Explore and respond
VERY YOUNG CHILDREN
The king who rides a donkey
Play ‘Pin the tail on the donkey’ and talk about the kind of king Jesus was.
Crown him
Provide card crowns for children to decorate for King Jesus, remembering that he did not wear a crown.
FOR CHILDREN
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Entering Jerusalem E
Recall key aspects of the Palm Sunday story
You will need: a die and game template per pair; six tiddlywinks/counters per child.
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- Get the children to pair up and make sure they have a set of different coloured counters to their partner. Explain that the aim is to cover all the pictures to be able to set off to Jerusalem. Each picture/word is numbered 1-5, and the aim is to collect all five.
- Throw the die in turn and cover the relevant picture with a counter.
- If a six is thrown, uncover one image. The first to cover all five images is the winner and places a counter on Jerusalem.
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Welcoming the King W S
Make palm branches to celebrate the King
You will need: green paper, felt pens, scissors.
- Cut out some palm leaves for the children.
- Children write ‘Hosanna’ and ‘King Jesus’ on their leaf,
and add their own words to praise Jesus.
- Use one of the song suggestions and invite the children to wave leaves and call out words of praise
for Jesus.
Stubborn as a donkey W A
Reflect on the significance of the donkey
You will need: information about donkeys.
- Explain that donkeys are often described as being stubborn. Do the children know what that means? Behaviour that seems stubborn can be because they are scared.
- Share some information about donkeys to use in the form of a short quiz. Or try this ready-made one.
- Reflect together: Why did Jesus choose to ride a donkey?
I wonder if the donkey Jesus rode was scared or appeared stubborn? The Bible doesn’t suggest it was, even in the big crowd. Why might that be?
Talk together and talk to God
Discuss the theme, then bring your thoughts together in prayer
- Have you ever been in a big crowd waiting for something exciting to happen?
- What do you think the people thought, about seeing Jesus arriving on the donkey?
- Why do you think Jesus chose a donkey? How does that make you feel about Jesus?
What will you lay down for Jesus? E S
Prayerfully consider what you might want to give for Jesus
You will need: a small piece of cloth for each child, a larger piece of brown/yellow card or fabric for a road.
- Lay out the fabric road and give each child a piece of cloth and remind them of how the people laid their cloaks on the road for Jesus and shouted ‘Hosanna’.
- Invite everyone to sit quietly with their cloth and think about what they would like to say to Jesus today (in their hearts).
- Explain that when ready, they can lay their cloths on the road as a prayer, to say it aloud or just lay the cloth down, knowing that Jesus has heard them. Offer their prayers to Jesus.
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FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Make a palm cross E S A
Consider why palms in churches today are woven into a cross
You will need: paper, scissors and either YouTube tutorial or another tutorial.
- Follow the tutorial and make a cross each.
- If it’s not the tradition in your church, explain that many churches give out palm crosses. Discuss why the palm is woven into a cross. What does this mean to the young people?
Join the crowd W S
Think about the crowds in the Gospel story
You will need: access to concert footage.
- Watch a clip from a recent concert – such as Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran. Ask the young people to look particularly at the crowd. How are they behaving? Have any of the young people been in a big crowd? What did it feel like?
- Now discuss together some of the details about the crowds in the story – people throwing down coats, shouting, etc.
- Invite the young people to talk about the similarities between the biblical crowd and crowds at concerts.
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Dress like a king! E S
Consider the difference between King Charles and King Jesus
You will need: image of Charles III with orb and sceptre (re-use from What makes a king?), plenty of junk modelling materials, sticky tape, paper, material/coats/blankets.
- Divide the group into two teams. Show everyone the image of Charles III. Explain that each team will have five minutes to recreate the Coronation scene using the junk/blankets, etc. Photograph the end results and decide which king looks the most realistic!
- Ask: How does this vision of kingship differ from what we see in Jesus?
Lay down your coat E S A
Pray about the things to lay down before Jesus
You will need: coat outline templates (one per person), coloured pens.
- Hand out the images of a coat. Invite everyone to think about the moment in the story where people lay down their coats before Jesus.
- Ask the young people to think about their relationship with Jesus. Are there things in their lives they need to lay down before him? Encourage them to write their thoughts on the coat images while you
play ‘What kind of king?’, Resound Worship.
Check-in: Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues
Available by 10 am on Thursday 21 March 2024.