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Celebrate Lent with Your Kids this Easter
Interesting history, fun activities, and meaningful ways to prepare, reflect, and renew your hearts together.
Lent is a season of hope — a time to mark what is now and not yet at the same time. Families around the world observe the 40-day period with times of prayer and preparation culminating with a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. His new life brings ours to life! We trust this resource will help you intentionally guide your children through the Lenten season and into Easter.
The History, significance, and meaning of the 40 Days of Lent are reflected throughout the Scripture. The observation of Lent is rooted in the early Christian Church. The season takes its name from the Old English word “lenten,” meaning spring. Lent takes place over a forty-day period. In Scripture, the number “40” symbolizes times of testing, trial, growth, and preparation for the miraculous work of God, for example:
- Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai
- The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years.
In Matthew 3:16-17, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, and the Spirit of God descended on Him, announcing His Sonship. “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Following His baptism, Jesus’ 40 days of prayer, fasting, and preparation began.
Guiding Your Kids Hearts
The questions and activities we’ve included will help you guide your kids’ hearts in the process of praying about their lives, reflecting on Easter scriptures, and clearing out what doesn’t grow their life with God. Embracing the joy of Easter together strengthens faith, builds bonds, establishes lasting traditions, and makes great memories!
Set a Family Fast: Choose a family-friendly fast, such as temporarily giving up a particular treat, show, habit, or screen time. Talk about the purpose of fasting and how it connects to self-discipline and drawing closer to God. Pray about how you can use your sacrifice to connect with Him instead.
Take a Prayer Hike: Spend time outdoors in nature, taking walks or hikes as a family. (Adjust the length of your walk to fit the age and limitations of your kids.) Before you begin your trek, pray together or read a passage about God’s creation. During your walk, encourage everyone to walk quietly—praying, reflecting, and connecting with God. Share about the time you had with the Lord.
Create a Prayer Jar: Encourage everyone to write down prayers or blessings throughout the week and keep them in a jar on your mealtime table (help note prayers for any children too young to write). Model how to do it— adding to the collection throughout Lent. Read the entries aloud several times each week and encourage one another as a family.
Make Eggs-tra Special Sacrifices of Grace: Write down acts of grace on strips of paper. Include undeserved acts of kindness, service, or related verses. Make them simple tasks like writing notes of encouragement, performing chores, saying something kind, or serving others. Then, place each act of grace (one slip of paper) inside a plastic egg. Once per week, read the words of John 3:16 as a reminder before family members choose an egg. Give each person 48 hours to complete their act of grace and share their experience. Specifically ask:
- Tell us about your act of service or kindness. How did you personalize the task?
- How did it go? Who did you interact with? How did that person(s) respond?
- How did God express His creativity through you?
- How did it make you feel?
- What does God want you to know about Him from this experience.
“For-Give“ Gift Wrapping: Each family member writes a person they have forgiven, need to forgive, or has forgiven them. Discuss the incredible and life-giving gift of forgiveness. Talk about ways the family can foster a culture of forgiveness (a culture of deeper love). Discuss how asking for forgiveness and forgiving are both courageous decisions and behaviors.
Make a Family Easter Banner: God’s banner over us is love! Craft a family Easter banner or decorate a cross with symbols representing aspects of Jesus’ journey, grace, and forgiveness. Older kids may have fun creating a banner for the door to their room.
Cook Together: Foster family bonds by prepping and cooking together. Make Easter cookies, imagine the Last Supper together over dinner some evening, or share time making Easter brunch. Demonstrate the importance of hospitality and community by inviting others to an Easter meal.
Have a Watch Party: Watch a classic Easter movie. (Be sure you pick something age-appropriate.) Then, talk it over. Start a family discussion, inviting everyone to share their ideas. Ask: What did you notice? How did they make you feel? Did you learn anything new that you hadn’t noticed before?
Reflecting as a Family
As you and your family explore the season of Lent, we encourage you to slow down. Reflecting on the significant events leading up to Easter grows faith, and the spiritual experiences you share will last a lifetime! As you walk with God and one another through Lent and Holy Week, may the journey bring Jesus’ resurrection and ongoing grace to life.
About the Author
AMY PIERSON: Amy Pierson is the Manager of Special Projects for Focus on the Family/Family Ministries, author, speaker, and creative champion of spiritual transformation. She and her husband, Bill, live in Denver, inspired by their adult children and growing family.
