I wrote before about the Montessori-based religious education programs called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Godly Play. (See links at the bottom of this post.) Both programs have beautiful activities to enrich the experience of Lent and Easter for children.
You can use ideas from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Godly Play at home to help your child experience the Mystery of Easter. Here are some ideas you can use from either or both programs during Lent.
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Some ideas from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
You could adapt these ideas as needed for your home:
- Bury or put away the “A” word for Lent, and dig it up or bring it out again on Easter.
- Prepare a child-size prayer table with purple cloth for Lent. Add items such as a candle and Bible.
- Prepare a Lenten tray or box with materials that would be meaningful to your child. In our church atrium where I was a catechist, I had real seeds, herbs, fabrics, and a crown of thorns from the Holy Land Exhibit in Minneapolis along with a basket of prayer cards. The tray (wooden box without its lid) in the photo is one example of a tray that could be used for a wide age range at home.
- Introduce the geography of Jerusalem during Lent. In our church atrium, we had a wooden model of Jerusalem for lessons in Lent. That wouldn’t be practical for home use, but you could emphasize places in Jerusalem that correspond to events in Jesus’ life. Perhaps you could purchase or print out a map of Jerusalem and add little wooden figures to the appropriate places in Jerusalem as you tell the stories of Jesus’ life during Lent.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Model of Jerusalem
Follow Thoughts from the Sheepfold for more ideas from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd during Lent.
The Spring 2011 newsletter from St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in Goleta, California, tells about the Lenten themes used in its three levels of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atria.
Some ideas from Godly Play
Churches using Godly Play vary somewhat in their presentations of lessons during Lent. The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 4, Revised and Expanded by Jerome W. Berryman is especially helpful for Godly Play during Lent. Jerome Berryman’s introduction from Lesson 1: The Mystery of Easter:
Lent is the season when we prepare for Easter. These six weeks are a solemn time, overflowing with meaning, when we view life from the perspective of our existential limits and the sacrifice of Christ….Storytelling Tip: Remember that this story is called the Mystery of Easter, not the Mystery of Lent. The fullest meaning of Lent is that it gives us time to prepare for the great Mystery of Easter, the principal feast of the Christian Church. Similarly, we recommend that you not call the material a “cross puzzle” but always refer to it as “the material for the Mystery of Easter.”
Young Children and Worship
by Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman is also very helpful. This book has patterns and presentations for the Lent/Easter lessons, although the presentations aren’t the latest versions.
Whether you use actual Godly Play lessons, you can create a Godly Play table or shelf during Lent. Probably the most extensive resource for Godly Play at home and creating a Godly Play table or space is Wondering through the Year.
Here are some blogs that use Godly Play at home or with group ideas for Lent that can be easily adapted for home use.
Wondering through the Year has a series of posts on Lent.
Explore and Express has the following Lent posts: Celebrating Lent with Children, Godly Play: The Mystery of Easter, Nature Table: Lent, and Easter Club posts.
Wonderful in an Easter Kind of Way has a number of Godly Play Lent posts.
Faith at Home has a more general but still helpful Ten Godly Play at Home Tips for Parents.
Worshiping with Children has many ideas that can be used for Godly Play or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, especially if your church uses the Revised Common Lectionary.
More Godly Play Resources for Lent and Easter
Here are my posts about Montessori-based religious education at any time of year: Making Religion Come Alive for Children Godly Play Isn’t Just for Children, How to Add Godly Play to Your Homeschool, and Fitting Montessori-Based Religious Education into Your Home.
I have a post on The Silence Game with activities and a prayer table that work well any time of year but would be especially meaningful during Lent.
I have a post with lots of resources on how to prepare a Montessori-style Lenten tray.
I have links to free art appreciation resources for a Montessori-style Mystery of Easter tray.
I also have a Lent Pinterest board.
