Good Friday Family Activity

Good Friday Family Activity: An Easter Lesson in Forgiveness

I love Easter! What’s not to love about freedom, forgiveness, and new life? I always feel like Easter is a reminder of new chances and a clean slate.

Finding ways for my kids to understand all that Easter represents is a real priority for me each year.  Easter Sunday is always filled with fun activities like our Easter egg hunt, resurrection cookies, and resurrection eggs while reading Benjamin's Box.

One year we even had a scavenger hunt for character clues (I'll have to write about that soon).

I really try to take advantage of the entire Holy Week. Some years we do activities on Palm Sunday.  Other times we'll do something on Maundy Thursday -- like washing each other's feet.  However, a few years back, we did this fun family Good Friday activity.

Nailing Our Sin to the Cross

I want my kids to understand that Jesus died on the cross for their sins.  There is no sin too big that His death on the Cross can't cover.  His death and resurrection remind us that we are new creations.

I came up with this Good Friday activity after we did something similar at family camp.  It's really pretty simple to do.  Plus, my boys loved getting to hammer!

Activity:
Two pieces of wood - I simply went to Home Depot and asked them to cut a 1x2 into two pieces
Nails
Hammer
Dissolving Paper (or really any piece of paper will work, like index cards)
Water with a few drops of red food dye in it.

We asked the kids to write down whatever sin they wanted to confess on the paper.  

Then we took turns nailing the "sin" to the cross.  If your kids are old enough to have personal sin that they are confessing, have them fold the paper in half for some privacy.  If your kids are little, you can simply have them write "sin" on the card.

As we hammered, we explained to the kids that we can take our sin to the cross and receive forgiveness of all our sins.  Confessing our sin before the Lord purifies our hearts and makes them clean.

When we were all done nailing our sin to the cross, I pour our water jug of red water (obviously representing "Jesus's blood") over each piece of paper. Watching the paper melt away is so exciting for the kids...even my big kids. It's such a great illustration of how God forgives our sins.

We finished up our activity by reading several verses about forgiveness and concluded with singing and prayer.

Scripture Reading:

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
Acts 3:19

Other Scriptures you can read: Isaiah 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:7, & Psalm 103:12

Worship Songs:

The Old Rugged Cross
Nothing But the Blood
White As Snow
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

I hope you try this activity with your family.  I pray it blesses you all.  I also pray that your kids will never look at a cross the same way again -- and that they will be forever reminded that Jesus died for their sin on the cross & we are forgiven.

Final note: Wondering what to do with the personal sin written down on normal paper? Assure your kids that the sin is private and will be destroyed. Then destroy it.