Family Easter Devotions: Holy Week in 15 Minutes a Day

Holy Week is the most important week of the Christian year and the one most parents skip. Here's a plan that gets your family through it without exhausting anyone.

Palm Sunday to Wednesday

Each night, read one short passage from the day in Jesus' life that week. Matthew 21, Matthew 22, Matthew 24, Matthew 26. 5 verses, one question, one prayer.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

Thursday: read John 13 (foot washing). Friday: read Luke 23 (the cross). Light a candle Thursday, extinguish it Friday. Let the somberness sit.

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday: quiet. Read nothing. Wait. Sunday: read Luke 24, sing loud, eat well. This is the whole gospel in seven days. Then pick up your regular [family devotional rhythm](https://getarkquest.com/blog/family-devotional-ideas) the following week.

Frequently asked questions

Is Good Friday too heavy for young kids?

It shouldn't be sanitized, but it can be gentle. Keep the reading short and let the tone of the room do most of the teaching.

Do we have to do all seven days?

No. Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday alone is a complete Holy Week for a young family.

Related family devotion topics

Different season, same family? These sister guides go deeper on specific ages, times of day, and seasons:

- [Thanksgiving Family Devotions: 7 Days of Gratitude With Kids](https://getarkquest.com/blog/thanksgiving-family-devotions) — A seven-day family devotional plan for the week of Thanksgiving — one gratitude practice, one verse, one prayer per day. - [Summer Family Devotions: Keeping the Rhythm When Routines Break](https://getarkquest.com/blog/summer-family-devotions) — A relaxed summer family devotion plan — one outdoor verse, one weekly Bible story, one gratitude prayer per day. - [Back-to-School Family Devotions: A First 30 Days Reset](https://getarkquest.com/blog/back-to-school-family-devotions) — A 30-day family devotion plan for the start of the school year — a verse a week, a nightly prayer, and one weekly Sabbath-lite rhythm. - [Family Devotions on Gratitude: 4-Week Plan for Building the Reflex](https://getarkquest.com/blog/family-devotions-on-gratitude) — A four-week family devotion series on gratitude — with weekly psalms, a gratitude jar, and daily thanks-round at dinner.

Keep going

This post is one slice of a bigger picture. For the full playbook of ten tested ideas across every age and every season, read [10 family devotional ideas that actually work with young kids](https://getarkquest.com/blog/family-devotional-ideas).

Want a running start tonight? [Try today's free ArkQuest daily quest](https://getarkquest.com/quest-of-the-day) — one verse, one question, five minutes, no signup — or [create a free family account](https://getarkquest.com) and set your first weekly verse quest in under a minute.