I used this last year for Palm Sunday (about 15 kids in one group; more than that and you'd have to break it up into smaller groups.)

First, we gathered and I showed the children the two different types of palms commonly seen (Moses [spear type] vs. tea leaf [fern-like]). I read the scripture and then showed the kids how to make palm crosses. See here for instructions.

The littler ones needed a parent/helper with them to make the palm crosses. They loved doing these.

Next, I lugged out my CD player and copy of Jesus Christ Superstar. I explained to the kids that when I was young (yuk, yuk) this musical was considered very radical and different and most parents didn't like it AT ALL. (Something I'm sure most could relate to themselves having heard similar from his/her parents re: Britney, Nsync, Backstreet Boys, etc .) They were dying to listen to this "radical" music. I then played the HOSANNA song as loud as I could (really earsplitting) for the kids. I had written the lyrics on large posterboard so the second time around they could follow along. They did -- loud, clear and having a great time. We sang it through about 7 times in all. Totally loud, totally fun, totally uninhibited.

Before leaving, I gave each a tea leaf frond to take into the church service. (Our Sunday School occurs before worship.) My instructions were that each time the children heard the word "Hosanna" during service they were to wave their fronds high, fast and furious.

I had checked with our pastor beforehand so he wouldn't be surprised or need to tell "the rabble to be quiet."

There were lots of Hosannas during the first hymn and the kids came through, waving away... our pastor even sprinkled quite a few hosanna's into the service before the younger ones left for junior church so they were into it and really got the sense of how spontaneous Jesus' entry into Jerusalem really was.

Next year, I might even have them put their coats in the aisle. ...

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Exchange Volunteer corrected broken link and modified title of post for clarity.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CreativeCarol,

I'm glad you posted Palm Sunday info ... I would like to share what we did (totally forgot to post it after it happened!)

A family dressed in Bible times costumes and handed out palm fronds at the front door to all going into worship. Our rotation SS is during 1st worship, then most families go to 2nd worship service. So after SS we gathered all the kids together, had them put on Bible times costumes and get a palm frond. Our adult bell choir person let the kids use the handbells! (We had enough bells for every child -- a "God moment" for sure!)

The kids preceeded the choir, walking in from the back of the sanctuary to the front up the 2 aisles, ringing their bells and waving their palms. They stayed up front in the chancel area, continuing to ring while the choir came in and the whole congregation sang "All Glory, Laud & Honor". After the hymn, we had one 9 year old girl read a short script, standing in the middle of all the kids. The words were as if she was there when Jesus entered the city.

Then the kids went and sat with their parents until the reading of the Scripture. They came up and sat with me as I narrated part of the book "Three Easter Journeys" by Ro Willoughby. We had 4 people take the parts of Jesus and the people.

It was very interactive for the kids and very touching to the congregation. We'll repeat it!

This post moved here to consolidate topic...

Cathy Hoop
Posted April 13, 2006

This year we were in between rotations so we had a fabulous multi-age Palm Sunday celebration. I was inspired by WAM's posting about using Jesus Christ Superstar, and opened with that. I then replayed the section of the song in which the Pharisees tell Jesus to quiet the crowds. He replies from Luke 19: 40, "if my disciples are silent, the stones will shout aloud." We had a rich conversation about what that means, and what that says about the power of God. Then we brainstormed some ways that stones can shout. They immediately came up with clapping them together, having them roll around together, etc. We also brainstormed "praise" words and what the stones might say. We then divided into groups for the following:
1. painting (store bought)stepping stones (6th grade)with praise words/symbols. The stones were placed at the entrance to the patio where we gather for our processional into worship.
2. decorating our concrete patio with sidewalk chalk to prepare for our Palm Sunday processional. The 5th graders drew palms, cloaks and wrote words of praise. It was beautiful!
3. 1 - 4 grade boys made all kinds of shakers from stones and recyclable items - margarine tubs, coffee cans, tissue tubes, and lots of brightly colored duck tape. They practiced rhythms with their stone maracas and showed how their stones were praising God.
4. 1 - 4 grade girls made an amazing palm Sunday diarama with colored stones, markers, glitter, etc. (We laid down a long piece of heavy paper for them to work on.) Their stones were the people and they wrote hosannas, etc. all along the path. At the end, each group took time to see what the others had done and to have prayer time with their shepherds.
(I don't usually divide by boys and girls, but this seemed like an ideal time to do it - I gave the 1 -4 graders an option to choose the other station if they didn't like the one they were in, but everyone was VERY happy.) If I had planned ahead, I would have asked if the children could use their stone maracas during the processional!