Palm Sunday and Holy Week for Kids

Palm Sunday is where it all begins — the most important week in the whole Bible, the week that carries us from a joyful parade all the way to an empty tomb. It's a lot to walk kids through, but it's worth every minute. Here's a simple way to do it.

The Story in One Minute

Picture the scene: Jesus rides into Jerusalem, not on a warhorse, but on a young donkey. The crowd goes wild — they're throwing their cloaks on the road, waving palm branches, shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" It looks exactly like a king arriving. And it is — just not the kind of king anyone expected. You can read the full account in Matthew 21:1-11.

A Prophecy Fulfilled

Here's something that always lands well with kids: hundreds of years before this happened, the prophet Zechariah described this exact moment — a King coming "gentle and riding on a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). Point that out. It's a great, concrete way to show them that God's promises really do come true, even when we have to wait a very long time for them.

The Big Idea for Kids

Jesus is a humble King who came to save us, not to rule by force.

Try this contrast with your class: earthly kings show up with warhorses and armies. Jesus showed up on a borrowed donkey. That's not weakness — that's exactly the kind of King the Bible had been promising all along.

Walking Through Holy Week

Once Palm Sunday's covered, you can give kids a simple map of the whole week:

• Palm Sunday — Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of "Hosanna!"
• Holy Monday–Wednesday — Jesus teaches in the temple and prepares His followers for what's coming
• Maundy Thursday — the Last Supper, where Jesus shares bread and cup with His disciples
• Good Friday — Jesus is crucified for our sins
• Easter Sunday — Jesus rises from the dead, alive forever

For the Easter Sunday activities, hop over to our Easter Bible activities guide — it picks up right where this one leaves off.

Activity Ideas by Age

Ages 3–5. Hand out palm branches (or paper ones) to wave, plus a simple donkey coloring page. Practice shouting "Hosanna!" together — they'll love this part.

Ages 6–8. A story-sequence sheet putting the events of Holy Week in order, or a word search built around the week's key words.

Ages 9–12. A crossword or true-or-false quiz covering the whole week — and it's worth pausing to ask why the same crowd cheering on Sunday went quiet by Friday.

Free Palm Sunday & Holy Week Worksheets

Ready to print something for Sunday morning? Generate a full set for the triumphal entry — word search, crossword, coloring page, story sequence, and scripture memory — matched to your class's age in about 30 seconds.

Create free Palm Sunday worksheets →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Palm Sunday? It's the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of "Hosanna," which kicks off the final week before His death and resurrection.

What happens during Holy Week? Palm Sunday, the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, the crucifixion on Good Friday, and the resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Where can I get Palm Sunday printables? You can generate custom, print-ready worksheets for Matthew 21 with GraceSheetKids.

References

• Matthew 21:1-11 — Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem
• Zechariah 9:9 — the prophecy of a humble King on a donkey
• Luke 24 — Easter and the empty tomb, the end of Holy Week

Scripture references above are paraphrased in simple, age-appropriate language rather than quoting a specific Bible translation.