How I Observed Lent as a Catholic Kid

Tomorrow is the beginning of Lent, the period of time (40 days) prior to Easter observed by Catholics and some Protestant denominations. The season is typically marked by prayer, fasting, repentance, and good works. But the main objective is to reflect upon the sacrificial suffering and glorious resurrection of Jesus.

Growing up in a Catholic home, I personally remember it as a time when we got ashes on our foreheads, decided on something to give up for the season (only to pick something else easier the very next day), ate McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches on Fridays, and amassed a collection of folded palm crosses.

I also remember the eerie feeling that would overcome me each year when we would walk around our darkened church, looking up at the graphic and intimidating images of the Stations of the Cross! (Not trying to say anything negative, just an honest recollection of my own personal experience as a young child whose upbringing focused more on rituals instead relationship.)

How I Observe Lent as an Evangelical Mama

Today, I follow Jesus as an evangelical Christian, and so no longer engage in the typical customs of Lent. However, I genuinely appreciate the intent behind these practices that were part of my upbringing. I now know that these traditions and works do not play any part in my salvation, but there is something sacred about focusing my heart and mind on the severity of the penalty paid on my behalf by my savior.

In the past, a lot of my energy was spent during Christmas to help remind my children the reason for the season. But as we all know, the baby who we are expectant for every December did not stay a baby. In fact, I believe there is an even better part of the story than Jesus coming into this world, and that is in what He did for humanity through His death and resurrection.

In recent years, I’ve aimed for balancing out the effort I put into discipling my children during Easter with the same kind of effort I put into discipling them during Christmas.

Ways to Observe a Gospel-Centered Lent with Your Family

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Countdown to Easter

Now, on Ash Wednesday (which happens to be tomorrow), I put out our Cradle-to-Cross wreath, with the silhouette of Mary on a donkey (used during Advent) replaced by the one of Jesus carrying His cross. It serves as a visual reminder of what time of year is about, and helps our family count down the days until the long-awaited Easter holiday. I also prepare a lesson on the history of Lent, and that even as non-liturgical Christians, there is much to be gleaned from being intentional about thinking over Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

For those who don’t have a wreath like this, I created this FREE PRINTABLE that you can quickly print out and use! You can simply mark off each day (40 days, not counting Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday or you can make it more fun but letting your kiddos glue on a cotton ball to each circle – and by Easter, your lamb has all its wool! For your free printable, just enter your email below:

Lenten Reads

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Like Advent, we have books to read and fun activities to help remind us that this season is not about bunnies, chicks, colorful eggs, and baskets filled with more sugar and toys. However, there is also less fanfare than the Christmas season, because for us, though we look forward to celebrating Jesus’ victory over the grave on Resurrection Sunday, the reality is that victory did not come without cost. So that is what we purpose to focus on over the 40 days.

Book Suggestions

Good Dirt is a spiritual formation devotional for families. We don’t use it exactly as it prescribes, but adjust to fit our fam.

The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross is a picture book with engaging illustrations for younger kids (ages 3-9). It focuses on the significance of the temple curtain and tells why Jesus’ death and resurrection is the best news ever.

My kids really enjoyed Zonderkidz’ Legend of the … Series. We own a handful for the Christmas season (like the ones in this post), as well is The Legend of the Easter Egg, which tells about the deeper meaning behind Easter eggs and the Easter story. I usually read this before doing our annual Easter egg decorating.

There are a couple other ones for Easter: The Legend of the Easter Robin and The Legend of the Sand Dollar. These books are great for elementary-aged children.

If you’ve followed our crew long enough, you also know our love for Crystal Bowman’s rhyming board books for very young kids (toddler/preschool stage, though Baby Sis still likes going through them). Like the Legend of the … Series, we own quite a few for the various holidays. An Easter Gift for Me tells the Easter story in a way that very young children can understand.

The Beginner’s Bible: The Very First Easter is a simple bible story retelling of Jesus’ death and resurrection (we also have the one for Christmas). Even though we have other bible story books that we can read from, I liked these stand-alone versions that I could leave out for the kids to look through during each holiday season.

One of our all-time favorite picture books, no matter the season, is The Tale of Three Trees. This is about three trees who share their wishes of what they would like to become … and how their wishes come true, but not in the way they may have envisions. A timeless tale that you will definitely want in your family library.

The Practice of Surrender

One year, I decided to incorporate something called a surrender cross. I originally came across this beautiful idea from another mom blog (that no longer exists). The basic premise is that you place any struggles, burdens and prayers and “surrender” them to Jesus by placing them on the cross.

Surrendering by Giving Up and/or Taking On

That same year, my older two kiddos also decided they wanted to give up/take on something. It wasn’t things like “giving up” candy or toys, or things like “taking on” doing more chores around the house. They were more issues of the heart; struggles in their lives that they want to give up to Jesus, so they can take on more of Him and His ways.

For example, Big Bro (11 years old at the time) spent the Lenten season asking Jesus to help him “give up” his limited generosity and to “take on” a heart that is more open-handed. Big Sis (9 years old at the time) asked Jesus to help her “give up” her desire to react so quickly with words and to “take on” more self-control.

I want to be clear, they know this “giving up” or “taking on” doesn’t gain entry into heaven or any additional righteousness from God. All these years, we have taught them that they absolutely cannot do anything to make God love them more, nor can they do anything to make God love them less, because He already loves them fully and perfectly. Instead, this practice serves more of an exercise of our spiritual muscle; that as we meditate on what Jesus did for us on the cross this season, we can also be intentional about surrendering certain heart idols to that cross.

Observe Caterpillars Turn Into Butterflies

A STEM activity and the gospel? Absolutely! We used Insect Lore’s Butterfly Garden to not only make scientific observations, but to talk about new life and that resurrection can’t happen without death.

Resurrection Eggs

For the longest time, my kids liked going through the Easter story over the course of 12 days, using resurrection eggs.

Bake Up a Lesson!

Resurrection Rolls

This super simple recipe is a great way to teach littles about Jesus’ resurrection! Each ingredient/step represents part of the Easter story:

• The dough represents the linens Jesus was wrapped in before He was placed in the tomb (aka the oven, LOL). But in the end the baked dough will also represent the tomb.
• The white marshmallow represents our sinless savior, Jesus.
• Dipping the marshmallows in the butter and spices represents the anointing and preparation of Jesus’ body for burial (remind your kids about the magi’s gifts when He was a young child).
• While the rolls are baking, read these sections of scripture:

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew: 12:40

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

Luke 24:1-8

• When the rolls are done baking, your children will find the marshmallow has disappeared … THE TOMB IS EMPTY!!!

This has become a favorite Easter tradition for my crew, even though they are quite a bit older now!

Empty Tomb Cake

Every year Big Sis has made a resurrection cake for our Easter celebration. She tries different recipes and elements each time but here are the basic instructions:

• Use a chocolate cake recipe to give the darker appearance for the empty tomb.
• Stack at least two layers of round cakes and then carve out a section for the opening of the tomb,
• Use a large cookie or graham cracker for the stone that has been rolled away.
• Decorate as you wish! Big Sis has crushed up Oreos and used that to cover the cake, she has hand-piped green frosting to make grass, sometimes she leaves the top of the cake plain, sometimes she puts the three crosses … but she has always makes a sign to embellish the cake with this section of scripture:

He is not here; he has risen!

Luke 24:6

We are such a visual and tactile family that traditions like these help remind us to keep our hearts and minds on what is eternally important.

How about you? What are some of the ways you disciple your children during the Easter season? Are there special traditions in your own family that help point your kids to Jesus’ work on the cross and the victory he had over the grave during this time of year?