The following is taken from Faith Magazine: https://faithmag.com/celebrating-holy-week-home

If children are in the home, include them in the planning and preparation for Holy Week. This may mean something as simple as deciding who will lead prayer or proclaim the readings of the day. You can use the daily readings at usccb.org/readings or find the stories in a children’s Bible for younger children. Depending on their ages and your situation, it can include planning how to prepare the worship environment, deciding what meals you will share or what activities to participate in each day. Talk about each of the days of Holy Week and ask them what symbols come to mind. Have them gather or create the symbols, possibly assigning the preparation for each day to each child. The symbols can be displayed on the dining table or on a designated prayer table on the appropriate days.

Palm Sunday
Leaves, branches 

Holy Thursday
Bread, cup, basin, pitcher and towel

Good Friday 
Bare cross, crown of thorns

Easter Vigil     
Candles, water, Bible, bottle of oil, bread and cup of wine

Easter Sunday
Cross with draped cloth, flowers, butterflies, eggs

 

Family Activity Ideas

 

Palm Sunday

Read the Passion aloud together, using a children’s Bible if more appropriate for your children, assigning speaking parts for children who are readers.

Holy Thursday

Read the Scripture readings aloud or celebrate a Liturgy of the Word Service. Share a Meal; Wash each other’s feet.

Good Friday

Pray the Stations of the Cross aloud together, taking turns reading.  Use pictures or symbols to mark each station and place around your home or yard. Sing “Were You There” as you process from station to station. Print and video resources are available online, or write your own.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0qv7c4PsrA

www.wau.org/resources/article/re_stations_cross_kids/
 

Easter Vigil

Color eggs together. Eggs are a symbol of new life. If you didn’t get dye, experiment with onion or vegetable skins, powdered drink mix or jello.

Make Victory Crosses. Decorate crosses to celebrate Christ’s victory over death, not just for Him, but for all of us. Use craft materials you have at home. Crosses can be made from craft sticks, cardboard cut into shapes and glued together, or plain paper. Decorations for the crosses can be stick-on or glued-on items, cut-out symbols, copied and colored, or drawn by hand. Symbols can be:

 

The Sun – source of light and warmth, light overcomes the darkness.

Water – necessary for all living things.

Heart – symbol of the love God has for us and love we are called to share with others.

Vine/branches – symbol of our connectedness to Jesus and each other.

Bread – Jesus is the bread of life, nourishing us in the Eucharist.

Grapes – the fruit that becomes the blood, sign of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

Dove – sign of the Holy Spirit, who remains to lift and guide us as disciples of Jesus.

Butterfly – sign of transformation from life to death and the glorious resurrection into a new life that never ends.

Watch the sunset together; process outside after dark; light a candle or bonfire and talk about the significance of the Paschal candle. Talk about how Jesus is light and hope for people, even when they feel alone, or lost or surrounded by darkness.

Easter —

Have an Easter Egg Hunt or Egg Roll. The egg represents the stone being rolled away from the tomb.