Lenten Resources for Your Family
Easter is just around the corner, and the Lenten season began last week.
While many families spend a month or more celebrating Advent, the season of Lent is often overlooked. However, Lent can be a wonderful time of learning and reflecting with our children. We encourage you to use this time to dig deep into the Gospel with your family. To help you make the most of the season, we’ve gathered some of our favorite resources from around the web for celebrating Lent and Easter with your family. Regardless of your child’s (or grandchild’s) age, we think we’ve got something for everyone!
FOR THE UNDER 12 CROWD
The Story Maker Resources
Of course, no Gospel resource list is complete (in our opinion) without our Story Maker resources! Our softcover storybook tells the Gospel story in an engaging, easy-to-understand way. Paired with our coloring book, it’s perfect for cementing the Gospel truth into little hearts and minds. If you start with coloring one page a day four weeks before Easter, you’ll have a completed coloring book by Easter morning.
Crew + Co. Easter Cards
These daily cards are a simple way to share nugget-sized truths with little ones. We love that they pair perfectly with The Jesus Storybook Bible. Each card includes a Bible verse, original art, and which story from the book to read for that day.
ALL AGES!
Little Way Lent Guide
Looking for something to print at home? This Lent Guide’s printable cards are simple enough for little ones to understand, but the guide also includes extras like spiritual practices to incorporate and theology for deeper learning. This is a win-win for households with a broad age range.
FAMILY READING
Searching for a Lenten devotional or read-aloud can be overwhelming: there’s a lot out there! We’ve narrowed it down for you to two of our staff favorites.
Amon’s Adventure: A Family Story for Easter by Arnold Ytreeide
This is a book you’ll want to read every year. Gather the kids and read one chapter aloud before bedtime, finishing on Easter Sunday.
From Amazon:
“Thirteen-year-old Amon, the son of Jotham and Tabitha, enjoys playing with his friends but is also ready to join his father in the temple court where only men are allowed. Eager to be considered a man, Amon struggles to divide his time between his friends and his duties to family and faith. But when Jotham is falsely accused of a terrible crime, Amon willingly sacrifices his childhood ways in order to save his father’s life.
Along the way, he sees the jubilant crowds that gathered on Palm Sunday, outwits the Roman soldiers that planned to kill both his father and Jesus, hears the Messiah address the angry crowds, is present during the daring betrayal of Judas Iscariot, and witnesses the ultimate sacrifice made on Good Friday. With short, exciting chapters, reflections for family devotions, and advice for making Lent a meaningful experience, Amon’s Adventure will help families discover anew the spiritual power of the resurrection story.”
We’ve read this book with kiddos as young as 5, but the publisher recommends ages 8 and up for some scenes with peril. Use your own discretion, and, as with any read-aloud, you can always skip past some parts as needed.
The Donkey Who Carried A King by R.C. Sproul
From Amazon:
“Davey was a young donkey who was bored and unhappy because he was never given anything to do. Then one day, some strangers came to the gate―and Davey’s master picked him for a very special task. Davey carried the King, Jesus, into Jerusalem. A few days later, Davey saw some angry people making the King carry a heavy beam of wood. Davey could not understand it―until another donkey helped him see that the King was being a Servant on behalf of His people.
The Donkey Who Carried a King offers a unique perspective on the events of Jesus’ Passion Week and calls all believers, both young and old, to follow in the footsteps of the Suffering Servant for the glory of God. Jesus was willing to leave the glories of heaven to suffer and die in this world on our behalf, so we should serve Him with all our hearts.”
The illustrations in this book are too beautiful to miss. While not a daily reading, this book is long enough that you could spread it out over several days or weeks or read it over and over throughout the season. We’re sure you’ll want to.
Playlists for Lent/Easter
You can’t beat a curated playlist for setting the mood of your home. We’ve searched Spotify and found two beautiful and reflective playlists. Perfect for listening throughout your day. Music is a wonderful way to worship and hide Gospel truths in your child’s heart.
We hope our suggestions help you as you anticipate and celebrate this wonderful, holy season, as we rejoice in the resurrection of our Savior!