Lent. For us Catholic parents, it’s often that time of year when we have the best intentions. We imagine ourselves having deep, theological conversations with our kids by the fireplace. We see them giving up candy with the heroic fortitude of a martyr.
And then, reality hits.
You realize “giving up screen time” means they are now using you as a human jungle gym by 10 a.m. because they’re bored out of their minds. Sound familiar? :/
But here’s the thing I’ve learned after years of trial and error (and a few spectacular fails involving melted crayons and a “sacrificial” craft): Lent doesn’t have to be a joyless slog. It can actually be a beautiful time to connect with our kids’ faith in a way that’s hands-on, meaningful, and dare I say… fun.
So, grab a coffee (or, you know, whatever you’re sacrificing), and let’s chat about 20 engaging Lent activities that will actually help your kids grasp what this season is all about.
Praying & Growing Spiritually (Without the Eye Rolls)
Getting kids to pray intentionally during Lent can sometimes feel like pulling teeth. The trick is to make it tangible. Move it from an abstract concept to something they can see and touch.
1. The Classic: The Lenten Paper Chain
This is the gold standard for a reason. You cut 46 strips of purple paper (one for each day of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday) and one strip of either white or yellow for Easter.
- How it works: Every day, the kids tear off a link of the chain. On each strip before you assemble it, write a simple prayer intention, a sacrifice they can offer that day, or a good deed.
- Why I love it: It gives the little ones a visual representation of the journey. They can actually see Lent getting shorter. Plus, watching them race to the chain each morning to see what their “task” for the day is? Adorable.
2. Make a “Prayer Pail” or “Jar of Intentions”
Grab a mason jar (or an empty pasta sauce jar—we don’t judge here) and some popsicle sticks.
- On each stick, write the name of a person or group to pray for. Think outside the box: “Grandpa,” “our mail carrier,” “the homeless,” “the person I was grumpy with today.”
- Your job: Place the jar somewhere central, like the kitchen table.
- The routine: Each night at dinner, have a different family member pull a stick. You pray for whoever or whatever is on that stick. It’s simple, but it teaches them that prayer isn’t just for ourselves.
3. The “Jesus Tree” (A Lenten Spin on the Jesse Tree)
You might do a Jesse Tree during Advent. This is the Lenten version, and it’s powerful. It traces the stories of Jesus’ life, parables, and teachings leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection.
- The activity: Each day, read a short Bible story and hang a simple, homemade ornament on a bare branch (or a small tree) that represents the story.
- FYI, there are plenty of free printables online for this. It’s a fantastic way to build biblical literacy without them even realizing they’re learning. Sneaky, right?
4. Create a “Lenten Desert” in Your Home
We hear about Jesus spending 40 days in the desert. But what does that mean to a six-year-old?
- The activity: Find a small table or a corner shelf. Drape it with a burlap sack or a brown cloth. Place a simple wooden cross, a Bible, and maybe a single candle there.
- The point: This becomes a quiet, uncluttered space for reflection. Encourage your kids to go there when they need a minute of silence. It’s a physical reminder that we are called to simplicity during Lent. I’ve found my five-year-old just sitting there staring at the candle. Is he having a profound mystical experience? Probably not. But he’s being quiet, and that’s a miracle in itself. 😉
5. Pray the Stations of the Cross… with Legos
Okay, hear me out. Taking a child to a traditional Stations of the Cross service can be… challenging. The quiet. The kneeling. The solemnity. It’s a recipe for a meltdown.
- The alternative: On a Friday night, build the stations using Legos, Playmobil, or even just drawings.
- How to do it: Read a kid-friendly version of each station and have them act it out with the figures. Let them build the cross, the soldiers, and the women.
- IMO, this hands-on approach helps them understand the story on a much deeper level than just sitting in a pew. They engage with the emotion of the story.
Almsgiving & Serving Others (The “Giving” Part)
Almsgiving is often the forgotten pillar of Lent. We focus on prayer and fasting, but giving to others is where the rubber meets the road. This is how we show our kids that our faith has hands and feet.
