Palm Sunday Bible Story for Kids.
On the first Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as crowds of people waved palm branches and cheered. It was the beginning of the most important week in the Bible.
Retold by Hannah Whitford · Matthew 21 · Luke 19 · Updated July 2026
The Story of Palm Sunday Bible Story for Kids
For young children, Palm Sunday is a celebration story. People were so happy to see Jesus that they waved branches and spread their cloaks on the road. But the way Jesus arrived (humbly, on a donkey) tells children something important about the kind of king He is.
“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Matthew 21:5
“A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees, and spread them on the road.”
Matthew 21:8
“When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it…”
Luke 19:41
Quotations from the World English Bible (public domain). Read the full passage together in your own family Bible. The reference is Matthew 21 · Luke 19.
Dear God, thank You that Jesus is a humble and loving king. Help us welcome Him into our hearts the way the crowd welcomed Him into Jerusalem. Hosanna! Amen.
Palm Sunday teaches children that Jesus is a king unlike any other. He came not with power and force, but with humility and love. He rode into Jerusalem knowing what it would cost Him, because He loved people that much.
- 01Waving palm branches is a joyful, active image children love to act out.
- 02The parade-like atmosphere makes the story feel festive and exciting.
- 03The humble donkey is an endearing and memorable detail.
- 04Palm Sunday connects naturally to the Easter story that follows.
Keep the story going.
The story doesn’t have to end at the last page. Print it, memorize it, or read the next one together.
“…Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Matthew 21:9 · WEB
Take this story to the shelf.
Classic Bible stories retold in simple language with bright, engaging illustrations. Short stories perfect for winding down before sleep.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Books that pair with this story.
Hand-picked after careful research, the ones we recommend most alongside this story.
Ages 2-6 yearsThe Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories
by Zondervan
Classic Bible stories retold in simple language with bright, engaging illustrations. Short stories perfect for winding down before sleep.
Ages 4-8 yearsThe Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name
by Sally Lloyd-Jones
A beautifully illustrated Bible storybook that presents every story as part of God's great rescue plan. Perfect for bedtime with its gentle, lyrical storytelling.
Ages 4-8 yearsThe Easter Story for Children
by Max Lucado
Beautiful retelling of the Easter story with gentle illustrations. Perfect for explaining the resurrection to children.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It keeps every story and printable free.
The kind of things parents wonder.
Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, welcomed by crowds waving palm branches. Christians celebrate it because it is the beginning of Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter and the resurrection of Jesus.
Conversation starters.
Questions to ask after you read together. No right answers, just good conversation.
The crowds were cheering 'Hosanna!' What do you think they thought was about to happen?
Jesus chose to ride a donkey, not a warhorse. What does that say about the kind of king he wanted to be?
If you had been in the crowd, do you think you would have joined in or stood back and watched?
What does it mean to welcome Jesus into your life the way the crowd welcomed him into Jerusalem?
Teaching this story.
- 01This is the story to be loud with. March around the living room, wave anything branch-shaped, shout 'Hosanna!' Young children learn Palm Sunday with their whole bodies, and the Gospels describe exactly that kind of noisy, joyful crowd.
- 02Explain 'Hosanna' once and simply: it began as a cry meaning 'save us!' and had become a shout of praise and welcome. Then let it just be the happy word of the day.
- 03With ages 3–5, let Palm Sunday stay the happy chapter. There is no need to front-load the sadness coming later in the week. From about 7 up, children can handle the harder question of what the crowd expected, and how quickly cheering can change.
- 04Luke adds a detail worth reading with older children: in the middle of the celebration, Jesus saw the city and wept over it. Kids are often struck that Jesus cried during His own parade. Let them wonder about that out loud.
Handprint Palm Branches
Trace your child's hands on green paper (or white paper colored green), cut them out, and tape several to a paper-towel tube or wooden spoon so the fingers fan out like fronds. It takes ten minutes and makes a branch sturdy enough for serious waving.
The Living-Room Parade
Lay towels or old shirts down the hallway as cloaks on the road, choose a stuffed animal to be the donkey, and let your child lead the procession waving their handprint branch and shouting 'Hosanna!' Acting out the crowd's welcome is how the story sticks. Most kids will ask to do it again tomorrow.
More stories from the library.
Keep exploring.
Bible Stories in Chronological Order for Kids
See where this story fits in the full Genesis-to-Revelation reading plan: 21 stories in order with summaries, ages, and a free printable.
Browse →Easter Bible Stories
Explore the full Easter story, from Palm Sunday through the Resurrection.
Browse →Bedtime Bible Stories
Find more New Testament stories perfect for reading together at night.
Browse →These Bible story retellings are based directly on Scripture and written for children ages 3–10. Each page includes its Scripture reference so families can read the original passage together. Content is reviewed by the Childhood Bible Stories editorial team.