A Palm Sunday Play
Palm Sunday is a joyous celebration of Jesus’s triumphant return to Jerusalem, in contrast to the mixture of emotions in the events to come. You can bring some of the excitement and anticipation into your home by acting out the story with your family!
The scripture passage we’re working with is Luke 19:28-38. The folks at Ministry-To-Children.com have turned the words into a script, assigning lines to Jesus, his disciples, the crowd, the owner of the donkey, and a narrator. You can access a PDF of the script here. If you have MORE people in your play, you can have multiple narrators or an actual crowd! If you have fewer, everyone can play multiple roles – just be sure to make BIG acting choices so it’s clear who you are at each moment.
Before you begin, read the script together and talk about what each line means. The words of this particular passage are fairly accessible, but you can simplify them as needed. Then assign roles and get started! Costumes can be as simple as picking one item you already own that helps you feel like your character. You can also make your own props, which can be as basic or as “extra” as you’d like. At the very least, make some palm wavers for the crowd – the easiest version we’ve seen can be made by accordion folding green construction paper, then taping one end into a handle and fanning out the other end. Cut a “v” shape into every other crease, and you’re all set to use them in your play.
Rehearse a few times, then it’s time to perform! If everyone in your home is acting in the play and you don’t have an audience to watch you, you can set up a phone to record your performance and then watch it back later. Just be sure to be kind to yourselves when you watch – it’s often easy to find things to criticize in our own performance, but much more valuable to learn to appreciate your hard work and creativity.
Afterward, unpack the experience together. What was it like for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem with a mix of triumph and humility, knowing what was to come? What was it like for the crowd to wave their palms in celebration of Jesus? Do you understand the story better now that you’ve been part of it? Hopefully the answer to the last question is yes!
If you find other ways to get creative with your Palm Sunday play, please share them with us! We’d love to hear about your family’s performance in person or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
