12 Simple Lent Activities for Families
- Give up something as a family. Jesus fasted for 40 days. That is a very long time! It would be meaningful to teach your children about fasting by giving up something for the entire Lenten season or on Fridays during Lent. It could be giving up desserts, not going out to eat, or drinking only water. The key is that it has to be something you enjoy and want to do/eat/have. If you hate brussels sprouts and decide to give them up during Lent, you may need to reevaluate.
- 40 bags in 40 days. Instead of or in addition to giving up something for Lent, you could purge a bag's worth of stuff every day during Lent. You choose the size of the bag, and you should definitely make it a family affair. (Unless, of course, you are purging toys or something, and then maybe you don't want to get the kids involved. ha!) Just think of how clean your home will be by Easter!
- Build a Lenten Cross. Similar to an Advent wreath, you light one or more candles each night during dinner for the entire Lenten season. I want to get this going with my family this year.
- Observe Passover with a Christian Passover Dinner (Sedar).
(childrensministry.com/unique-Passover-meals) - Read Lent/Easter books. Some favorites are
The Tale of the Three Trees
Petook: An Easter Story
The Selfish Giant - Read the Bible together every day. You should be reading the Bible with your kids every day, and this would be a great opportunity to focus on the ministry of Jesus.
- Make a set of Resurrection Eggs. Take the plastic Easter eggs and let the children fill them with little trinkets that relate to the Easter story. (crucifix, folded prayer cards, butterflies, small stones, etc.) and explain why each is in the egg.
- Make a prayer chain. Write a person or situation on each of 40 strips of paper. Assemble them into a paper chain. Remove one link per day,and pray for that thing with your kids.
- Serve 40 ways in 40 days. Each day have a specific way for the children to serve someone other than themselves.
- Grow something. Teach the children that something wonderful can grow from something dead and ugly. There are lots of spring bulbs and seeds in stores already, so you should be able to get some inexpensively.
- Write a thank you note to your priests. Help your kids to thank him or her for teaching them about Jesus's death and resurrection.
- Bake pretzels. Pretzels were first baked during Lent because they can be made with only water, flour, and salt. The shape came from a posture of prayer, with arms crossed and hands on opposite shoulders. A monk made dough into this criss-crossed shape, and the pretzel was born!
No matter how you choose to observe Lent with your kids, the key is that you actually do it. Talk to your kids about Jesus, about His sacrifice, about their Savior, today.
Stations of the Cross at Visitation
Wednesday 7PM: 3/13, 20, 27, 4/3, 10, 17 in the Chapel
Friday 4PM: 3/8, 15, 22, 29, 4/5, 12 in the Church