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Jesus Is Alive!

Waving branches, a big stone rolled away, and the happiest empty tomb on Easter morning

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

Jesus died for me and rose again. He is alive!

I can tell someone, “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 (Matthew 21:8–9). He ate a special supper with His Apostles and gave them the first sacrament. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He suffered for our sins and sorrows. He was crucified and laid in a tomb. And on Sunday morning He rose again (Matthew 26–28; John 20).

Your one tiny truth for today: Jesus is alive! Tell the hard part very simply and gently: “Jesus chose to die because He loves us. His friends were very sad.” Three-year-olds don’t need details. Then spend your energy on Sunday morning: the stone rolled away, the angel said, “He is not here: for he is risen,” and Mary heard Jesus say her name (John 20:11–16).

Because Jesus rose again, everyone will live again someday (1 Corinthians 15:22). Some little ones have lost a grandparent or a pet. If a child mentions it, you can say, “Because Jesus is alive, we will see the people we love again.”

Children can be the crowd, the friends, the stone rollers and even the angel. Nobody plays Jesus: you read His words, and in the Mary scene you can say “Mary” in a warm, gentle voice. Keep the room joyful and end with a quiet, happy testimony.

Only have 5 minutes?

Open an empty box (or empty cupped hands): “It’s empty, and that’s happy news!” Tell the story with your phone or tablet scenes (wave branches, push the heavy stone, jump up for “He is risen!”), play Roll the Stone Away, say “He is not here: for he is risen” with the motions, and end by saying, “Jesus is alive. I know it’s true.”

What to bring6 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 set it beside your chair for the hook.
  2. Cut or gather a green strip or scarf for each child to wave in the Hosanna scene.
  3. Clear a space for the stone game: a chair turned sideways makes a great pretend tomb.
  4. Open this lesson in Teach Mode so the story pictures and the rumble, fanfare and cheer sounds are ready.
  5. Think of one simple sentence you want to share about why you know Jesus is alive.

If your class is wild

  • Crying at the door? Let the parent stay a few minutes. Give the child a job: “Can you hold the special box for me?” A job helps a lot. If tears keep going, a parent can sit in the back.
  • Potty breaks: have one grown-up (a class helper or a parent) take the child; never be alone out of sight with a child. Keep going with everyone else.
  • Easter candy and new clothes can make the room extra wiggly. Start with the Hosanna scene so they can wave and shout right away, then bring it down slowly.
  • For the sad scene, lower your voice and slow down, then say quickly, “But wait! Something wonderful happens on Sunday!” Don’t linger.
  • Your call-back for today: say, “Jesus is…” and the children shout, “Alive!” Then fold arms. Practice it at the start.

The 25-minute plan22 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

The Happy Empty Box

2 min

An empty box builds suspense and turns “empty” into the happiest word of the day.

  1. Hold up the closed box. Whisper: “There’s something very special about this box. Let’s count and open it!”
  2. Count together, “One… two… three!” Open the lid slowly. Look inside and gasp: “It’s empty!”
  3. Let each child peek in: “Empty!”
  4. SAY“Usually empty is sad. But today we’ll hear about something empty that made everyone SO happy!”
🌪️ If everyone crowds the box, walk it around the circle so each child gets a turn to peek.

Class screen: 📦 What’s in the box?

No supplies? Do this instead

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

Empty Hands

  1. Cup your hands together tightly like a little box. Whisper: “There’s something special in my hands. Let’s count and open them!”
  2. Count together, “One… two… three!” Open your hands slowly. Gasp: “They’re empty!”
  3. Everyone makes cupped hands, counts and opens them: “Empty!”
  4. SAY“Usually empty is sad. But today we’ll hear about something empty that made everyone SO happy!”

Class screen: 🤲 What’s in my hands?

2. Story

Story: The First Easter Morning

6 min

Children move from waving to quiet to sad to joyful, so they feel how happy Easter morning is.

