Palm Sunday: A Family Tradition of Re-enactment

Children love to role play and re-enact what they read.  In our house, it’s pretty common to see our boys running around with capes, helmets, and swords pretending to be their favorite superhero. What I love about re-enacting Palm Sunday is that it builds muscle memory in their brains of what the remembrance of Palm Sunday symbolizes.

What is Palm Sunday?

It is the day that the Triumphal Entry happened. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Furthermore when he entered he was greeted like a king and people took palm branches and waved them and even threw their precious garments in front of the donkey so it had a path to walk.

John 12:12-13 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” 

How to Re-Enact the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday

We choose to do this re-enactment on the actual day of the year it is observed. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter Sunday.

Supplies You’ll Need:

• A Bible turned to John 12:12-15
• Head Coverings. We use old pillowcases or towels.
• A tie to keep the head covering on. We use leashes, belts or other scarves.
• A donkey. We’ve used a person who is willing to play the donkey or even a rocking horse. If you have a big dog, it could be the donkey too!
• Green construction paper that’s cut into the shape of palm branches. You could also use real palm branches.
• Clothes to gently throw on the ground before the donkey.
• Someone willing to ride the donkey and play Jesus.
• A pacifier. As you can see from my pictures this is a very important element. {Just kidding – you don’t really need this!}

The Process to Go Through

First, read the passage in the Bible in John 12:12-15 to help everyone understand what part they will be acting out. To role-play the Triumphal Entry you will have someone ride on the donkey and at least two other onlookers wave their created palm branches while they shout, “Hosanna, Glory to God in the Highest.” as the person on the “donkey” rides by. The onlookers will also throw clothes on the path in front of the donkey while it goes by.

We like to take turns in the roles people play. Everyone always wants to ride on the donkey and then be the donkey!

What We Talk About After We Role Play

1. The meaning of the word Hosanna which means to express adoration, joy or praise.
2. Jesus being the bread of life therefore when we come to him we will never be thirsty John 6:35  And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
3. The prophetic importance of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey and not a horse. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and consequently, He rode into town, on a very momentous day, on an animal that was symbolic of peace. Riding in on a horse would have symbolized going to war. Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”
4. The significance of Passover in ancient Bible times since Jesus has come to make a new covenant with Jews and Gentiles. We talk about this because Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, or the week of Passover, which is the week Jesus’ ministry here on earth culminates.

Choosing to Re-enact the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday

You’ll find this activity to be so much fun and so rewarding while you concrete Jesus’ Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday. Your family will learn what Hosanna means and as a result what Holy Week or Passover week is, as well as the significance of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey. This will be a family tradition that your children will look forward to being a part of year after year!