Palm Sunday Ideas

Palm Sunday for Christians usually involves a church service telling the story of how Jesus entered Jerusalem. He rode a white donkey through the gates and the people were so pleased to see him that they spread their cloaks and palm fronds on the ground in front of him so the donkey's feet would not touch the ground. Many Christian churches commemorate this event by passing out dried palm fronds to the congregation. Sunday school classes, from adults to very small children, often do something special either with the fronds or having to do with the story.

Weaving dried palm fronds works well as an activity for younger teens up through adult classes. These groups have the dexterity to weave and bend their fronds while also listening to the lesson at hand. Many churches teach members how to weave their palm fronds into a cross with either one or two fronds. Other projects include fronds braided together into circlets for holy statues or to be hung in the home, a palm chain made with small bits of palm, or fronds woven into small baskets or boxes with a small cross charm inside. These ideas give members a way to practically and attractively display their palm fronds while imprinting the lesson in their minds.

This treasure palm tree makes an ideal craft and object lesson for Sunday school students from older children down to the youngest kids. The design comes from the King's Kids Stuff website. Children cut palm tree leaves from green construction paper while the teacher tells them the story of Palm Sunday and cuts little slits along the sides of several toilet paper tubes. The children stick the ends of their leaves into the slits to create the tree, securing them with glue. As the teacher talks about why Jesus came to Jerusalem, why the people were so happy to see him and why he was there, she passes out candy to the students. They tape the bottom of each cardboard tube shut and fill the tubes with candy, taping the top shut as well. Testamints and other Christian-themed candies work well.

Re-creating Jesus' path works well for students from older teens down to the youngest children. As the students listen to the story of Palm Sunday, they re-create the entry on paper. Students create the gates of Jerusalem with cardboard, glue and paint when the story begins; one student may also glue a piece of colored cloth to a plastic donkey as a saddle. While the teacher talks about the people laying down their cloaks and palm leaves, students should be busily gluing pieces of colored cloth and palm fronds to a long piece of paper. They may then take turns "walking" the donkey down the path. Afterward, the teacher discusses the symbolism of the donkey versus a horse and why the people covered the path.