  1. Hand out the branches. Pick two Stone Rollers and an Angel Helper. Say: “Everyone else is Jesus’s friends!”
  2. Show each scene on your phone or tablet and read the one or two sentences.
  3. Do each action together. Go slowly in scenes 2–5, and speed up with joy in scenes 6–8.
  4. In scene 8, say “Mary” in a warm, gentle voice before everyone shouts.
  5. End by saying the tiny truth together: “Jesus is alive!”
🌪️ If the Hosanna scene gets wild, say, “Branches down!” and have everyone lay them on the floor for the quiet scenes.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🌅 Jesus is alive! · 🌿 Hosanna! · 🪨 Roll away! · 👼 He is risen!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Green paper strips, scarves or small towels to wave like branches

  1. Pick two Stone Rollers and an Angel Helper. Say: “Everyone else is Jesus’s friends!”
  2. Show each scene on your phone or tablet and read the one or two sentences. In scene 1, everyone waves both arms high like branches.
  3. Do each action together. Go slowly in scenes 2–5, and speed up with joy in scenes 6–8.
  4. In scene 8, say “Mary” in a warm, gentle voice before everyone shouts.
  5. End by saying the tiny truth together: “Jesus is alive!”
3. Wiggle break

Sunrise Stretch

2 min

Burns energy and turns Easter morning into a big, happy stretch.

  1. Everyone curls up small on the floor like the dark night.
  2. SAY“Here comes the sun on Easter morning!” Rise up slowly: knees, then standing, then arms up high like the sun.
  3. At the top, jump and shout, “Jesus is alive!”
  4. Play 3 times. The last time, come back down very slowly and sit.

Class screen: ☀️ Rise up like the sun!

4. Scripture

Key Words: “He Is Risen”

3 min

Seven words with motions help the children remember the angel’s happy news.

  1. Hold up your scriptures. Say: “These words are from the Bible. An angel said them on Easter morning.”
  2. Say it slowly with the motions: “He is not here” (shake head, empty hands) “for he is risen” (arms slowly up high).
  3. Say it together three ways: in a whisper, in a happy angel voice, and in a big cheering voice.
  4. SAY“The tomb was empty because Jesus is alive!”

Class screen: 📖 “He is not here: for he is risen” · 🤲 He is not here · 🙌 for he is risen

5. Game

Roll the Stone Away

3 min

Children take turns rolling away the stone and finding the tomb empty, over and over.

  1. Turn a chair sideways for the tomb. One child curls up in a ball in front of it: the big stone.
  2. Everyone counts, “One… two… three!” The stone rolls away across the floor (gently!).
  3. Everyone peeks into the “tomb” and shouts, “Empty! He is risen!”
  4. Let a new child be the stone each round. Play 4 or 5 rounds.
🌪️ Only one stone rolls at a time. Everyone else keeps their bottoms on the floor until it’s time to peek.

Class screen: 🪨 Roll the stone! Is it empty?

6. Song

Easter Song

2 min

Singing an Easter song calms the room and repeats the tiny truth.

  1. SAY“Let’s sit down and sing a happy Easter song.”
  2. Sing “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (Children’s Songbook, 64). Raise your arms up slowly each time you sing about Jesus living again.
  3. End by whispering together: “Jesus is alive!”

Class screen: 🎵 Sing: Jesus lives!

7. Talk it over

Jesus Is Alive!

2 min

Children say the Easter story back in their own tiny words.

  1. Hold up the picture of Jesus. Say: “This is Jesus. He is alive!”
  2. Ask the questions one at a time. Any answer, even a point or a nod, gets a smile and a “Yes!”
  3. SAY“Because Jesus is alive, someday everyone will live again. That’s the happiest news in the whole world!”
💬 Ask the class
  • Show me how the angel rolled the big stone!
  • Was the tomb full or empty?
  • What did Jesus say to Mary? (“Mary!”)
  • Who can you tell, “Jesus is alive”?

Class screen: 💛 Jesus is alive!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A picture of Jesus (from the Friend magazine, a printout from the Gospel Library app, or the ward library)

  1. Raise your arms up high. Say: “Jesus is alive!”
  2. Ask the questions one at a time. After each answer, everyone raises their arms and whispers, “He is risen!”
  3. SAY“Because Jesus is alive, someday everyone will live again. That’s the happiest news in the whole world!”
8. Testimony

Quiet Easter Morning

2 min

A calm, loving moment where the teacher shares a simple testimony.

