For 40 days your family has fasted, prayed, and given generously. These labors prepare our hearts to taste and see the goodness of our risen Lord. Remember that Easter is not just one day or even one week. Easter is a season of 50 days, celebrated until Pentecost. Pope John Paul II once said, “We are a resurrection people, and Alleluia is our song.”
Find ways to continue celebrating Easter beyond this week and beyond baskets of candy. How have your Lenten practices prepared you to experience Jesus anew? How might you continue living some of the positive faith practices you prioritized during Lent? What would your Family Life look like if you practiced living in the joy of the Resurrection with the same vigor that you practiced living the penances of Lent?
50 Days of Easter: Ideas for Living the Resurrection as a family
The ideas in this list will not fit every family situation or schedule, nor are they meant to be practiced in entirety. Pick and choose what works best for your family. These practices are intended to be fun and enjoyable — so only choose what brings joy and life into your family. Most of the ideas in this list are not specific to the day or order listed (except as indicated in bold, pertaining to feast days). Happy Easter!
Be inspired to try something new. Prayerfully consider how Christ may be calling you into newness of life — individually and as a family unit. Live the Easter Resurrection!
50 Days of Easter
- April 21: Easter Sunday: Attend Mass together with your family (Ascension Easter Mass times: 8am, 10am. and Noon). Enjoy the sweets and bunny, but emphasize the Lamb!
- April 22: Make homemade dessert. For busy families, don’t overdo! A basic cookie recipe or rice crispy treats will suffice!
- April 23: Make something creative with all of those left-over, hard-boiled Easter Eggs.
- April 24: Try this simple Easter Cross Craft.
- April 25: Create a Resurrection Garden
- April 26: Go for a family bike ride on the trails.
- April 27: Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet with your family.
- April 28: Divine Mercy Sunday: Celebrate with a Holy Hour here at Ascension.
- April 29: Have you signed your kids up for Vacation Bible School yet?
- April 30: Register for Family Day at Prairie Star Ranch (May 5th)
- May 1: May Day: Celebrate May Day by leaving a small bunch of flowers or a sweet treat on a neighbor’s porch.
- May 2: Kansas planting weather is in full swing! Plant something with your family. If you don’t have a particularly green thumb, start simple. Try potting fresh herbs (basil and mint grow easily) or plant a row of impatiens. For more adventurous growers, check out these ideas for a Marian Garden.
- May 3: Take a tour of the Brookside Art Fair
- May 4: Ribs for Kids at McGonigles
- May 5: Family Day at Prairie Star Ranch: If you like Trail Hiking, Fishing, Rosary Walks, Yard Games, Giant Inflatables, Gaga Ball, Tower Power, Pole Corral Rides, or Horseback Riding, then try Family Day at Prairie Star Ranch. Gates open at 9:00 am.
- May 6: See a family Movie together
- May 7: Fly a kite
- May 8: Plan a May Crowning
- May 9: Ride The Ferris Wheel at Scheels
- May 10: Hold a family brainstorming session for summer fun. Find ideas here.
- May 11: Try the Lenexa Art Fair (enjoy music, festivities, and a family friendly atmosphere)
- May 12: Mother’s Day
- May 13: Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
- May 14: Go out for ice cream with your family (Quicktrip has $0.59 soft serve cones!)
- May 15: Find new ways to emphasize and experience faith as a family during the coming summer.
- May 16: Visit Deanna Rose Children’s Farm (free after 2 pm, M-Th)
- May 17: Choose Summer reading at your local library or at Trinity House
- May 18: Do something Free!
- May 19: Church Hop (visit a historic Catholic church in KC Metro).
- May 20: Take a family break from screen time
- May 21: Make time for yourself
- May 22: Plan a summer splurge
- May 23: Go to Reconciliation as a family
- May 24: Go the Extra Mile with a Day Trip
- May 25: Ascension Couples Golf
- May 26: Arbor Day in Overland Park OR take your family to the Symphony (in an atmosphere any family can handle)
- May 27: Find more ways to keep your summer faith filled
- May 28: Spring clean and donate your extras to Catholic Charities or another charity.
- May 29: Take your child on a “Date”
- May 30: Feast of the Ascension Start a Family Novena to prepare for Pentecost (Join yourselves with Jesus’s Apostles and followers who prayed for the 9 days between the Ascension and Pentecost). Or, pray one decade of the Rosary as a family.
- May 31: Feast of the Visitation Share a guided family prayer/discussion or pray a decade of the Rosary together.
- June 1: Enjoy Rose Day at Jacob Loose Park OR Pick berries at the Vaile Mansion Strawberry Festival
- June 2: Plan a family movie night at home.
- June 3: Vacation Bible School Starts today!
- June 4: Stay Close to Home
- June 5: Reset your outlook to take more positive notice of your child.
- June 6: Take your family to Old Shawnee Days
- June 7: Compose a thoughtful handwritten note for your child or spouse. Place it under their pillow or in a place they will find on their own.
- June 8: Reconnect with a friend of family member that you have not seen in a while.
- June 9: Pentecost
