Easter is the most important event in Christianity, and your kids deserve to know the real story, not just the bunny version. Here are 10 Bible stories that walk your child through Holy Week: from Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey to the empty tomb on Sunday morning. For a day-by-day family plan, see our companion guide to Holy Week for kids. If you would rather read the account straight through first, here is where each scene shows up in Scripture.
The Complete Easter Story in 10 Episodes
1. The Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday)
Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds wave palm branches and shout "Hosanna!" The city is celebrating. But something darker is coming. Watch video
2. Cleansing the Temple
Jesus walks into the temple and finds people selling things and cheating worshipers. He overturns the tables. "My house shall be called a house of prayer!" Watch video
3. The Last Supper
Jesus shares a final meal with His disciples. He breaks bread and shares wine. "Do this in remembrance of me." He knows what is coming tomorrow. Watch video
4. The Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus prays in the garden while His friends fall asleep. "Not my will, but yours be done." The hardest prayer anyone has ever prayed. Watch video
5. The Betrayal
Judas arrives with soldiers. He identifies Jesus with a kiss. Jesus is arrested. The disciples scatter into the darkness. Watch video
6. Peter Denies Jesus
A servant girl asks Peter if he knows Jesus. Three times, Peter says no. Then the rooster crows, and Peter remembers what Jesus told him. He weeps. Watch video
7. The Trial
Jesus stands before Pilate. The crowd screams for His death. Pilate finds no fault in Him but gives in to the mob. Watch video
8. The Cross (Good Friday)
Jesus carries His cross to Calvary. He is crucified. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Then: "It is finished." Watch video
9. The Burial
Joseph of Arimathea wraps Jesus' body and places it in a tomb. A stone is rolled across the entrance. It seems like the end of the story. Watch video
10. The Empty Tomb (Easter Sunday)
Women come to the tomb at sunrise. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. An angel says: "He is not here. He has risen." This is the best news in the history of the world. Watch video
Reading one verse aloud with each story makes it stick, and we have gathered the best Easter Bible verses for kids in a single list.
After the stories, keep the conversation going with our Easter Bible trivia for kids -- it is a fun way to see how much they remembered. If your kids learn best by doing, pair the week with a few hands-on resurrection activities.
