You can also serve grape juice and unleavened bread while telling this story. Suggested Reading: Exodus 12:13-14 and Matthew 26:17-75

“You are always to remember this day. Celebrate it with a feast to the Lord. Your descendants are to honor the Lord with this feast from now on.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭12:14‬ ‭ICB‬‬

On Friday, talk about Christ’s crucifixion and the care of his body after death. Turn out all of the lights at noon and place the three crosses on top of the hill. Leave all of the lights off until three. Then place your small roll of white fabric into the tomb and roll the stone in front of the opening. Suggested Reading: Matthew 27:1-66

“At noon the whole country became dark. This darkness lasted for three hours.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27:45‬ ‭ICB‬‬

Saturday, tell how Christ died for our sins and how Christ’s perfect love casts out fear. The disciples spent this day in hiding in fear, unsure about what Christ had told them. Suggested Reading: John 3:16. After your children are in bed, remove the “body of Christ” from the tomb and close it back up.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭ICB‬‬

On the Morning of Easter Sunday, have your children roll aside the stone. He is risen! Tell them the story of how Christ was not there. Let them know that the price for our sins is now complete if we accept his gift. Suggested Reading: Matthew 28.

“The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross. But he is not here. He has risen from death as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was.”

Matthew‬ ‭28:5-6‬ ‭ICB‬‬

Then go on out and enjoy your time with family and hunt for those eggs!