Lent challenges for the whole family!

Lent is a time of penance and sacrifice in preparation for the mysteries of the Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. But how can busy families enter into Christ’s 40 days of fasting in the desert? Here are some ideas for the whole family to enter this season of penance.

There are three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We included ideas for each in various age groups. 

Prayer

For kids:

1. Learn one new prayer and recite daily
2. Choose one person — a friend, neighbor, even a famous person — to pray for every day during Lent
3. Choose a patron saint to learn about and pray for their intercession 

For parents:

1. Go to a weekly Holy Hour
2. Read and reflect on Scriptures daily
3. Choose somebody you need to forgive and offer up your daily sufferings for them

Fasting

For kids:

1. Give up a favorite snack food
2. Give up electronics / video games / computer game time
3. Eat everything your mom puts on your plate for dinner

For parents: 

1. Give up social media
2. Give up alcohol
3. Give up small pleasures: Cream in your coffee, salt on your food, hot showers, etc.

For the whole family:

1. Fast from television
2. Fast from desserts
3. Fast from screens / video games / social media

Almsgiving

For kids:

1. Donate clothes, books, or toys
2. Volunteer to do extra chores around the house
3. Volunteer to help a neighbor with cleaning their house or lawn

For parents:

1. Donate money to charity
2. Volunteer with a prison ministry
3. Volunteer to help with a catechism / religious education class

Whole family:

1. Volunteer at a soup kitchen
2. Raise or save money to donate to a favorite charity
3. Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center or collect items to donate