How to Explain Lent to a Child
Tell your child the story of Jesus’s life., Explain Jesus’s death in an age-appropriate way., Introduce the meaning of Easter., Emphasize the importance of maintaining a close relationship with God., Explain Ash Wednesday., Highlight the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Tell your child the story of Jesus’s life.
If you want your child to accept the Christian faith and its major traditions, it’s important to talk about Jesus regularly – and not just during holidays.
As soon as your child is old enough to understand, start explaining who Jesus was, what he taught, and why he was so significant. -
Step 2: Explain Jesus’s death in an age-appropriate way.
You do not need to dwell on the gruesome details of crucifixion, which can upset and frighten children, but you should introduce Jesus’s death.
Emphasize the reasons for Jesus’s sacrifice, that he gave up his earthly life so that people could have eternal salvation. , Tell your child that Easter is the most important Christian holiday and that it celebrates Jesus’s return from the dead.
The concepts of resurrection and life after death are fundamental to the Christian faith, so introduce them early. , Our lives with God and Jesus after death depend on how we behave now, and God expects us to be good to ourselves and others.
It’s easy to forget about that, but Lent serves as a reminder.
Suggest that your child think about Lent as a way to get closer to God. , Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which, for many believers, includes a symbolic drawing of a cross with ashes on the forehead.
The ashes are meant to remind us of our mortality, but it’s not necessary to push this idea too forcefully on very young children.
Be matter-of-fact about the tradition.
Some children may resist this ceremony at first, and that’s okay.
Take your child to church on Ash Wednesday, but don’t force participation.
Your child may need time to understand and accept the idea. , Tell your child that Lent lasts for forty days because that’s how long Jesus wandered in the desert, fasting, when he resisted the temptation of Satan.
Explain that your child has an opportunity, during the forty days of Lent, to pay tribute to Jesus while striving to become closer to God and resisting the devil’s temptations. , Water is fundamental to our lives, but it also represents baptism and the washing away of our sins.
Place a symbol, such as a bottle of water, in your home, and encourage your child to articulate its importance. , During Lent, Christians “fast” in various ways to connect with and honor Jesus, who fasted for forty days in the desert.
You don’t have to expect your child to make a huge, symbolic sacrifice for forty days, but you can certainly teach the concept and encourage your child to try it, perhaps giving up sweets or video games.
Note that during Lent, “fasting” may not always involve food.
There are other ways to practice sacrifice and strive for closeness with God.
Jesus did not live in luxury, and so giving up something unnecessary is another way to honor his life.
This period of fasting is also a good time to show solidarity with people who do not have enough food.
Take your child with you to feed someone who is poor, making someone a meal or supplying food to a shelter or food bank. , Teach your child that repenting for his or her sins will lead to a closer relationship with God.
Children are not purposefully sinful by nature, and they may not understand at first.
However, by encouraging your child to admit to and apologize for his or her mischief (fighting with another child, saying bad words, sneaking candy), you can help your child grow into a more mature person. , Your child should understand that the last week before Easter is especially important.
Begin by telling the story about the night before Jesus died, and consider making a meal (perhaps including wine and homemade bread) to correspond with it.
Make sure your child knows that this last portion of Lent leads up to the celebration of Easter. , The day that Jesus died is a sad one for Christians, but you can still make it interesting for your child.
Paint eggs together, and remind your child of the importance of resurrection and life after death. , Explain to your child that on Saturday, there is no liturgy, and Christians prepare for Easter.
Talk about Easter with joy and enthusiasm, and explain the symbolism of painted eggs and the wonder of resurrection, salvation, and life with God after death. , You don’t have to lecture your child on the subject, but definitely mention, in a natural way, that your child has certain luxuries that others do not.
Remind your child that we should not take luxuries for granted. , Respect the rules yourself and be a good role model for your child.
Stick to the rituals and try to make Lent a period of closeness and reflection for the whole family. , If you expect your child to sacrifice something meaningful, you need to do the same.
For example, if he or she is giving up toys, you can give up social media and computer games. , Read the Bible, pray, and talk about Christianity with your child.
Find books about Jesus, Lent, and Easter that are written for children, and make the concepts interesting for your child – consider, for example, acting out key events. , As a family, use your hands to craft crosses, crowns of thorns, and other symbolic projects.
Paint and decorate Easter eggs together. , Fasting does not have to mean tasteless, unappealing food.
Prepare something your child likes to encourage acceptance of Lent’s symbols and rituals. , Let your child decide on an act of kindness and who he or she would like to perform it for.
Giving your child an active role will encourage acceptance. , Don’t present Lent as a period of suffering and sacrifice and pain; emphasize that it is a time of reflection and family moments.
Teach the importance of enjoying life and the miracles of resurrection and life after death. , Offer your child a non-material reward – a special activity, a family game, or a trip to a park, for example – for meeting your expectations during Lent. , Teach yourself and your children that Lent is supposed to be about becoming better people.
These values should last after the rituals of Lent are over. -
Step 3: Introduce the meaning of Easter.
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Step 4: Emphasize the importance of maintaining a close relationship with God.
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Step 5: Explain Ash Wednesday.
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Step 6: Highlight the significance of the forty days.
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Step 7: Teach your child about the significance of water.
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Step 8: Explain fasting.
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Step 9: Encourage repentance.