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
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Hi Deb,
Thanks so much for the mention! I love posts where you pull together resources like this one. I’m still working on what to do in my home this year so this is a big help! 🙂
Peace,
Leslie
You’re welcome, Leslie! I just love the work you do with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – and it’s my pleasure to share it! 🙂
Hi Deb, The Jerusalem geography idea is really original. I will have to try that with my kids and in the Easter Club as well. Thanks for linking to me!
You’re welcome, Sheila! You are doing such awesome Lenten work. I’ll look forward to seeing what you do with the Jerusalem geography! 🙂
Took me a while to find the comment section:) I just read this and immediately rounded up a few things for a Lenten table. I will blog about it and link back to you. I am trying to get Bear into a Catechism of the Good Shepherd class but it looks like it may be full. I love these posts you do about it and how to implement it at home. Thanks!
Thanks for your kind comment, Julie! I can’t wait to see your post about your Lenten table! You always do such wonderful activities – I’ll definitely want to feature your table here as well. 🙂
Amazing! I am catechist too…
Thanks for your comment, Palmy! It’s great that you’re a catechist, too – small world! 🙂
JDaniel was just talking about needing a bible with pictures. I will need to look for this one.
I love the illustrations by Richard and Frances Hook. We used both My First Bible in Pictures by Kenneth N. Taylor and The One Year Bible Story Book by Virginia J. Muir. Both picture Bibles have illustrations by Richard and Frances Hook. When I took my Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Training, my trainer recommended using illustrations by Richard and Frances Hook. I’ve really fallen in love with Richard and Frances Hook’s artwork. They have wonderful artwork of Jesus that’s especially nice and comforting for young children.
I wanted to let you know I included this post in my “Weekend Round-Up” here:
http://ourseasonsofjoy.com/weekend-round-up/weekend-round-up-7/
I love the ideas and especially appreciated the pictures and the links.
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Annette! And thanks for including my post in your “Weekend Round-Up”!
You always have such great info and resource links here – thanks!
Oh – and now following you!
Thank you for your very kind comment, Charlene – and thanks for following me!
Hi Deb! Love to see this section growing! You asked me to update you when the latest issue of our newsletter goes online….Spring 2011 is up! http://www.stathanasius.org/site/content/sheepfold.
Thanks for spreading the word about this wonderful gift called CGS!
Seraphima
facebook.com/seraphimabutler
Thanks so much, Seraphima! I just added your newsletter link to my post. I always love hearing what you’re doing in your Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program! It’s wonderful that you have atria at three levels.
Thanks for connecting with us anew, Deb! I could do with learning that Jerusalem geography myself.
Thanks, Storyteller! I enjoyed working with the City of Jerusalem materials as much as the kids did … I loved those materials! It’s too bad there isn’t an easy way to have the wooden materials for home use. I think your blog was new during Lent last year, so I just added your Lent posts to my post! 🙂
Thank you posting this on Celebrating Lent, Deb! I love being reminded of the great ideas here and people who haven’t seen it before will be thrilled.
Thanks, Sheila! I’ve been having lots of fun revisiting (and pinning … new to me since Lent last year) posts from last year along with this year’s posts! Thanks to you and Storyteller for hosting the Celebrating Lent Link Party! 🙂
I just showed 2 of my kids that Jerusalem wall…if they were impressed this definitely passes the Lent test!! thank you for this great idea!
I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
I am very interested in the cards you have with the sackcloth and other items. Do you have a link to those resources? Love these ideas!!
I just found this. Those cards were from the Holyland Museum in Minneapolis. I got them in the 1990s. I searched online recently and couldn’t find the museum or the cards, so I’m not sure if something similar is still available. Sorry.
Deb, I made a comment on your more recent post with a question about blogs talking about how to use “Godly Play.” Looks like this would be the post I was looking for!
Yes, this one would be good along with my other Godly Play posts (depending on the liturgical season): https://livingmontessorinow.com/category/godly-play/. I hope you find what works for you! 🙂 Deb