Gospel Sparks Get the app

Jesus Is Alive!

Waving branches, a big stone that rolls away, a peekaboo empty box, and happy Easter arms up high

  • 🧸 Nursery
  • Week 13
  • 📅 Sunday, March 28, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus is alive, and He loves me.

I can raise my arms up high and say, “Jesus is alive!”

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Easter Week)
Know the chapters

The Easter lesson walks through the last week of Jesus’s life. Crowds waved branches and shouted “Hosanna” as He rode into Jerusalem. That’s Matthew 21:8–9. He ate a last supper with His Apostles and prayed in Gethsemane. He was crucified and laid in a tomb. Early on Sunday morning the stone was rolled away. An angel said, “He is not here: for he is risen.” That’s Matthew 28:6. Mary heard Jesus say her name, in John 20:16.

For toddlers, the whole lesson is one happy feeling: Jesus is alive! Say the sad part in one gentle sentence: “Jesus died, and His friends felt sad.” Then move quickly to Sunday morning. Toddlers don’t need details. They need a big stone to push, an empty box to peek into and arms that shoot up high. Raise your arms and say “Jesus is alive!” over and over, all day long.

Easter Sunday can mean new clothes, candy in pockets and extra wiggles. Check pockets gently at the door. Jelly beans, hard candy and plastic-egg toys are choking hazards, so hand them back to parents. Nobody plays Jesus. You read the words. The lesson takes six minutes. The play-time ideas repeat “empty” and “alive.”

Only have 5 minutes?

Bring a shoe box with a lid, empty inside. Count and pop it open for peekaboo: “Empty! That’s happy news!” Swipe through the six-picture story on your phone or tablet. Do the Sunrise Stretch. Raise your arms slowly and say “Jesus is alive!” End with a quiet testimony. For play time, pick three ideas below. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Your cupped hands become the box, and your phone or tablet shows the pictures.

What to bring5 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Put the lid on the empty box and hide it in your bag until the opening.
  2. Open the Sound Board on your phone or tablet and find the cheer and bells buttons. Keep the volume low. Skip rumble and thunder, since big booms scare little ones.
  3. Check the floor for anything small, especially Easter candy and plastic-egg toys. If it fits through a toilet-paper tube, put it up high or away.
  4. Decide with the other adult who leads the lesson and who greets at the door. There are always two adults in nursery.
  5. Practice raising your arms slowly up high while you say “Jesus is alive!”

If your class is wild

  • Tears at drop-off are normal and usually pass in a few minutes. Let the other adult hold the crying child near the fun. They can whisper, “Mommy will come back. Let’s peek in the box!” A quick, happy goodbye beats sneaking out.
  • Nobody has to sit. Lead from the floor at their level and keep going. Wanderers often shoot their arms up when they hear “Jesus is alive!”
  • Keep the sad picture short and soft. Put your hand on your heart. Then right away say, “But wait! Something happy happens!” and turn the page.
  • Easter clothes can be stiff and new. A child in a fancy dress can skip floor-rolling and wave and cheer instead.
  • Follow your ward’s policy for diapers and potty trips. Never leave one adult alone with the class, and never go off alone with one child.

The 25-minute plan6 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Peekaboo Empty Box

1 min

A closed box and a count to three pull scattered toddlers toward you and turn “empty” into the happiest word of the day.

  1. Sit on the floor with the closed box in front of you. Whisper, “Shhh… what’s in my box?”
  2. Knock on the lid. Count together: “One… two… three!” Slowly lift the lid: “Peekaboo!”
  3. Gasp with a big smile: “It’s empty!” Let each child peek in: “Empty!” Then close it and set it up high.
  4. SAY“Empty can be happy! Today we learn that Jesus is alive!”
  5. Raise your arms up high.
🌪️ Everyone crowding the box? Walk it around the circle so each child gets a peek: “Empty!”

Class screen: 📦 Peekaboo! It’s empty!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A shoe box or gift box with a lid, empty inside

Peekaboo Empty Hands

  1. Sit on the floor. Cup your hands tightly like a little box and whisper, “Shhh… what’s in my hands?”
  2. Count together: “One… two… three!” Slowly open your hands: “Peekaboo!”
  3. Gasp with a big smile: “They’re empty!” Help each child cup and open their hands: “Empty!”
  4. SAY“Empty can be happy! Today we learn that Jesus is alive!”
  5. Raise your arms up high.

Class screen: 🤲 Peekaboo! My hands are empty!