6. The “Rice Bowl” Program (CRS or Local Equivalent)
If you aren’t using a Rice Bowl, you’re missing a huge opportunity. These are those little cardboard boxes you put spare change in.
- The strategy: Put it right next to where you empty your pockets at the end of the day.
- The lesson: Talk about where the money is going. The CRS Rice Bowl app (yes, there’s an app for that!) even has stories of the people the money helps. It connects a quarter dropped in a box to a child getting a meal across the world. It makes global solidarity real for kids.
7. 40 Bags in 40 Days (Family Edition)
This is a popular decluttering trend, and it’s perfect for Lent. The idea is to get rid of 40 bags of stuff from your house over the 40 days.
- For families: Give each kid a bag (or a box) and have them go through their toys and clothes.
- The rule: If you haven’t played with it in a year, it goes in the bag. We’re donating it.
- The deeper meaning: Explain that by giving away things we don’t need, we are making room in our hearts and our home for God. And we are helping other kids who do need those toys. It’s detachment practice for the whole family.
8. Make “Blessing Bags” for the Car
This is a practical one we do every year.
- What you need: A few gallon-sized Ziploc bags. Fill them with a bottle of water, a non-perishable snack (granola bars are great), a pair of warm socks, a gift card to a fast-food place, and maybe a note of encouragement.
- The action: Keep these bags in your car. When you encounter someone who is homeless or in need, you have something concrete and dignified to offer.
- Why it works: It empowers your kids. They aren’t just watching you help; they helped prepare the help.
9. Write “Sunshine Mail” for the Parish
Lent can be a lonely time for the elderly or homebound members of your parish.
- The activity: Sit down with your kids and some construction paper. Write short letters or draw pictures for the residents of a local nursing home or for the parishioners on your prayer list.
- The twist: Deliver them (with permission from the nursing home or parish office). Seeing the smile on a senior’s face when a little kid hands them a rainbow drawing? That’s the true meaning of almsgiving right there.
10. Bake Bread for a Neighbor
Baking is a sensory activity kids love. During Lent, make a simple loaf of bread (or even just buy one and warm it up!) and have the kids deliver it to a neighbor.
- The connection: Talk about Jesus as the “Bread of Life.”
- The service: You are sharing that “Bread of Life” love with someone else. It’s a sacrificial gift of your time and effort.
Fasting & Sacrifice (The “Giving Up” Part)
This is the part kids usually dread. But instead of just forcing them to give up candy, we can reframe it as an act of love and freedom.
11. The “Giving Up” vs. “Feasting On” Chart
This is my favorite reframing tool. Instead of just a list of things you’re not doing, make a two-column chart with your kids.
- Left Column (Giving Up): This is the stuff that distracts us from God. Examples: “Complaining,” “Screaming at my brother,” “Too much iPad.”
- Right Column (Feasting On): This is what we’re going to replace it with. Examples: “Saying thank you,” “Using a gentle voice,” “Playing a board game with the family.”
- The result: It turns Lent from a negative “you can’t” into a positive “we will.” It focuses on spiritual growth over mere deprivation.
12. The “Jelly Bean Prayer” Jar
This is a super fun one for little ones.
- What you do: Get a jar and some jelly beans.
- The system: Every time the child does a good deed, offers a sacrifice without complaining, or says an extra prayer, they get to put a jelly bean in the jar.
- The payoff: They get to eat the jelly beans on Easter Sunday. It teaches them that sacrifice leads to joy. And it’s a great motivator. “You want a jelly bean? Go help your sister with her shoes!”
13. Fast from Screens, Feast on Books
This is the 21st-century version of fasting. We’re not just saying “no” to iPads; we’re saying “yes” to something better.
- The plan: For a set time each day (maybe an hour on weekdays), screens go off, and everyone picks up a book—preferably one about saints, Bible stories, or just a good, wholesome story.
- The bonus: You might actually get some peace and quiet. And your kids might remember that books exist. Win-win.