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Step 10: Honor the holy week together.
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Step 11: Make a special note of Good Friday.
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Step 12: Devote the Saturday of the holy week to preparing for Easter.
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Step 13: Prepare your child before the holidays.
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Step 14: Teach by example.
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Step 15: Practice what you preach.
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Step 16: Make spirituality a family affair.
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Step 17: Encourage your child to make something.
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Step 18: Plan meals with care.
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Step 19: Empower your child to help someone.
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Step 20: Make Lent seem beautiful and appealing.
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Step 21: Promise a reward for good behavior.
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Step 22: Do not simply return to your old ways after Easter.
Detailed Guide
If you want your child to accept the Christian faith and its major traditions, it’s important to talk about Jesus regularly – and not just during holidays.
As soon as your child is old enough to understand, start explaining who Jesus was, what he taught, and why he was so significant.
You do not need to dwell on the gruesome details of crucifixion, which can upset and frighten children, but you should introduce Jesus’s death.
Emphasize the reasons for Jesus’s sacrifice, that he gave up his earthly life so that people could have eternal salvation. , Tell your child that Easter is the most important Christian holiday and that it celebrates Jesus’s return from the dead.
The concepts of resurrection and life after death are fundamental to the Christian faith, so introduce them early. , Our lives with God and Jesus after death depend on how we behave now, and God expects us to be good to ourselves and others.
It’s easy to forget about that, but Lent serves as a reminder.
Suggest that your child think about Lent as a way to get closer to God. , Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which, for many believers, includes a symbolic drawing of a cross with ashes on the forehead.
The ashes are meant to remind us of our mortality, but it’s not necessary to push this idea too forcefully on very young children.
Be matter-of-fact about the tradition.
Some children may resist this ceremony at first, and that’s okay.
Take your child to church on Ash Wednesday, but don’t force participation.
Your child may need time to understand and accept the idea. , Tell your child that Lent lasts for forty days because that’s how long Jesus wandered in the desert, fasting, when he resisted the temptation of Satan.
Explain that your child has an opportunity, during the forty days of Lent, to pay tribute to Jesus while striving to become closer to God and resisting the devil’s temptations. , Water is fundamental to our lives, but it also represents baptism and the washing away of our sins.
Place a symbol, such as a bottle of water, in your home, and encourage your child to articulate its importance. , During Lent, Christians “fast” in various ways to connect with and honor Jesus, who fasted for forty days in the desert.
You don’t have to expect your child to make a huge, symbolic sacrifice for forty days, but you can certainly teach the concept and encourage your child to try it, perhaps giving up sweets or video games.
Note that during Lent, “fasting” may not always involve food.
There are other ways to practice sacrifice and strive for closeness with God.
Jesus did not live in luxury, and so giving up something unnecessary is another way to honor his life.
This period of fasting is also a good time to show solidarity with people who do not have enough food.
Take your child with you to feed someone who is poor, making someone a meal or supplying food to a shelter or food bank. , Teach your child that repenting for his or her sins will lead to a closer relationship with God.
Children are not purposefully sinful by nature, and they may not understand at first.
However, by encouraging your child to admit to and apologize for his or her mischief (fighting with another child, saying bad words, sneaking candy), you can help your child grow into a more mature person. , Your child should understand that the last week before Easter is especially important.
Begin by telling the story about the night before Jesus died, and consider making a meal (perhaps including wine and homemade bread) to correspond with it.
Make sure your child knows that this last portion of Lent leads up to the celebration of Easter. , The day that Jesus died is a sad one for Christians, but you can still make it interesting for your child.
Paint eggs together, and remind your child of the importance of resurrection and life after death. , Explain to your child that on Saturday, there is no liturgy, and Christians prepare for Easter.
Talk about Easter with joy and enthusiasm, and explain the symbolism of painted eggs and the wonder of resurrection, salvation, and life with God after death. , You don’t have to lecture your child on the subject, but definitely mention, in a natural way, that your child has certain luxuries that others do not.
Remind your child that we should not take luxuries for granted. , Respect the rules yourself and be a good role model for your child.
Stick to the rituals and try to make Lent a period of closeness and reflection for the whole family. , If you expect your child to sacrifice something meaningful, you need to do the same.
For example, if he or she is giving up toys, you can give up social media and computer games. , Read the Bible, pray, and talk about Christianity with your child.
Find books about Jesus, Lent, and Easter that are written for children, and make the concepts interesting for your child – consider, for example, acting out key events. , As a family, use your hands to craft crosses, crowns of thorns, and other symbolic projects.
Paint and decorate Easter eggs together. , Fasting does not have to mean tasteless, unappealing food.
Prepare something your child likes to encourage acceptance of Lent’s symbols and rituals. , Let your child decide on an act of kindness and who he or she would like to perform it for.
Giving your child an active role will encourage acceptance. , Don’t present Lent as a period of suffering and sacrifice and pain; emphasize that it is a time of reflection and family moments.
Teach the importance of enjoying life and the miracles of resurrection and life after death. , Offer your child a non-material reward – a special activity, a family game, or a trip to a park, for example – for meeting your expectations during Lent. , Teach yourself and your children that Lent is supposed to be about becoming better people.
These values should last after the rituals of Lent are over.
About the Author
Marie Lewis
Experienced content creator specializing in crafts guides and tutorials.
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