2. Story

Picture Story: The Happy Easter Morning

2 min

Six pictures with one sentence and one action each let toddlers wave, push and cheer while they hear that Jesus is alive.

  1. Hold your phone or tablet at their eye level. Everyone gets to be the Happy Crowd, the Stone Pushers and Jesus’s Friends.
  2. Read the one sentence, then do the action big so they can copy you. Don’t wait for everyone. The joiners will come.
  3. On the sad picture, slow down and soften your voice. Then say, “But wait! Something happy happens!” and keep going.
  4. Losing them before the end? Jump to the last picture: “Jesus is alive!”
🌪️ Got a child who won’t stop moving? Let them tap your phone or tablet to change the picture, with your hand on it too. A job beats a battle.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🌅 Wave, push, hooray!

3. Wiggle break

Sunrise Stretch

1 min

Toddlers need to move after two minutes of anything, and rising like the sun turns Easter morning into a big, happy stretch.

  1. SAY“Let’s be the nighttime! Curl up tiny.”
  2. Curl up on the floor together. Whisper, “Here comes the sun on Easter morning!” Rise slowly to your knees, then stand.
  3. Reach up high like the sun: “Jesus is alive!” Jump up and down: “Hooray!”
  4. Wave your arms like branches: “Hosanna!” Then curl up and rise again while they giggle.
  5. Finish with arms up high one more time. Then sit down together.

Class screen: ☀️ Rise up like the sun! · 🌙 Curl up · 🌅 Rise · 🙌 Arms up! · 🌿 Wave

4. Scripture

Our Little Verse: Matthew 28:6

1 min

Four words and one motion, said many times, is how a toddler carries a scripture home.

  1. Hold up your scriptures.
  2. SAY“This is the Bible. It tells about Jesus. Listen!”
  3. Read slowly: “for he is risen.”
  4. SAY“That means Jesus is alive!”
  5. Raise your arms from low to high and say “Jesus is alive!” three times: whisper, normal, happy. Then lift each child’s hands: “Jesus loves Ella.”

Class screen: 🙌 Jesus is alive! · 🙌 Arms up high!

5. Testimony

I Know Jesus Loves You

1 min

A quiet moment with a picture of the Savior helps each child feel His love on Easter.

  1. Drop your voice to a whisper and hold up the picture of Jesus Christ.
  2. SAY“This is Jesus.”
  3. Let each child look closely, point or gently pat the picture.
  4. SAY“Jesus is alive. I know Jesus loves you.”
  5. If your nursery has a prayer now, fold arms while a grown-up says a short one.

Class screen: ❤️ Jesus loves you!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A picture of Jesus Christ (from your meetinghouse library, a Friend magazine, or home)

  1. Drop your voice to a whisper and put your hand on your heart.
  2. SAY“Let’s think about Jesus.”
  3. Touch each child’s hand or wave, and whisper, “Jesus loves you.”
  4. SAY“Jesus is alive. I know Jesus loves you.”
  5. If your nursery has a prayer now, fold arms while a grown-up says a short one.
6. Song

Arms Up, Jesus Lives

2 minBONUS

If they’re still with you, a slow Easter song with rising arms is a calm, happy way to finish.

  1. SAY“Let’s curl up small like the nighttime.”
  2. Curl up on the floor together.
  3. Slowly sing “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” from the Children’s Songbook, page 64. Rise a little at a time as you sing.
  4. At the end, raise your arms up high and whisper, “Jesus is alive!”

Class screen: 🎵 Sing and rise up high!

The story

The Happy Easter Morning

Matthew 21:8–9; 27:59–60; 28:1–8; John 20:11–18 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Happy CrowdEveryone! Wave your arms like branches and say, “Hosanna!”
  • Stone PushersEveryone! Push the big pretend stone: “Ugh! Heavy!”
  • Jesus’s FriendsEveryone! Feel sad, then jump up happy with arms high.

Scenes

  1. 🌿 Hosanna! Wave, wave, wave!

    Happy people waved branches for Jesus and shouted, “Hosanna!”

    🙌 Wave your arms high like branches: “Hosanna!”

  2. 💛 Jesus died. His friends felt sad.

    Jesus died because He loves us, and His friends felt sad.

    🙌 Hand on your heart. Make a soft, sad face.

  3. 🪨 A big stone closed the tomb.

    His friends laid Him in a tomb. It was like a little cave with a big stone door.

    🙌 Push a big pretend stone with both hands: “Ugh! So heavy!”

  4. 🌅 Sunday morning! Roll the stone away!

    Early Sunday morning, an angel rolled the big stone away!

