Lent is starting soon (next week or the week after depending on the church calendar), and I wanted to put a brainstorm request out there.
If you’re a parent/caretaker or otherwise work with kids, what kind of activities do you use in preparing them for Easter/Resurrection Sunday (or Passover, for that matter)?
I feel that there are so many Advent materials out there, and it’s easy enough to just get out the seasonal picture books. But we just don’t have as many Easter books as compared to Christmas. I’m working with a fairly blank slate, as David doesn't know about the Easter bunny or egg hunts.
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| "Why am I doing this, again?" |
How much do you think a 2.5 yr old can comprehend?
This IS a tough one for preschool, I think.... I really think that it is almost beyond them (and possibly should be). However, with my older kids I just took them with me to everything - Stations of the Cross, all the many celebrations of Holy Week. I remember Aidan, at about 4, asking my why Jesus was hanging from the cross, and my desperately trying to simplify that whole Sacrifice of Christ for him....at the conclusion of the liturgy he had had enough time to figure it out for himself - he said, figuring I didn't know "Mom - he's there because they put nails in his hands." I was getting deep and he was looking at the laws of physics.
ReplyDeleteAt the Lenten Activity morning, we're having the kids make pretzels (pretzels were originally made to signify arms folded in the style of prayer of that day). We are giving them a little "path" of 40 stones and for each day they do a good deed they can color one. We are introducing the devotion, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which does focus on the Passion. That's probably the main thing for littles - a special time to get close to Jesus through extra prayer, extra kindnesses, and giving things up for others. I don't suppose I'll even try with Monnie....except she may pick up something and wonder about it fruitfully....
Oh, just thought of another lovely one - for each good deed you give the child a seed (maybe a bean) and at Easter they can plant them all.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping you would have ideas. I like the pretzels one as I have a good recipe, maybe in a year or two. You also reminded me that there are so many parallels with springtime...flowers and new life and all that, after the winter.
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