Participating in Lent with Young Children

The three main components of preparing for Easter are: Prayer

, Fasting

, Almsgiving

1. Place a purple tablecloth on the table, with a crucifix and/or nails as the centerpiece2. Let kids decorate purple crosses and hang them in windows3. For Ash Wednesday, cut out pictures of kids from magazines (or use dolls) and let kids putcrosses on their foreheads4. Work with kids to create Stations of the Cross and post around the house; visit the Stationseach Friday as a family5. Food for the Poor:

Have kids decorate a box labeled "For the Poor"

Purchase 40 canned goods and store in pantry

Each day of Lent, child chooses one can to place into the decorated box

After Lent, kids help deliver the goods to Church or shelter 6. Rice Bowl Pennies:

Go around the house each day and count how many of one item is in the housethat you are grateful for (ie: lights, books, beds, shoes, children)

For each item on that day, the child may put that many pennies into the Rice Bowl7. Bury the Alleluia:

Create and decorate signs with "Gloria" and "Alleluia"

Bury outside or hide inside

Dig up or find on Easter morning8. Sacrifice Cross

Cut out a large purple cross and hang up in the house

Each time a good deed or sacrifice is performed by the child during Lent,they may put a sticker, or pasta painted purple, or some item on the cross

Try to fill up the cross by Easter!9. Lenten Calendar