    🙌 Roll your hands round and round: “Roll, roll, roll!”

  5. 🤲 Peekaboo! The tomb is empty!

    The tomb was empty. The angel said Jesus is risen!

    🙌 Show empty hands: “Empty!” Then raise your arms up high.

  6. 🙌 Jesus is alive! Hooray!

    Jesus is alive! Mary saw Him, and she ran to tell everyone.

    🙌 Arms up high and cheer: “Jesus is alive!”

Key verse

Matthew 28:6 ↗
“for he is risen”
In kid words: Jesus is alive!
🙌 Start with your hands down low, then raise both arms slowly all the way up high while you say all four words.

More verses

Matthew 21:9 ↗
“Hosanna to the Son of David”
In kid words: The happy crowd cheered for Jesus.
John 20:16 ↗
“Jesus saith unto her, Mary”
In kid words: Jesus said Mary’s name. He knows my name too.
1 Corinthians 15:22 ↗
“even so in Christ shall all be made alive”
In kid words: Because of Jesus, everyone will live again.

Forehead Guess words8 words

  • 🌿 Branch
  • 🪨 Stone
  • 🌅 Sun
  • 👼 Angel
  • 📦 Box
  • 🌷 Flower
  • ❤️ Heart
  • 🤗 Hug
Clues for each word
  • Branch: Wave it high: Hosanna!
  • Stone: Big and heavy! Push!
  • Sun: It came up on Easter morning
  • Angel: Rolled the big stone away
  • Box: Peekaboo! It’s empty!
  • Flower: It blooms in springtime
  • Heart: Jesus loves us
  • Hug: Squeeze someone you love
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown5 questions

  1. What did the happy people wave?
    • A. 🌿 Branches
    • B. 🍕 Pizza
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🌿 Branches Wave, wave! They waved branches and said, “Hosanna!”

  2. Which one is big and heavy?
    • A. 🪶 Feather
    • B. 🪨 Stone
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🪨 Stone Push! A big stone closed the tomb.

  3. Was the tomb full or empty?
    • A. 📦 Full
    • B. 🤲 Empty
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🤲 Empty Peekaboo! It was empty, because Jesus is alive.

  4. Who is alive?
    • A. ❤️ Jesus
    • B. 🦖 Dinosaur
    Show answer

    ✅ A. ❤️ Jesus Arms up high: Jesus is alive!

  5. What comes up in the morning?
    • A. 🌅 Sun
    • B. 🧦 Socks
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🌅 Sun The sun came up on the first Easter morning.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Did Jesus Really Live Again? Children’s Songbook, p. 64

    Sing it slowly while everyone rises up like the sun, arms high at the end. Find it ↗

  • On a Golden Springtime Children’s Songbook, p. 88

    A springtime Easter song. Curl up like flower bulbs and bloom open with wiggly fingers. Find it ↗

  • Popcorn Popping Children’s Songbook, p. 242

    Spring blossoms pop open! Crouch down and pop up with arms high. Find it ↗

  • He Sent His Son Children’s Songbook, p. 34

    Hum it softly in Quiet Easter Morning. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Arms Up at Home

This Easter week, watch for the sun coming up or a flower blooming. When you see one, raise your arms up high together and say, “Jesus is alive!”

Text the parents

Happy Easter! Today in nursery we learned that the tomb was empty and Jesus is alive. That’s Matthew 28:6. We waved branches, pushed a big pretend stone and peeked into an empty box. We raised our arms up high and said, “Jesus is alive!” Try it at home. Raise your arms and see if your child says it too. Try it when you see the morning sun or spring flowers.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Nursery play time

The lesson is short on purpose. Fill the rest of nursery with these: pick what fits your little ones today.

📦 Happy Empty Boxes · 10 min

  1. Set out a few boxes with lids, like shoe boxes or clean wipes tubs, next to the dolls and trucks. Let kids play.
  2. Hide a big toy in some boxes and leave one empty. Toddlers love to open and close lids over and over.
  3. Whenever a child finds the empty one, cheer: “Empty! Jesus is alive!” Raise your arms up high together.
  4. Lids only, with no tape or strings. Nothing inside is small enough to fit through a toilet-paper tube. One adult stays close.
  5. No boxes? Hide a big toy under a blanket. Lift it, and when the toy is gone, cheer: “Empty! Jesus is alive!”