  1. SAY“Let’s be very quiet, like the early morning. Fold your arms.”
  2. In a soft voice, say: “Jesus loves you so much. He died for you, and He rose again. He is alive today. I know that is true.”
  3. Name each child: “Ruby, Jesus loves you. Owen, Jesus loves you.” (Use your own class names.)
  4. Say a short closing prayer or help a child say one.

Class screen: 🌅 Jesus is alive. He loves me.

9. Game

Easter Picture Quiz

3 minBONUS

Picture questions review the story, and every child gets a turn to point.

  1. Open Scripture Showdown. Read each question and point to each picture.
  2. Children point to the right picture or call it out. No teams needed: everyone wins.
  3. After every answer, everyone raises arms and says, “He is risen!”
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🌅 Point to the right picture!

10. Game

Mystery Picture: What’s Hiding?

3 minBONUS

A slow reveal keeps them guessing and names things from the Easter story.

  1. Open Mystery Picture. Say: “Something is hiding! Let’s take the squares away.”
  2. Remove a square each time someone waves a branch or shouts, “Hosanna!”
  3. When they guess, act it out: stone = push, sun = rise, flower = bloom, bread = fold arms for the sacrament.
🧩 Mystery Picture (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ❓ What’s hiding?

11. Craft

Open the Tomb

4 minBONUS

A plate with a stone that moves lets them tell the Easter story at home.

  1. Give each child a paper plate. Help them color a dark cave opening in the middle.
  2. Attach the paper circle “stone” with a brad or a loop of tape so it can slide or turn away from the opening.
  3. SAY“Roll the stone away. Is it empty? Yes! Jesus is alive! Show your family.”

Class screen: 🖍️ Make an Easter tomb!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: For the bonus craft: one paper plate per child, crayons and a paper circle “stone” with a brad or tape

Hand Tomb

  1. Make a cave with one cupped hand. Cover it with your other fist like a big stone.
  2. Roll the fist-stone away and peek inside: “Empty! He is risen!”
  3. SAY“Take your hand tomb home and tell your family, ‘Jesus is alive!’”

Story drama

The First Easter Morning

Matthew 21:8–9; 26–28; John 20:11–18 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Everyone: The Happy CrowdWave branches (or arms) and shout, “Hosanna!” in scene 1.
  • Everyone: Jesus’s FriendsFeel sad, then jump up happy and run to tell, “Jesus is alive!”
  • Stone RollersTwo children push the big pretend stone closed, then roll it away when the angel comes.
  • Angel HelperOne child stands tall with arms up while the teacher reads the angel’s words.

Scenes

  1. 🌿 Hosanna! Jesus comes to town

    Jesus rode into the city. Happy people waved branches and shouted, “Hosanna!”

    🎬 Wave your branches (or arms) high and shout, “Hosanna!”

  2. 🍞 A special supper with His friends

    Jesus ate a special supper with His friends. He broke bread and asked them to remember Him. That was the first sacrament.

    🎬 Fold your arms quietly, like we do for the sacrament.

  3. 🙏 Jesus prays in a garden

    Jesus went to a garden to pray. He felt all our hurts and sad feelings so He could help us, because He loves us.

    🎬 Kneel down and fold your arms. Be very quiet.

  4. 💔 Jesus died because He loves us

    Then Jesus died. He chose to give His life because He loves us. His friends were very sad.

    🎬 Put your hand on your heart. Make a sad face.

  5. 🪨 A big stone closes the tomb

    His friends laid Him in a tomb, like a little cave. A great big stone closed the door.

    🎬 Push the heavy pretend stone: “Ugh! So big!”

  6. 🌅 Sunday morning, the stone is rolled away!

    Early Sunday morning, the ground shook! An angel rolled the big stone away.

    🎬 Shake, shake, shake! Then roll your hands round and round.

  7. 👼 “He is not here: for he is risen!”

    The angel said, “He is not here: for he is risen.” The tomb was empty. Jesus was alive again!

    🎬 Show empty hands, then jump up with arms high!

  8. 🥰 “Mary!” Jesus is alive!

