Wow, Lent kind of snuck up on me this year. I only clued in this morning when Jen posted a happy mardi gras post .
So today, I’ve been brainstorming/researching a few ideas to do with my boys.
Some Quick Lenten Ideas for the Kids:
A Prayer Centerpiece – this idea is more for me I think
… Voila:
Simple Child Friendly Explanations
A Paper Chain – 40 links that we will use with an activity and scripture reading. I got the idea from a friend who is using a paper chain with her son to count down to their trip to Disney. (apparently I have only a sheet and a half of purple construction paper, so it will be a little smaller than I had hoped!)
The activity will be the giving jar below
Scripture: From Domestic Church (see below for the full list)
Giving Jar – “Each day the kids will count an item in our house (pillows, windows, picture frames, etc.) and we’ll put that number of coins in the giving jar.” At the end we will donate the money to a pro-life organization, most likely local.
Crown of Thorns – this one’s a maybe, but I really like the idea.
“Each time that child does a good deed or makes a sacrifice during lent, they get to remove a thorn from the crown. “
Resurrection Eggs – I hope I can get these made this year.
Easter Story Cookies – I’ve been itching to try these with my kids since last year!
———————————————————————————————————————————-
For myself it will be fairly simple. I do not feel I can handle even a modified liturgy of the hours this year with the little baby, so I’ve opted for a shorter version, I will read through a station of the cross each day as an act of increasing my prayer time. I have also been reminded that almsgiving need not require monatary donations, although that is certainly good as well. However, I feel called to focus more on giving alms to my family, so (and I wrote it on my calendar) I will try to be extra patient and loving, with the kids and with my husband (and hopefully anyone else I meet!). The coins for the giving jar, probably pennies but we’ll have to see what we have around, will largely come out of my pocket, and I may put a donation in with the lenten folder they give out each year.
For fasting, I will be off the internet tomorrow for Ash Wednesday and off the computer entirely on Good Friday. As an extra friday penance (because eating meat doesn’t feel like a pseical sacrifice when I’ve been doing it al year) I am going to try to go without seasoning on my food on fridays (this will include herbs, spices and of course salt and pepper.) I’m intrigued by the bread and butter fast but since I’m nursing again that is not an option, but this seems the next most penitiential, and I’m sure it will be good for me. I will also go without the chai lattes I’ve been making, though I haven’t had them as much lately, AND I will make a serious effort to not go back to sleep when I first wake up after 7 (be it as DH goes out the door, or shortly after). This will hopefully give me a bit of quality quiet time first thing in the morinng, that as of late I have not been getting without interruptions, due to seeming to need extra sleep.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
UPDATE Mar 3:
I have been faithful to doing this every day – even if they’re already tucked up in bed, despite missing a few days of my own prayertime. Their level of attention for even a short reading is frustrating, but at least I’m walking the journey through the scripture myself 
The kids still need some help with the counting, especially if they stop or take too much of a break. Even when I remind them where we left off, they get confused and can’t seem to continue, At least it’s certainly giving them a lot of practice. Also, some things we have quite a lot of, so they’re also learning that there are numbers beyond 10
Our countdown chain:
Bible time:
Counting Toy Engines
Counting out coins:
Our giving jar is really filling up
———————————————————————————————————————————-
Scripture Verses:
Ash Wednesday Even Now (Joel 2:12-13) Image: ashes – as in the sign we receive on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday
2nd Day of Lent (Thursday) Original sin (Genesis 3:1-20) Image: an apple, or a small plastic snake
3rd Day (Friday) Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-12) Image: two men, one standing with his fist raised
4th Day (Saturday) Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6:5-13, 9:8-11) Image: picture of Noah’s ark
——————————————————————————–
5th Day (Monday) Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18) Image: a lamb
6th Day (Tuesday) Jesus and Abraham (John 8:31-40) Image: a chain – symbol of the slavery Christ frees us from
7th Day (Wednesday) Moses and the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-21) Image: picture of the two tablets
8th Day (Thursday) The Covenant with Abraham and Moses (Jeremiah 31:31-33) Image: an outstretched hand
9th Day (Friday) A New Covenant (Luke 22:15-20) Image: two hands clasped together
10th Day (Saturday) 2 Great Commandments (Matthew 22:34-40) Image: notice of the two great commandments
——————————————————————————–
11th Day (Monday) Forty Years in the Desert (Numbers 14:2-4, 10-112, 17-19, 33-34) Image: small piece of bread to represent manna
12th Day (Tuesday) Forty Days in the Desert (Luke 4:1-13) Image: a stone/picture of a city to represent Satan’s temptation
13th Day (Wednesday) The Day of the Lord (Joel 2:10-16) Image: a trumpet
14th Day (Thursday) Jonas and the Whale (Jonah 1:1 – 4:11) Image: a plastic whale or fish, a picture of a large whale
15th Day (Friday)Whom Shall I send? (Isaiah 6:8-10) Image: a red coal
16th Day (Saturday) Trust and Rescue (Psalm 22) Image: a small globe
——————————————————————————–
17th Day (Monday) Prophetic Role of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1: 4-8, 3:12-15) Image: a shepherd’s staff
18th Day (Tuesday)Story of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-12) Image: a chariot and horses
19th Day (Wednesday) Story of Elisha (2 Kings 4:38-44) Image: basket of bread and fishes
20th Day (Thursday) Loaves and Fishes (Mark 6:34-44) Image: basket of bread and fish
21th Day (Friday) Gabriel and the Anointed One (Daniel 9:15-24) Image: a picture of the angel Gabriel
22nd Day (Saturday) Anointing of David (1Sam. 16:1-13) Image: a horn or jug of oil
——————————————————————————–
23rd Day (Monday) Anointing at Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13) Image: vial of perfume
24th Day (Tuesday) John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17, 80) Image: pitcher of water
25th Day (Wednesday) Prophecy of New Order (Micah 4:1-7) Image: a sword and a pruning hook
26th Day (Thursday) Fulfillment of all Prophecies (Luke 24:44-48) Image: picture of a book, the Scriptures
27th Day (Friday) Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36) Image: a tent
28th Day (Saturday) Entrance Into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-9) Image: small plastic donkey or piece of palm
——————————————————————————–
29th Day (Monday) Zeal for your house consumes me (Psalms. 69:6-25) Image: a musical instrument
30th Day (Tuesday) Driving the moneylenders from the temple (John 2:13-25) Image: a knotted piece of rope
31st Day (Wednesday) Judas (Matthew 26:14-25) Image: silver coins – to represent Judas’ 30 pieces of silver
32nd Day (Thursday) The Innocent Victim (Isaiah 53:1-12) Image: a white lamb
33rd Day (Friday) Last Supper (Luke 22:14- 20) Image: cup and plate
34th Day (Saturday)Agony in Garden (Matthew 26:36-46) Image: olives – from the garden of Gethsemane
——————————————————————————–
35th Day (Monday) Denial of Jesus (Mark 14:29-31 and 14:66-72) Image: small plastic rooster
36th Day (Tuesday) Crown of Thorns (Matt. 27:27 – Matt. 27:31) Image: a twig bent in a circle – the crown of thorns
37th Day (Wednesday) Scourging at the Pillar Image: a leather strip – the thongs of the whip used when Jesus was scourged
38th Day (Holy Thursday)The Two Thieves (Luke 23:32 – 43) Image: a row of three crosses
39th Day (Good Friday) On the Cross Image: a single die, a piece of sponge and a blue strip of cloth
40th Day (Holy Saturday) Death Of Jesus (Matthew 27: 45-54) Image: small stones/gravel/dirt – reminder of the earthquake