👂 Who Said My Name? · 5 min

  1. Sit on the floor with the kids. The other grown-up hides behind a chair or the tomb blanket, still in the room.
  2. The hidden grown-up calls one child’s name in a happy singsong: “El-la!” Ask, “Who said your name? Let’s look!”
  3. Peek together and find the grown-up: “Peekaboo! Sister Jones said your name!” Then call the next child.
  4. Share John 20:16: “On Easter morning, Jesus said Mary’s name, and she knew it was Him. Jesus knows your name too!”
  5. Both adults stay in the room, and the hider stays within reach. No hiding spot? Cover your eyes, call a name, then uncover.

🎵 Springtime Songs · 5 min

  1. Sing “On a Golden Springtime,” Children’s Songbook page 88. Curl up like a flower bulb and bloom open slowly with wiggly fingers.
  2. Stand up for “Popcorn Popping,” Children’s Songbook page 242. Crouch down and pop up with arms high like spring blossoms.
  3. Tap Freeze Dance on your phone or tablet. When the music stops, freeze with arms up high: “Jesus is alive!”
  4. Don’t know a tune? Play it once in the Gospel Library app. Or just chant “Curl up… pop up!” while you move.

🍞 Easter Morning Snack · 10 min

  1. Check allergies and your ward’s snack policy first. Wipe every child’s hands, and yours. Easter candy from home goes back to parents.
  2. Everyone sits to eat while an adult watches. Skip jelly beans, hard candy, popcorn, nuts, whole grapes and raw carrot chunks.
  3. Fold arms while a grown-up says a short blessing. Tell them, “Jesus shared bread with His friends at a special supper. Jesus loves you!”
  4. Ask, “Who is alive?” Raise your arms: “Jesus!” Let them say it with a mouthful of giggles.
  5. No snack today? Break a pretend loaf of bread, share a piece with everyone and say thank you to Heavenly Father.

🖍️ Easter Garden Scribble · 8 min

  1. Tape a big sheet of paper down. Draw a little cave, a big round stone rolled aside and a sun.
  2. Share John 19:41: “Jesus’s tomb was in a garden.”
  3. Give each child one chunky green, yellow or orange crayon. Every scribble is grass, a flower or sunshine: “Jesus is alive!”
  4. Write names by the scribbles and hang it by the door. No stickers, glitter, pom-poms or marker caps. Count the crayons back in.
  5. No paper or crayons? Open Draw & Guess on your phone or tablet. Hold it while each child finger-paints sunshine.

🪨 Push the Big Stone · 6 min

  1. Drape a light blanket over a small table for a cozy tomb. Stand a couch cushion in front of the opening: “This is the big stone!”
  2. Push the soft stone together with both hands: “Ugh! So heavy! Push, push!” Busy toddler muscles love heavy pushing.
  3. When it tips over, peek inside: “Empty! Jesus is alive!” Raise your arms up high.
  4. Stand the cushion back up for the next child. One child pushes at a time while the others cheer.
  5. Soft cushions only, never chairs or boxes that could fall. One adult stays at the tomb. No cushions? Kids push on your hands.

🖼️ Picture Walk: Easter Morning · 5 min

  1. Sit with a child or two in your lap. Swipe through today’s story pictures, or open a book about spring or Easter.
  2. Name one thing in each picture: “Stone! Push!” Ask, “Where’s the sun?” and let them point.
  3. Walk to the window and look at the sky, grass and flowers: “Spring is here! Everything is waking up.”
  4. Finish at the picture of Jesus Christ. Raise your arms: “Jesus is alive!”
  5. Both adults stay in the nursery room. If a child drifts off, let them go.

😴 Quiet Easter Morning · 4 min

  1. Spread out a blanket. Kids can lie down, sit or climb into a lap. Nobody has to.
  2. Play soft bells on the Sound Board with the volume low.
  3. Softly hum “He Sent His Son,” Children’s Songbook page 34, and pat backs gently.
  4. Whisper each child’s name: “Ella, Jesus is alive, and He loves you.”
  5. Upset child? Hold them, rock side to side and walk to the window together. Calm comes before learning.

👋 Run and Tell Goodbye · 5 min

  1. Five minutes before the end, gather everyone. Tell them, “Mary ran to tell her friends that Jesus is alive! Let’s tell the toys it’s time to go home.”
  2. Clean up together. Then toddle across the room to the other adult: “Jesus is alive!” Walk, tiptoe, then march.
  3. Hand each child only to their own parent or guardian. Give an arms-up cheer: “Tell Mommy that Jesus is alive!”
  4. Share today’s family note from the app, and tell parents one happy moment about their child.
  5. Kids still waiting? Play Happy Empty Boxes or read a picture book. Both adults stay until every child is picked up.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

All Nursery lessons