Lent Resources for You & Your Family

Lent is often, and understandably, described with project language. The season has a starting date, an ending date, and clear, quantifiable goals "to accomplish" in between. After Easter, consequently, we evaluate Lent with project language. We "did okay" or "only made it two weeks" or "kept our commitment" or "totally failed." I invite you to consider Lent as less of a project and more of a sojourn. A sojourn is a "temporary stay at a place." And a stay is about presence, not productivity...Fast Lent as a project and enter Lent as an experience, as a sojourn with your Savior. -Alicia Britt Chloe, 40 Days of Decrease

This is our first year experiencing Lent as part of a liturgical church. Last night the kids and I attended our first Ash Wednesday service.

We missed out on the ashes part because Abigail drifted off to sleep on the pew within the first five minutes and Moses fell asleep on my lap shortly thereafter, so getting up to the rail while holding a fifty-five pound boy just wasn't happening. I'm still savoring the sweetness of snuggling his sleeping body while observing a 90-minute reminder that we are dust, and unto dust we shall return. It was a deeply moving service that I hope I never forget.

I've been researching ideas for helping my children experience Lent this year. We won't be using all of them as I lean toward simple for all things holiday, but I thought you might enjoy some of these resources as you share this time of year with your children.

• Lenten Countdown Calendar by Catholic Icing

At ages 5 and 7, my children are definitely in need of visual reminders when it comes to telling time. This cute (and free) printable really embodies the idea of Lent as a journey. My kids are enjoying coloring in a square for each day to see how close we are getting to Easter. 

• What to Give Up and Take Up for Lent from Blessed Is She

I love how this article xplains the three central themes of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These disciplines aren't intended as a spiritual improvement program. Rather, they are ways we can prepare our hearts and minds for turning away from sin and toward Jesus in an intentional way. If you need some creative ideas for Lent, you'll find dozens of good suggestions here.

Along similar lines I appreciated the guidelines Tsh Oxenreider shared in her Instagram stories about connecting fasting and feasting. Don't just cut something out of your life for Lent; replace it with something even more meaningful that will help you turn your heart toward Christ.

• Lenten Activities for the Home by Revolution of Love

This author has a lovely Lenten display set up in her home. I especially loved her idea of a jar of prayer intentions, one for each day of Lent. Every day the kids can pull something out of the jar to pray for as a family throughout the day. 

• Lent Activity Book from the Homeschool Compass

If you have kiddos who enjoy cutting and glue, they might enjoy assembling this free activity book with ideas for each day of Lent. You'll find handwriting pages, coloring pages, recipes, prayer prompts and more.

• 40 Days of Bible Journaling for Lent by the Jesus Journal Junkies community

This social media community will be journaling a different Scripture for each of the forty days of Lent built around the themes of the Beatitudes. I can't think of a better way to center my heart on Scripture during this season. 

• 40 Days of Decrease by Alicia Britt Nichole

As I've looked through the various Lent devotional books available, this one really stands out. Each day has a Scripture reading, a few pages of teaching, a place to journal and reflect, and a different fast focus for each day. This is a Scripturally rich book for those who want to engage their minds as well as their hearts this Lent.

I hope these resources give you some food for thought, but however you choose to consecrate this sacred time of year, please know that the most important thing is to slow down and savor the work of Christ. We can get so wrapped up in doing all the things that we miss the presence of Jesus. Keeping things quiet and simple goes a long way toward honoring God and giving Him enough space to speak to our hearts. I pray that you will experience His love in a special way this Lent.