Good Friday with Kids

Today has been a blustery, rainy and stormy day.  Very appropriate for Good Friday, right?  I wanted the kids to really understand that this day is different.  That this isn't just another day off school.  Not that I expect them to spend the day in prayer, but I want to teach them to be mindful of what today is and what it means for each of us.  So what do we do?

•   We obviously do not expect our children to fast, but we did tell them that today will not be a day for extra snacks or sweet treats.  Now for our kiddos this is difficult.  They LOVE to eat.  So everytime they ask, we ask them, "Why are there no snacks today?"  It keeps reminding them that today is Good Friday, since this occurs at least once an hour.

•  Stations of the Cross:  I made stations out of baby-food jars a couple of years ago.  We light each candle and then after we do a short mediation on the station, each child takes a turn blowing out the candle.  It keeps them interested.  I also made children's stations, where the kids can match a physical item representing each station to a picture of that station.  

 
 

• Silence:  I think it is very important to teach children the value of silence, but especially the importance of quieting our soul so that we can hear the voice of God.  Our kids are still in the teaching phase, meaning it is our job to teach them how to become silent and what to do with that silence.  We have different expectations for each one of our kids.  For example, with Isaac we sent him to his room for five minutes and told him to think about Jesus on the Cross.  After five minutes, I went in to ask him what he was thinking about?  What pictures do you see in your head?  How does this picture make you feel?  What is Jesus saying to your heart?  How can you help Jesus on the Cross.  It was beautiful to see what God was doing in his little heart in just five minutes.  A very tender moment for Isaac and I, to say the least.  

• The Kids Passion Movie:  We picked up a $5 Passion cartoon at Target a few years back.  It is surprisingly great and keeps the kids interested.  It is a two-part DVD.  The second part is all about the Resurrection.  We will let them watch that on Sunday.

• Veneration:  We will take  the kids to Veneration of the Cross at Church.