Activites for Lent

Reading for Lent

One of the best things to do for Lent with children is to set up a habit of reading from the Bible. It’s often most effective to read out loud together. Tailor the length of the reading to the age of the child – it’s better to read a short amount regularly than a longer amount that you put off, or which is to much for the hild to pay attntion to.  There is nothing wrong with using a children’s book of Bible stories, especially for younger children.

There are all kinds of ways to choose which parts to read, but most younger children respond best to narrative stories about people, either from the Old testament or from the Gospels. The gospel readings from the Book of Common Prayer are good choices suited to the season, either read directly, the same passages from another traslation, or the corresponding stories from a children’s Bible.

Poster on the Three Pillars of Lent: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving

Use a large piece of paper or poster-board fo this. At the top, write LENT in bold letters. Divide the oster into three areas, and lable each one with Fast, Pray, Give. Make sure there is a lot of room in each area to add pictures.

Talk about the three words and their meaning during Lent. Have your child think about some examples of doing these things: giving up sweets or eating less, saying prayers before bed or praying together in church, giving money to a the church or helping someone in need, etc. They can illustrate each section with one of their ideas, either drawing or cutting out pictures as for a collage.

When this is done, choose one or more of the following activities to take on during Lent.

  1. Take on one new chore throughout the season of Lent. It could be helping out with tidying, setting the table, folding laundry, or something else. Ask your parents for ideas that would be helpful.

  2. If you have an allowance, put aside some every week to donate to the church or others in need.

  3. Using the parish list, choose a member of the parish to pray for each night before bed. You can look at prayers from the Book of Common Prayer to find suitable prayers for before bed.

  4. Read the Bible every day, or a Bible story from a children’s Bible.

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Lesson III: Abraham and Isaac

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The Story of Christmas