Lent for Little Ones

When I couldn't find any daily kind of Lent program for little ones out there, I pulled forty passages of Scripture,  in chronological order, out of the New Testament, detailing Jesus' final days and the Easter story.  Some of the stories that are repeated throughout the New Testament are also repeated here, and if your toddler is anything like mine, repetition is a good thing :)

Each day, I am reading her the passage from my Bible, and then if her toddler picture Bible also has the story, we read it again from her Bible.  Next, we are doing the activity or conversation times detailed below.  My toddler loves to act out stories and movies, turn her stuffed animals into Bible characters and do crafts.  Therefore, the activities and conversations are aimed toward those interests.

Be creative!  If your toddler is into LEGOs, use LEGOs.  If you don't have a shoebox, use a cereal box.  It doesn't matter.  The point is sharing these stories in a way that conveys the meaning in a way your dear one can understand and remember.  Encourage your kids to share what they are learning with others or when Dad comes home.  

Take Sundays off, and you'll find the first 7 days below.  I'll add the next 33 days over the next week!

By the time Easter comes, you won't be popping the significance of the season on your children, trying to make it an inch wide and a mile deep.  My hope is that by Easter, the meaning of the season and His gift, great love and new life will be a part of who Lily is, seeping into her thirsty mind and dripping from her daily chatter.  

If we don't bind the Truth around their sweet necks

And write His words upon their moldable hearts...

who will? 

Day 1      2/22       Matthew 21:1-11       Triumphal Entry

Make big palm branch  from green construction paper.  Talk about all of the names that the child has, and write one on each frond.  This is the same  with Jesus!  Talk about all of the names he has, just like “King” from the story.  Write a name of Jesus on each frond.

Day 2      2/23      John 12:1-11       Mary Anoints Jesus

 Act out Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with water by washing child’s feet with waterand drying them with a towel.  Talk about how this act showed Mary’s love forJesus.  Talk about ways that the child can love others around him/her like this.

Day 3      2/24       John 12:12-19         Triumphant Entry

Act out ‘the Triumphal Entry’ with a stuffed animal “donkey”, paper palms from Day 1 and coats or blankets.  Act it out several times, letting the child play each role.

Day 4       2/25       Mark 11:12-26       Driving out Money Changers

Make a piggie bank from a tissue box or oatmeal container.  Talk about what the vendors were doing and why it upset Jesus, and talk about how important it is that we give of what we have to God to use.  Write on the box:  “Believe, Pray, Forgive” based on the Scripture.  Use this bank for putting money in this Lent season, and let child give the money to God or others as he/she chooses throughout Lent, or at the end.

Day 5      2/27       Matthew 21:23-32        Authority Challenged, Parable of Two Sons

Make puppets of the two sons on popsicle sticks, act out the parable using thepuppets.  Do it once for the child and then let the child do the same.

Day 6      2/28      Mark 12:1-12        Parable of the Vine-Growers

Paint many stones different colors.  Use a Sharpie to write names of different things that are important in the child’s life…Mommy, Daddy, friends, foods, toys.  Paint the largest stone white and write Jesus’ name on it.  Built the stones together into a house or wall with “Jesus” as the foundation.  Talk about the importance of Jesus being the chief cornerstone.

Day 7      2/29       Matthew 22:1-14       Parable of the Marriage Feast

 Build a “kingdom” from blocks, books, boxes, whatever, and gather many figurines, Barbies, action figures.  Act out the parable, and talk about what it means.