Lent in the Home

In a family with small children, how do you journey through Lent in a developmentally appropriate way? One idea is to create a collection of symbolic items and place them on a purple cloth in a central place in your home. The items might include a candle, a cross, a scripture passage and/or prayer, and a small Bible. Other items to include might be a poem, an art postcard, or a small jar for collecting money for charity. These items can serve as starting points for conversation and be a guide to other disciplines you choose to take on as a family. As you explore and explain the items, children may ask questions and ponder in ways that help you journey through Lent together.

A Lent Prayer Table

Candle: A symbol of God’s presence with us. “We light the candle to remind us that God is with us in this place, at this time.”
Purple cloth: For children who are familiar with advent, the purple of lent will be familiar as a color for a time of waiting (Purple is for Preparation). Use a circle calendar of the church year to show the children that we are in Lent, waiting for the great feast of Easter.
Scripture, poem, or prayer: This can be written on cards that can be read together aloud. The Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 is a wonderful image to meditate on with young children.
Cross: Take time to look at the cross together and discuss the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Lenten Book Recommendations

Make Room (Paraclete Press)
An invitation for children to wonder about the Lenten story. This unique book teaches children to experience Lent with all their senses and to see it as a special time for creating a welcoming space for God. Simple activities like cleaning a room, making bread and soup, and inviting a neighbor for supper become acts of justice and kindness, part of a life of following Christ, and a way to make room for God in our lives and in the world around us.

Lenten Survival Guide for Kids (Paraclete Press)
Written for 7-11-year-olds, this playful guide appeals to kids who want to know more about what adults tell them is a serious time. Without talking down to them, and challenging them to learn and do more, the following topics are explored in detail: What Lent Is, What Lent Definitely Is Not, 40 Days of Survival Tactics, and A Few Prayers and Practices – Only for Kids.
Adapted from:
 Watkins, E. (2023, February 16). Creating a Lenten prayer space at home. Building Faith. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://buildfaith.org/creating-lenten-prayer-space-home/