Religious Education

Holy Week

Palm Sunday

The time came for Jesus to go to Jerusalem.  Usually Jesus walked quietly with his disciples from one place to another, but Jesus knew this was to be a very special time, different from anything else.  Christians celebrate this special day in church and call it Palm Sunday, it is the beginning of a special time called Holy Week.

SOME SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

• Invite the children to write their own message of welcome for Jesus as he arrives in Jerusalem. Write this on a banner shape.
• Make some palm branches out of paper and role play the story.

Some useful videos:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zy2hyrd

Good Friday

Jesus died on Good Friday. The day on which Jesus died is called Good Friday.  People go to church to remember Jesus, to listen to the story of his death and to pray for one another.

SOME SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

• Retell the Good Friday story in words or pictures describing the events.
• Make captions of the words Jesus spoke and place them around the Cross on your prayer focus.
• Make a Good Friday garden that can be changed into an Easter garden in the next session, or after Easter.
• Decorate a Cross shaped book mark.

Some useful videos:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zd34wmn

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday, Jesus is alive. 

Jesus’ death on Good Friday was not the end of the story.   In the Gospels we hear how Jesus was given new life by God his Father on the third day after he died.  We call that day Easter Sunday.  Read the story of the Resurrection from Mark 16: 1-6

On Easter Sunday, Christians go to church to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.  They sing and say the word ‘Alleluia’ because they are so happy that Jesus is risen from the dead. 

SOME SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

• Make a story board of the Easter story with words and pictures.
• Tell each other the story of the Resurrection.  Write the story as if you were there.
• Adapt the earlier Good Friday garden to make an Easter Garden with an empty tomb and flowers.
• Role play the story of Jesus’ Resurrection

Some useful videos:

https://youtu.be/Wnbo2AmS3OI

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zntfgk7

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zjgkq6f

Mission Together have produced multiple resources to use in home-schooling:

https://missiontogether.org.uk/school-closures-home-activities/?mc_cid=4c2f6c61a4&mc_eid=fae1d49372 

CAFOD have produced a range of activities to help children join in Lent, Holy Week and Easter from home:

https://cafod.org.uk/Education/Primary-teaching-resources/Home-learning-primary