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Easter Plays for Kids Church: He Is Risen (Free Script)

A free Easter play for kids' church. A narrator reads Matthew 21–28 from the KJV while children act out the triumphal entry, the cross and the empty tomb.

Preschool–Grade 5

Easter Plays for Kids Church: He Is Risen (Free Script)

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Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages
Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5)
Time
7 minutes (two 20-minute rehearsals)
Scripture
Matthew 21:8–11; Matthew 26:26–28; Matthew 27:45–66; Matthew 28:1–10
Bible story
The Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday)The Last SupperJesus Dies on the CrossJesus Is Alive! (The Resurrection)

What you need

  • A Bible or this script for the narrator
  • Leafy branches (real or paper) and old coats or towels for the crowd
  • A small table, a loaf of bread and a cup for the supper
  • A plain cross (two boards or a large paper cross) at the back of the stage
  • A cardboard "stone" big enough for two children to roll aside, in front of a doorway or sheet "tomb"
  • Bathrobes and towels for everyone; a long white robe for the angel

Steps

  1. Give every child a part. The crowd, disciples and keepers can be any number, so nobody is left out.
  2. No child plays Jesus. The narrator reads His words from the Bible, and the cast faces the cross or the tomb.
  3. Rehearse twice, about 20 minutes each. Practice walking to each spot more than the lines.
  4. End with everyone saying Matthew 28:6 together, then sing the chorus of Low in the Grave He Lay.

A free Easter play for kids' church, made for little ones and older kids together. A narrator reads the Easter story straight from Matthew in the King James Bible while the children act it out: the crowds crying "Hosanna", the Last Supper, the cross, the sealed tomb and the angel at the empty tomb. Most children have one short line or a simple motion, so it works with just two rehearsals.

No child plays Jesus. Out of reverence, the narrator reads His words from the Bible, and the cast faces the cross or the tomb when He speaks.

How it runs (about 7 minutes):

  1. Hosanna! The crowd spreads garments and branches in the way (Matthew 21:8–11).
  2. The Last Supper: the bread and the cup (Matthew 26:26–30).
  3. The cross: darkness over the land, and the centurion says, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:45–54).
  4. The tomb: Joseph lays Jesus in his own new tomb, and it is sealed and watched (Matthew 27:57–66).
  5. He is risen! The angel rolls back the stone, and Jesus meets the women (Matthew 28:1–10).
  6. Finale: everyone says Matthew 28:6 and sings Low in the Grave He Lay.

Tips for directors

  • Lines are short on purpose. If a child freezes, the narrator says the line with them. Nobody minds.
  • Costumes: bathrobes, towels and rope belts for everyone; a long white robe for the angel. Keep every costume modest and ankle-length.
  • Practice the walking, not the words. Tape an X on the floor for the table, the cross and the tomb.
  • Keep the cross scene quiet and short. Dim the lights if you can, and let the stillness speak.

Matthew 28:6 is the memory verse of our Jesus Is Alive! story set, so the play, lesson, craft and puzzles all teach the same verse. See also The Triumphal Entry, The Last Supper and Jesus Dies on the Cross, the Resurrection Sunday poems, and the whole Easter program for small churches.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this Easter play?

About 7 minutes. The narrator carries the story with short King James readings from Matthew, and the children say one line each or do a simple motion.

Who plays Jesus?

No one. Out of reverence, Jesus is never played by a child in this play. The narrator reads His words from the Bible, and the cast turns toward the cross or the tomb when He speaks.

How many children can be in it?

Anywhere from 8 to 30. The angel, the centurion, Joseph and the two Marys are single parts; the crowd, the disciples and the keepers can be as many as you have.

Is everything in the play from the Bible?

Yes. The whole play follows Matthew 21–28 in order, and the narrator reads the King James text. The children's lines are the Bible's own words or short lines that say only what the passage says.

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