    Mary was crying by the tomb. Then Jesus said her name: “Mary.” It was Jesus! She ran to tell everyone that Jesus is alive!

    🎬 Run in place and shout, “Jesus is alive!”

Key verse

Matthew 28:6 ↗
“He is not here: for he is risen”
In kid words: The angel said, “Jesus isn’t in the tomb. He is alive again!”
🙌 “He is not here” = shake your head and show empty hands · “for he is risen” = raise both arms slowly all the way up high.

More verses

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

Forehead Guess words12 words

  • 🌿 Branches
  • 🫏 Donkey
  • 🍞 Bread
  • 🌳 Garden
  • 🪨 Stone
  • 👼 Angel
  • 🌅 Sun
  • 🕳️ Tomb
  • 🌷 Flower
  • 💛 Heart
  • 🙏 Prayer
  • 📖 Scriptures
Clues for each word
  • Branches: The crowd waved them: Hosanna!
  • Donkey: Jesus rode one into the city
  • Bread: Jesus shared it at the special supper
  • Garden: Jesus prayed there
  • Stone: Big and heavy; the angel rolled it away
  • Angel: Said, “He is risen!”
  • Sun: It came up on Easter morning
  • Tomb: It was empty!
  • Flower: It blooms in springtime
  • Heart: Jesus loves us with all of His
  • Prayer: Jesus did this in the garden
  • Scriptures: The book with the Easter story
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown7 questions

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

    ✅ A. 🌿 Branches They waved branches and shouted, “Hosanna!”

  2. Where did Jesus pray?
    • A. 🚗 In a car
    • B. 🌳 In a garden
    • C. 🛁 In a bathtub
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🌳 In a garden Jesus prayed in a garden because He loves us.

  3. What closed the door of the tomb?
    • A. 🎈 A balloon
    • B. 🧸 A teddy bear
    • C. 🪨 A big stone
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🪨 A big stone A great big stone closed the door.

  4. Who rolled the stone away?
    • A. 👼 An angel
    • B. 🐶 A puppy
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 👼 An angel An angel rolled the stone away on Sunday morning!

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

    ✅ B. 🤲 Empty! Empty! He is not here: for He is risen!

  6. Whose name did Jesus say?
    • A. 👩 Mary
    • B. 🦖 Dino
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 👩 Mary Jesus said, “Mary,” and she knew He was alive.

  7. Is Jesus alive today?
    • A. 😢 No
    • B. 🙌 Yes!
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🙌 Yes! Yes! Jesus is alive, and He loves us.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    An Easter song that answers the big question: yes! Find it ↗

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

    A springtime Easter song about Jesus rising. Find it ↗

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

    Heavenly Father sent Jesus because He loves us. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Tell Someone!

Like Mary, tell someone this Easter week, “Jesus is alive!” Maybe a grandma, a friend or your teddy bear.

Text the parents

Today in Sunbeams we learned the Easter story: the stone was rolled away and Jesus is alive! Ask your child: “What did the angel say?” (He is risen!) Then share with your child why you are grateful that Jesus lives.

📝 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.

Got extra time?

🍞 Remember Him at the Sacrament · 2 min

  1. SAY“At His special supper, Jesus asked His friends to remember Him. That’s why we have the sacrament.”
  2. Practice sacrament hands: arms folded, eyes looking down, quiet mouths.
  3. SAY“When we take the sacrament, we can think, ‘Jesus loves me. Jesus is alive.’”

🌷 Spring Flower Surprise · 2 min

  1. Show a real spring flower or a picture of one. Say: “In winter, plants look like they’re gone. In spring, they come back!”
  2. Everyone curls up like a flower bulb, then blooms open slowly with wiggly petal fingers.
  3. SAY“Spring reminds us of Easter. Jesus rose again, and because of Him, everyone will live again.”

🏃 Run and Tell · 2 min

  1. SAY“Mary ran to tell the other friends that Jesus was alive!”
  2. Children stand on one side of the room. Say, “Go!” and everyone runs (or walks fast) to the other side and says, “Jesus is alive!”
  3. Play 3 rounds: walk, tiptoe and hop.

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.

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