14. Have a “Silent Meal”
Okay, this sounds intense, but try it once. For one dinner (or even just part of dinner), eat in complete silence.
- The challenge: No talking. Just eating.
- The reflection: Afterwards, talk about how it felt. Was it weird? Hard? Peaceful?
- The lesson: It’s a mini-experience of fasting from words. It helps us appreciate the gift of conversation and also creates space to just “be” with each other. Expect some giggles and a lot of pointing at the salt shaker.
15. The “Sacrifice Beads” (or a Simple Coin Jar)
Get a small jar or bowl and a handful of coins or dried beans.
- The rule: Every time a child (or adult!) offers up a small sacrifice—like not complaining about dinner, sharing a toy, or holding their tongue when they want to snap—they move a bead on a string or drop a coin into the jar.
- The purpose: It makes the invisible sacrifices visible. At the end of Lent, you can count them up and “offer” them to God as a family. It’s a concrete way to see how many small acts of love they performed.
Crafts & Activities (Fun & Focused)
Sometimes you just need an activity to keep little hands busy while you talk about the meaning of the season.
16. Crown of Thorns Playdough Craft
This is a tactile winner.
- You need: Playdough (brown or gray works best) and some toothpicks cut in half.
- The activity: Roll the playdough into a rope and form it into a circle (a crown shape). Then, have the kids stick the toothpick halves into it to represent the thorns.
- The evolution: During Lent, every time a child does a good deed or makes a sacrifice, they can pull out one “thorn.” By Easter, the crown can be thorn-free, representing the joy of the Resurrection. It’s so powerful.
17. Make a Resurrection Garden
This is a beautiful craft that you can actually watch grow during Lent.
- What you need: A shallow pot or tray, soil, small rocks, moss, a small plant (wheatgrass grows fast and looks great), and a small cross made from twigs tied together.
- How to do it: Create a small mound of soil (representing Calvary), place the twig cross on top. Use rocks to create a cave (the tomb) next to it.
- The magic: Water the “garden” and watch the grass grow around the cross. By Easter, it’s lush and full of new life. It’s a living metaphor for new life in Christ.
18. Lenten “Labyrinth” Walk
A labyrinth is not a maze (there are no dead ends). It’s a winding path that leads to a center and back out.
- The activity: Draw a simple labyrinth on the driveway with chalk or on a big piece of paper.
- The practice: Have your kids slowly walk the path to the center, imagining they are walking closer to Jesus. At the center, they can pause and say a prayer. Then, they walk back out, imagining they are taking Jesus’ love back into the world.
- The benefit: It’s a form of active meditation that busy bodies can actually handle.
19. Wash Each Other’s Feet
This one is deeply uncomfortable, and that’s the point. It’s the ultimate act of service that Jesus modeled at the Last Supper.
- How to do it: On Holy Thursday, fill a basin with warm water. Sit down and wash your child’s feet. Then, let them wash yours.
- The experience: It’s humbling. It’s awkward. And it teaches the lesson of servant leadership better than any sermon ever could. Have tissues ready. It can get emotional.
20. Host a “Seder Meal” (A Simplified Version)
Understanding the Jewish roots of the Last Supper is key to understanding the Mass.
- The idea: On Holy Thursday, prepare a simple meal with some elements of the Passover Seder: lamb, bitter herbs, haroset (a sweet apple and nut paste), matzah, and grape juice.
- The conversation: As you eat each element, explain what it meant to the Jewish people and how Jesus used that meal to institute the Eucharist.
- The outcome: It makes the connection between the Old and New Testaments crystal clear. It’s a dinner with a side of theology. What’s not to love? (Okay, the clean-up, but still.)
So, there you have it. Twenty ways to survive—and actually enjoy—Lent with your kids. Don’t feel pressured to do all of them. Pick one or two that resonate with you and your family. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s presence. It’s about creating small moments where faith becomes real.
What are your favorite Lenten traditions? I’d honestly love to hear them. Drop a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go hide the jelly beans from my kids before Lent even starts… 😉
